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Marc Dos Santos’ journey has come full circle. Once the idealistic head coach promising to lead Vancouver to glory, he now returns to BC Place as LAFC’s lead tactician—one playoff win away from the Western Conference Final and potentially a promotion to the club’s top job.
The man who once asked Whitecaps fans for patience and belief now stands across the touchline, trying to eliminate the very team he once tried to rebuild.
As LAFC pushes for another MLS Cup in 2025, reports have emerged that Dos Santos—not Tata Martino, not Ante Razov—is the leading candidate to replace Steve Cherundolo as head coach in 2026.
It’s a move that would reward continuity, elevate the architect behind LAFC’s pressing evolution, and mark the start of Dos Santos’ long-awaited redemption arc in Major League Soccer.
Why Now? And why Marc dos Santos?
With Steve Cherundolo stepping down after the season, Dos Santos—a longtime tactician—is suddenly at the center of one of MLS's most high-stakes coaching transitions. This transition would however help maintain the club's identity and values intact, especially as it rides a good time in its history with the arrival of Son Heung-min.
Of course, not everyone is convinced that staying the course is the best approach. In fact, for some, anything that resembles Dolo-Ball in its current state must go, even though the club has amassed over 68 wins since the young head coach's arrival. One of the pivotal reasons for the success is that Dos Santos and longtime assistant Ante Razov stayed on to help transition away from the stern Bob Bradley commandship to a more player-friendly model under Steve.
And when you zoom out, the case for Dos Santos is stronger than it may first appear. So here are five reasons LAFC might already have its next head coach on the sideline.
1. He's Been Here Before — And Built the System
Dos Santos, a key figure in the team's strategic direction, was part of Bob Bradley's original LAFC coaching staff in 2018 and returned under Steve Cherundolo in 2022. So he's got the familiarity and of course, what I call, architectural influence. LAFC's fluid 4-3-3, counter-pressing identity, and positional rotations owe as much to MDS's tactical fingerprints as those of anyone else.
He's the guy behind the guy, with the data and in player's ears right before kickoff. It's Dos Santos' schema we're watching every week as LAFC looks unstoppable behind Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min.
2. Head Coaching Experience — the Hard Way
Yes, the Vancouver Whitecaps era ended in frustration. But context matters. Dos Santos took over a rebuilding project in 2019, gutted the roster, and attempted to implement a possession-based system with 14 nationalities in a single locker room.
He still made the playoffs in Year 1 and left with valuable scars. If anything, the Vancouver failure makes him sharper for the LAFC role—a club with structure, stars, and support. Everyone fails. Steve failed miserably in Vegas. Sometimes, it's part of growth.
Since then, he's become a MLS Cup winner, won the Supporters' Shield twice, the U.S. Open Cup once — and been a key tactical voice for all of these big wins. Yes, there were some gutwrenching losses too, but many trips to pivotal games and finals in the process, a fact that should excite LAFC fans and not deter them. Mark earned his shot, especially if the team shows well in these playoffs.
3. Players Trust Him — Especially the Next Generation
Dos Santos is fluent in four languages, but he also speaks "locker room" fluently. Players respect his path—he's been a part of Brazilian academies (he actually coached Palmeiras' U-15 team to a title) and MLS sidelines.
At LAFC, Dos Santos has been instrumental in helping younger talents, such as Igor Jesus and Erik Dueñas, as well as the new flashy signings like Son Heung-min and others, settle into the tactical flow.
His ability to connect with and develop younger players has earned him the respect of the team. This player-centric approach is essential in modern management, making Dos Santos a valuable asset to any team.
He's a players' coach that knows the XOs, and in modern MLS, that's essential.
4. Tactically Multifaceted — and Obsessive About the Details
Whether it's designing mid-block traps or planning how to press in altitude, MDS is chalkboard obsessive. He holds a UEFA A License, giving him a global scouting eye, and a deep understanding of opponent tendencies. He once told me exactly what Canada's ceiling was in the 2022 World Cup. He was right. A great interview early in my journalistic career that I will never forget.
But you don't need to go that far into the past to see it. His preparation, as part of the greater work accomplished by the coaching trio, was more recently witnessed during LAFC's clinical dismantling of Austin FC in Round One of the playoffs.
5. Continuity—With a Shot at a Dynasty
Cherundolo's exit leaves big shoes to fill and some believe it's time for LAFC to have a big name manager, someone who could elevate the status of the team on their own.
I once thought so too but it turns out Jose Mourinho wasn't available in the market for too long so replacing Dolo with Dos Santos at least gives LAFC something few contenders manage in these situations: high-level continuity.
Does LAFC really need a "reboot"? Or some evolution from Cherundolo's frustrating system, based on relentless pressing and counterstriking? Dos Santos already knows the training ground, the front office, and the expectations from LAFC General Manager John Thorrington. And if LAFC does win an MLS Cup again this year? Keeping the staff intact is not a power move; it's an expectation.
I once witnessed a lively improptu soccer match involving JT, Razov and Marc himself. One thing I noticed that day: John Thorrington trusts Marc dos Santos and vice versa. And so, it is his job to lose. Looking back, John Thorrington has worked with Dos Santos for nearly a decade. If anyone knows the club's identity inside and out, it's that duo.
So it's not official—yet. But if LAFC lifts another trophy in 2025 and hands the keys to Marc Dos Santos, it'll be a bet on someone who's already proven he can build, fail, rebuild, but most importantly, win with the Black and Gold.
