Nick Cushing, Next Coach of the NWSL Expansion Team in Denver
Sources close to the situation confirm that the NWSL expansion team in Denver is about to finalize the hiring of Nick Cushing as their first coach. Cushing, with extensive experience in football, arrives at the team with a significant background. Previously, Cushing managed Manchester City Women and New York City FC of the MLS. His career with the City Football Group spans two decades, beginning in 2006 as an academy coach. Recently, Cushing returned to Manchester City Women as interim coach in March, following the dismissal of Gareth Taylor. Previously, she was in charge of Manchester City Women for seven years (2013-2020), winning the league title in 2016 and the FA Women’s Cup the following year. Cushing continued his career within the City Football Group, becoming assistant coach of New York City FC in 2020. He was part of the team that won the MLS Cup in 2021.In the middle of the 2022 MLS season, Cushing took over as interim coach of NYCFC, being promoted to full-time coach later that same year.
He was the full-time coach of NYCFC during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2023 and finished sixth in the Eastern Conference in 2024. Curt Johnson, Denver’s general manager, had previously expressed the priority of “finding the right person”, while also considering the availability of the right coach. Denver, which has not yet revealed its brand, will begin competing in the NWSL next season, along with Boston Legacy FC, bringing the league to 16 teams. Boston has already announced Portuguese coach Filipa Patão as its first coach.
