Source: Colorado Rapids to Hire Matt Wells as Next Head Coach

Commerce City, CO – Colorado Rapids are have agreed to hire Tottenham Hotspurs assistant Matt Wells, sources told Burgundy Wave Friday morning. Tom Bogert of The Athletic was first to report. This comes seven weeks after Chris Armas and the club did not renew terms.

Wells, age 37, has spent almost all his career in the English game. Born in North London, he does not have much of a professional playing career to speak of. He was in the youth setup at Spurs. Had some injuries and never broke into the first team. TransferMarkt has his first coaching role as a Spurs U21 assistant in 2015, at the age of 26, under Scott Parker.

He had roles with Spurs at the U19 and U23 level. He then followed Parker to Fulham FC, then AFC Bournemouth, and Club Brugge in Belgium. At Fulham and Bournemouth, he was an assistant for the first teams, which included a promotion with each club from the EFL Championship to the Premier League.

After Parker got sacked at Brugge, he returned to Spurs to be an assistant for big Ange Postecoglou. He was on staff when they won the Europa League this past year. At present, officially and publicly, he is on staff with Thomas Frank, who’s in his first year at White Hart Lane.

So, what can be said about this hire? It’s worth noting this is his first head coaching job at the first team level, after six years as a first team assistant. He’s been a head coach/interim in the Spurs academy. There’s not a lot of data to sports science on teams he led (unlike the last three hires).

All the managers he’s worked under are pragmatic. Parker’s one of the most defensive managers with multiple promotions from the Championship. Big Ange has Spurs cook on the counter attack in Europa League, albeit with Heung-Min Son leading the attach. Frank’s Spurs have been reactionary in this half season in the EPL, amid fan criticism.

This hire could signal the Pids are tweaking the game model a bit. Armas wanted to press and be aggressive first, but at the detriment of the rest defense. That led to Colorado’s downfall in 2025, missing the playoffs. Wells could have been chosen to reenforce the defensive structure first, counter-press attacking vibes second. He also could have ideas that are different to his supervisors. He surely believes in player development given all the time he spent coaching at the academy level. Armas didn’t come in and turn the Rapids into Red Bulls.

It will be critical that Wells adjusts to being the boss and learns MLS quickly in his first year.

Going back to his experience, this hire mirrors the KSE model that Kevin Demoff has spoken about. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams) and Jared Bednar (Colorado Avalanche) had minimal professional careers as players but beefed up resumes as assistant coaches with a variety of experiences. I am fascinated to find out how long this contract will be, given the contract situation at the front office level. To say nothing of the fact that organization co-owned with Arsenal hired a guy from Spurs.

Once again, the Rapids have hired someone few would have guessed (or even heard of). I’m not sure how many other MLS teams with an opening would have him as a finalist for their head coaching position.

How will he be similar or different tactics wise from coaches he’s worked under? What does this mean for Colorado’s game model and offseason roster moves? Can he get more out of a budget team than Armas did? Will the front office support him in a timely manner?

All good questions ahead of Wells’ first press conference and preseason.

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