Update:
Oakland Roots announced on Monday that Benny Feilhaber will not be back as head coach in 2026.
Roots president Lindsay Barenz wrote in a statement that they wish Feilhaber the best in his next chapter.
“We are very grateful to Benny, he took over in a difficult spot midseason for our Club and made a substantial contribution to the team during his time here,” Barenz said. “We thank him for his commitment to the job through the last whistle of the season and genuinely wish him all the best in his next chapter.”
Oakland Roots head coach Benny Feilhaber announced in Saturday’s season-finale postgame press conference that there has been no communication with the organization on a contract renewal for 2026.
“There hasn’t been anything definitive. I think a certain way, and you guys can make a decision on on your own, if I haven’t heard, up until this point definitively, that I’ll be back, I’m assuming that [I won’t be back],” Feilhaber said.
Feilhaber started Saturday’s press conference with a somewhat somber tone, expressing gratitude for his opportunity and that it has been an “honor” to be Oakland’s head coach.
“This season has been an honor. I’m very appreciative of the opportunity that I was given,” Feilhaber said. “I’m extremely appreciative of the effort that the boys put in. I think we have a lot of top quality people, top quality professionals. I want to thank also the staff that came and worked tirelessly every single day, the coaching staff, the support staff. It’s been an honor being here.”
When Feilhaber took the job in June, he described that making the playoffs was a “bare minimum” goal. Feilhaber reflected on missing the postseason in Saturday’s press conference, pointing out that it may have been a marquee reason he hasn’t heard if he’ll be back in 2026.
“At the end of the day, you got to get results. We weren’t able to get enough of them to get into the playoffs. I think that is a lot of times the standard at which coaches and teams are judged on. From from that perspective, we didn’t get it over the line, and I had to get it over the line,” Feilhaber said.
Regardless of Oakland Roots results to end 2025, the fanbase came to support Benny, seeing the attacking brand that he’s looking to deploy. Feilhaber came to Oakland looking to market his certain brand of football, which he objectively did.
He thinks the team has grown “leaps and bounds” since his arrival.
“From an entirely different perspective, I think that this group has improved by leaps and bounds,” Feilhaber said. “Obviously, it all culminated in a beautiful game today where we put a lot of things together but sometimes you need to turn the corner right. You need to see it to believe it right.
“I’m really, really proud of the work that the staff and the players have done. And whatever happens is obviously a decision for the ownership, and I understand it’s not an easy decision. I think everybody is entitled to their opinions, but I’ve said this before to you guys, that I’m an incredibly optimistic person when it comes to the future of this club, the future of this group, how I would potentially fit in it. But again, that’s not my decision, and I can’t tell you what that decision is.”
Who knows what a full year could look like for Benny. He’s had to play people out of position to best utilize what he’s looking to deploy and didn’t settle for options that were out alignment from his vision.
What would Year 2 look like for Feilhaber, knowing he didn’t have his exact pieces for his system?
“I’ve put pieces in places that aren’t players’ best spots. I’ve asked players to do things that they aren’t comfortable with, and I think that allows players to grow. It’s great for individual players, but it’s not the best thing for a team to find success immediately. I do think that you want to mold a team to fit your ideals,” Feilhaber said.
“Ultimately, I would be able to bring players in that fit the ideals I want in a player or certain position. We could establish the way we want to play football consistently.”
Benny became the organization’s seventh head coach for its men’s first team since its inception in 2019 and sixth since entering the USL Championship.
Feilhaber, 40, was most recently Sporting Kansas City II’s head coach from 2022-2024. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, UCLA, as an assistant in 2020-2021. From there, he joined Sporting KC’s academy and technical staff in 2021.
He concluded a 16-year playing career in 2020, but made a brief stop to dust off his cleats at Des Moines Menace of USL League 2 this year. In fact, he played against SKC II in Des Moines’ 2-1 win on March 19 and scored a penalty kick against Union Omaha in their 2-1 loss on April 2.
Feilhaber began his playing career at Hamburger SV II in 2005 before being promoted to the first team in 2006. From there, he signed with Derby County of the EFL Championship from 2007-2008. He played four years on AGF of the Danish Superliga before making his way back to the States with New England Revolution in 2011, making 52 appearances for the Revs.
He bounced around the MLS with LAFC in 2018 and Colorado Rapids in 2019 before signing with SKC the same year. He played his last year in 2020 before his brief stop in 2025 with the Des Moines Menace.
On the United States Men’s National Team, Feilhaber was a member of the team’s active roster in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He was also a member of the United States’ 2009 Confederations Cup 2-nil upset of Spain, where Feilhaber had the hockey assist to Clint Dempsey’s goal to put the game away.
One thought on “Oakland Roots announce Benny Feilhaber won’t be back as head coach”