LOS ANGELES (Friday, Jan. 21, 2022) – The LA Galaxy today announced that the club has hired Mike Muñoz as its Director of Methodology and Development. Muñoz will oversee all LA Galaxy Academy decisions.
“We are pleased to welcome Mike back to the Galaxy as our new Director of Methodology and Development,” said LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney. “Mike is a respected leader in the youth development space, very knowledgeable about the Southern California market and passionate about the LA Galaxy. With Mike in this role, I believe the integration of our playing style and methodology will flow seamlessly from the first team through the academy.” Â
Muñoz, 38, spent the past two years as head coach of Toronto FC II (2020-21), where he guided the club to a 10-10-8 record during the 2021 USL League One regular season. Prior to joining Toronto FC II, Muñoz spent six seasons (2013-19) as part of the LA Galaxy organization, coaching the Galaxy U-14s, U-16s, U-18s and LA Galaxy II, in addition to serving as the LA Galaxy Academy Director. Notably, Muñoz was head coach of the LA Galaxy U-16 side that won the 2013-2014 USSDA National Championship and helped in the creation of the LA Galaxy Academy School Program.Â
“I am honored and excited to return to the LA Galaxy family I am thankful to Chris Klein and Greg Vanney for the opportunity,” said Muñoz. “There is an incredible amount of talent in our academy system and Southern California and I look forward to guiding the LA Galaxy Academy to being the best in North America.”
In 2010, Muñoz worked with Vanney on the creation of the Real Salt Lake Arizona Academy, where Muñoz began his head coaching career for the U-16 Real Salt Lake-AZ. That season, he was named the U.S. Development Academy U-16 Coach of the Year after guiding RSL-AZ to a 16-8-4 overall record.
Prior to his coaching career, Muñoz played professionally with Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy. He was selected by Chivas in the third round of the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft. Muñoz played two seasons for Chivas USA, making his professional debut on Aug.13, 2005, against D.C. United. Muñoz joined the LA Galaxy after spending the 2007 season with USL-1 team California Victory. He made his first-team debut with the Galaxy on Sept. 6, 2008, coming on as a second-half substitute against Real Salt Lake.
A native of Bellflower, Calif., Muñoz graduated from Los Alamitos High School before earning a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned All-Pac-10 Second Team honors as a freshman and All-Pac-10 First Team honors during both his sophomore and junior seasons.
About the LA Galaxy Academy
The LA Galaxy Academy is committed to developing Academy student-athletes as players, students and human beings, establishing an environment that allows the LA Galaxy Academy student-athletes to develop as scholars and world-class soccer players. Set at the LA Galaxy’s Dignity Health Sports Park campus, the LA Galaxy Academy has enabled students to excel both on the field and in the classroom. On the field, the student-athletes train under the direction of top-level coaches like former LA Galaxy MLS Cup Champions Marcelo Sarvas and Juninho. In the classroom, the student-athletes receive academic instruction from qualified and credentialed teachers in the combination of a physical classroom setting and online curricula under the LA Galaxy Academy School Program. The LA Galaxy Academy consists of teams at six age levels: U-18/19s, U-16/17s, U-15s, U-14s, U-13s and U-12s.The LA Galaxy Academy serves as a development pipeline for the club's brightest prospects.
