Editorial – The search for the next Colorado Rapids head coach has ended with Matt Wells being the man for the job. He replaces Chris Armas, who had mutually ended his contract with the Rapids after a disappointing end to 2025. Wells joins the Rapids from English side Tottenham Hotspur, where he was an assistant coach from 2023-2025. The 37-year-old leaves the London club for the first head coaching position of his young managerial career.
The change in managers will bring a lot of questions for the Colorado Rapids. The club is building on but also changing from last year. There’s uncertainty in Colorado, and a lot of questions surrounding Wells’ appointment. Here are the important ones that will define the Matt Wells Era in Commerce City:
Will This Be Pádraig Smith’s Team or Matt Wells’ Team?
It has been an interesting timeline of events for the Colorado Rapids this offseason. Having announced they were moving on from Chris Armas last October, the Rapids had to make a multitude of moves within the squad before finally landing on Wells in December.
Some moves were forced, such as the SuperDraft and end-of-season roster moves, which had to happen before Wells was appointed. Matt Wells was in the room for the SuperDraft. It wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t have too much input on the college soccer player pool. While the draft has been very hit-or-miss, with many misses in terms of first-team production, Colorado has looked like they are going to move on from a few prominent players from last season. The Rapids have declined the options for Daouda Amadou, Sam Bassett, Michael Edwards, Nate Jones, Andreas Maxsø, and Rafael Santos, with all but Rafa Santos confirmed to be leaving the team. Colorado had been in discussions for extending both Calvin Harris and Oli Larraz, but no news has broken on either front.
The Rapids have had some inbound activity as well. Dante Sealy was signed and confirmed before Wells. The rumor mill is still churning for defensive midfielder Hamzat Ojediran from FC Lens. Dante Sealy can rise above $2 million worth of GAM, and the reported fee for Ojediran is around $3 million. Noah Cobb was also acquired permanently from Atlanta after his loan spell. These are big-time acquisitions from the Rapids, made without a head coach nailed down.
Matt Wells will have to manage the roster Pádraig Smith and the front office put in front of him. This has been a talking point among recent head coaches in Colorado. “This signing was a Robin Fraser signing. That one was a Pádraig signing,” so-and-so said at the tailgate. Smith has stated in the past that the FO and coaches have been aligned and collaborative on transfers. Candid comments from Armas over the summer with Djordje Mihailović and Chido Awaziem leaving added fuel to that fire.
It will be interesting to see what happens under Wells and how much input he can get on player acquisitions during his time in Colorado.
What Brand of Soccer Will We See From Wells?
Matt Wells is coming to Colorado from a defensive role in one of the most defensive big teams in the Premier League this season in Spurs. This season, Spurs have been criticized for being too passive and too reliant on the counterattack, despite being a team that should be fighting for European spots.
Which is why it can come as a surprise that, in introducing Matt Wells to the Rapids faithful, he wants this team to be high-pressing and take the game to opponents. A far cry from the current coaching philosophy of his old club, at least under new manager Thomas Frank. Wells’ philosophy more closely aligns with former Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou.
It is also similar to the Rapids’ last coach, Chris Armas. Armas came into the position preaching a high-pressing style of play. This style had to be modified over his two years in charge. At times, it looked lost amid some poor runs of form.
The style that Wells alludes to requires a well-coached team of talented players. It is great to hear that a Wells team will take the game to the opposition and dominate, without being scared of anyone. It’s another thing to see it. Wellsy is his own man. Early signals are they’re going to press a lot, possibly in a 4-3-3. And they’re going to take it to teams at home.
This high-flying brand of dominating any team without fear is a tall task for Wells. It’s a question of whether the team will line up like this come the season opener.
Another Manager From Abroad; Another Anthony Hudson?
Somewhat piggybacking on the last idea, Wells has come to Colorado with some pretty lofty goals and, unfortunately, shares some similarities with the most recent abroad head-coaching signing for the Rapids, Anthony Hudson. If nothing else, there’s the London accent.
Hudson had an absolute train wreck of a stint in Colorado. He started 2019 with an 11 games winless streak then called his team “ a bottom group of players.” His time amounted to no playoff appearances and a brand of soccer that failed to adapt to MLS. This was Hudson’s downfall. His ineptitude in adjusting to his players and the league made for a team not built for his style, and made winning very rare.
