NEW YORK — On Tuesday, New York City FC made the decision to part ways with Coach Nick Cushing, just three days following a disappointing 2-0 defeat against their rivals, the New York Red Bulls, in the Eastern Conference semifinals of Major League Soccer.

Cushing has now become the 11th manager to leave their position among the 29 teams in MLS since the beginning of the 2024 season. This comes as a significant transition for a league that has seen numerous coaching changes this season.

The 40-year-old English coach had previously been at the helm of the women’s team at Manchester City from 2013 to 2020, a team also under the ownership of City Football Group, the same entity that manages NYCFC. He took over as the interim head coach for NYCFC in June 2022 after the departure of Ronny Deila, who led the team to clinch the MLS title in 2021 and subsequently left for Belgium to coach Standard Liege.

Cushing was officially appointed as the permanent head coach in November of that year. During his tenure, he guided NYCFC to a record of 31 victories, 31 losses, and 27 draws across two and a half seasons in regular league play. However, the team faced setbacks, including their elimination by Philadelphia in the 2022 Eastern Conference final and a missed playoff run in the 2023 season. They managed to return to the playoffs this year after securing the sixth spot in the regular season standings.

Over the course of ten seasons, NYCFC has seen a revolving door of coaches, with Cushing the fifth since their establishment. He follows in the footsteps of previous coaches Jason Kreis (2015), Patrick Vieira (2016-2018), Dominic Torrent (2018-2019), and Deila (2020-2022).

In addition to Cushing’s departure, this season has witnessed several other coaching changes throughout the league. Coaches like Gary Smith of Nashville (May 16), Gonzalo Pineda of Atlanta (June 3), Nico Estévez of Dallas (June 9), Luchi Gonzalez of San Jose (June 24), Bradley Carnell of St. Louis (July 1), Josh Wolff of Austin (October 6), Frank Klopas of Chicago (October 19), Jim Curtin of Philadelphia (November 7), Gerardo “Tata” Martino of Miami (November 19), and Vanni Sartini of Vancouver (November 25) have all exited their positions.

New appointments have also taken place, with B.J. Callaghan stepping in for Nashville (July 3), Gregg Berhalter taking the helm at Chicago (October 8), Nico Estévez returning to Austin (October 25), and Bruce Arena replacing the outgoing coach at San Jose (November 7).

This series of changes highlights the ever-evolving landscape of coaching within Major League Soccer, reflecting the ongoing pursuit of clubs to find the right leadership to drive their teams forward.