DC United make approach for FC Tulsa head coach Michael Nsien, say USL club

D.C. United have made an approach for FC Tulsa head coach Michael Nsien, the USL Championship club said in a statement Tuesday. D.C. are seeking a replacement for Ben Olsen, who left the role after a decade in charge earlier this month.

"Last week, we were notified that D.C. United wanted to speak with our head coach Michael Nsien about their head coaching vacancy," FC Tulsa president James Cannon said in a statement. While Cannon added that he wants everyone at the club to have the opportunity to grow their careers, he said he hopes that Nsien will remain at the club next year.

Nsien, who was signed but never played for the LA Galaxy in 2005, took charge of FC Tulsa initially on an interim basis in June 2018 before taking permanent charge ahead of the 2019 season. Under his charge, Tulsa finished the 2020 regular season with seven games unbeaten, the longest streak in the club's history as they reached the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

D.C. United are currently under the temporary charge of assistant coach Chad Ashton. The club remains bottom of the Eastern Conference but kept their playoff hopes alive with a 2-1 victory over FC Cincinnati on Sunday to snap a nine-game winless streak.