FC Dallas has announced Eric Quill as the club's new Head Coach. A Texas native, Quill is no stranger to the Dallas soccer scene, having played for the Dallas Burn and later leading FCD's second team, North Texas SC, to a championship in 2019.
"I'm just truly excited to lead this storied club, that I played for, to a championship," Quill told FCDallas.com. "That's what I'm here to do. And I'm not afraid to say that word. It's one that I want players to understand, when I walk through the door, this is why we're playing: for a championship."
Quill’s coaching journey has been marked by success, notably guiding North Texas SC to the USL League One title in its inaugural season and earning Coach of the Year honors. After three seasons, he moved to the MLS level as an assistant coach with Columbus Crew, followed by a head coaching role at New Mexico United. Under his leadership, New Mexico United had its best-ever season, finishing first in the Western Conference and setting records for wins and points.
"After my time in Dallas and Columbus, I got to take what I absorbed for five years and take it to New Mexico and apply all the knowledge from those opportunities. I went there in a moment when the team wasn’t where they wanted to be and was able to turn it around and turn it into a powerhouse this year," Quill said.
Known for his strong player development focus, Quill has mentored future U.S. internationals like Chris Richards, Ricardo Pepi, and Bryan Reynolds. His commitment to nurturing young talent is aligned with FC Dallas' ethos.
"I believe in player development, I believe in young players," Quill stated. "FC Dallas does that better than everybody else, in my opinion. I'm a big believer in what we can do with our youth."
Quill’s style of play is aggressive and forward-thinking, favoring an attacking approach. He promises to deliver exciting, high-scoring soccer for FC Dallas fans.
"My style is to be very bold and aggressive going forward. I want to get to goal as fast as possible. We want to be aggressive and not just be safe, but aggressive while understanding that guys need to be working behind the ball when it's turned over," he said.
Now, returning to the club with expanded experience, Quill is poised to lead FC Dallas into the future, with his sights set on bringing the first MLS Cup to Dallas.
“The Hunt family has invested in me multiple times now, and I just really want to repay the favor and the belief by bringing the first MLS Cup to Dallas,” Quill said. “We need our fans in order to do that. I want them to feel our soccer is worth the price of admission and make them fall in love with who we are. That’s the whole goal, to make them proud.”
