Sporting Kansas City, longtime manager Peter Vermes mutually part ways, ending his 16-year coaching tenure with the MLS club

Sporting Kansas City and manager Peter Vermes agreed to mutually part ways, the club announced Monday, ending his 16-year tenure as coach. Kerry Zavagnin has been appointed as interim head coach, effective immediately.

Vermes, MLS' longest-tenured manager, led Sporting to four major championships.

“It would be hard to list all of the people I want to thank after 20 seasons in managerial positions at Sporting Kansas City,” Vermes said. “I am thankful to everyone, especially ownership for giving me the opportunity of being a steward of this club for the past two decades. I wish the club nothing but the best in the future.”

The move came one day after Sporting KC's main supporters group called to have Vermes leave the club, as the two-time MLS champions are without a win in their first six games of the campaign.

Vermes was appointed as Sporting's technical director in 2006, and was named head coach of the club in 2009.

Under his leadership, SKC hoisted the 2013 MLS Cup, and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2012, 2015 and 2017. The club made the postseason 11 times throughout his tenure, including four first-place finishes in the Western Conference during the regular season.

Vermes remains the lone MLS player to win MLS Cup as a player and a manager with the same team, after leading the then-Kansas City Wizards to the 2000 MLS Cup.

He ranks third all-time in regular season wins with 203, and across all competitions, coached Sporting in 609 matches

Vermes was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2013.

The club face rivals St. Louis CITY SC on Matchday 7 of the regular season next weekend, as they look to return to winning ways on the pitch.