Hudson was wholly unqualified for the head coaching role in Colorado. Just as he has been for many other jobs he has held since leaving Colorado. It’s hard to think of another coach who had fallen upwards better than Hudson. But it wasn’t rocket science to see why, however, as he was one sweet talker. He consistently talked his way into many jobs he then failed at. This somehow got him in charge of the USMNT for a little while before struggling to find a spot in Qatar or Thailand that would keep him for longer than a year.
Now, there is no reason to believe that Wells will be another Hudson situation. Wells was incredibly well-spoken in his few appearances before the media. He continues the Kroenke style of hiring experienced assistant coaches and giving them a shot as the main guy. It has worked out very well for the LA Rams and the Colorado Avalanche. It is also on the right path with the Denver Nuggets. Hopefully, the Rapids can make it four-for-four, and Wells will not see a similar fate to Anthony Hudson.
Which Players are Out?
We have already seen some changes to the roster so far this offseason. The aforementioned Dante Sealy and Noah Cobb have had official moves made, while Hamzat Odejiran is still a rumor. Colorado will not be keeping Daouda Amadou, Sam Bassett, Michael Edwards, Nate Jones, and Andreas Maxsø. While three players have their future in Colorado shrouded in mystery. Rafa Santos, Oli Larraz, and Calvin Harris are still not under contract for 2026; there is no official news from the club yet of them leaving.
It is a difficult decision for Wells, who would not have had the opportunity to see any of the three in training before making it. All three have an interesting case about whether they should stay.
Calvin Harris joined the Rapids on a Generation Adidas contract. A contract for certain players coming out of the draft that incentivises teams to take them. Harris is off that contract in 2026 and will most likely be lined up for a pay increase. He has been good, not great, for Colorado since his acquisition. He has scored 11 goals and notched eight assists in his three years in Colorado. But he has been a good part of a winger room that had been poor under Armas. With Alexis Manyoma and Ted Ku-DiPietro taking the starting winger spots, it may not be in the club’s best interest to bring him back for a larger price.
Oli Larraz is an interesting case. The Colorado native has exceeded expectations for an academy kid, being a regular starter at times under Armas. But exceeding expectations as an academy prospect doesn’t mean he will be able to elevate the team in ways that others in his position cannot. In a crowded midfield that includes Josh Atencio, Cole Bassett, Paxten Aaronson, and potentially Hamzat Ojediran, it is difficult to see him being a starter. If he can be brought back on good backup money, it makes sense, similar to Calvin Harris. Will he want that situation? That’s up to him, and a move elsewhere may be more enticing for the youngster.
Rafa Santos is the last player whose contract is up for 2026. He was a weird acquisition, seemingly replacing Jackson Travis as the youngster went off on loan. He ended up taking the starting spot from Sam Vines and was a bright spot for Colorado in a sad end to 2025. But in 2026, three left-backs who will be looking for starting minutes can be difficult. Especially when one of them is Sam Vines, who will be getting paid a good amount. Wells will most likely be tasked with getting the most out of Sam Vines’ coming at the cost of Rafa Santos, who would be too expensive a backup outside back to reasonably stay on the team.
Santos was fantastic, scoring 1 goal and 3 assists in 380 MLS minutes during the playoff push. He was also a defensive liability. So was Sam Vines to be fair. He likely doesn’t fit the game model that Wells will be implementing. The fullbacks might be less dynamic under him. Vines is on a big long contract. They need to get the most out of him. Santos may have been the easier departure given he was on a club option.
The decision will eventually be Matt Wells’, who will have to decide how the system and how he implements int. There has been no official word on the futures of any of these players in Colorado. Expect those decisions to be made in the coming weeks.
How Important Will Other Competitions Be for Wells?
Chris Armas did something throughout his time in Colorado that many Rapids fans appreciated: he took the Rocky Mountain Cup seriously. It had been a problem with many Rapids coaches over the years. But Armas did an exceptional job at making sure what the fans cared about was something he cared about. Coming from outside the league, it will be interesting to see how much Wells leans into the Rocky Mountain Cup.
It is not just the RMC that can be important for Rapids fans. Colorado will be playing in the U.S. Open Cup this upcoming season, and it’s another factor to watch. Rapids coaches over the years have used the US Open Cup as a chance to play the youngsters, not taking the competition seriously.
Luckily, it seems Wells is well-versed in the occasional rivalry or competitions outside the main league. Tottenham have one of the fiercest rivalries in the Premier League, with a familiar club for the Rapids: Arsenal. As a Tottenham man, he would not be surprised to see the importance of those games. England also has a multitude of competitions that litter the season, with Tottenham usually playing in at least four.
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Eamon Shaw 
Matt Pollard 