Grading Eric Quill's 2025

Last week I published my assessment of Andre Zanotta's 2025, which was positive. This week we go one step down the organizational chart to first year manager Eric Quill, who made his return to Frisco after stints at Columbus and New Mexico United.

How did his debut season leading the first team go? Let's discuss.

The good

Making the playoffs

With over half the league making the postseason in some form now, playing past Decision Day is the easiest demarcation of success for a gaffer. It's harder to not make the MLS playoffs in its current format.

Quill checked that box in dramatic fashion, bringing his squad from as low as 13th in the West to finishing 7th at season's end. In a more down year across the league, Quill would earn some Coach of the Year plaudits for resurrecting the Burn as he did.

In making the playoffs his first season, Quill continues a long standing trend for FC Dallas. The Toros have had nine full time managers in their history; seven made the playoffs in their first full season. The two exceptions: Mike Jeffries in 2001 and Schellas Hyndman in 2009. It's an odd quirk that most head coaches succeed early, but fade near the end of their tenures.

Quill looks to be more Oscar Pareja than Nico Estevez when it comes to tenure and success in the long run. 2025's playoff appearance was a good first step.

Signing Christian Cappis

You can argue this should go under Zanotta's ledger. However in talking with Quill around the time of Cappis' arrival he made it clear: it was his intent to bring Cappis to whatever MLS club he ended up leading. Cappis is a Quill guy through and through, which means in my book his arrival in Frisco goes on Quill's books.

Cappis' short tenure in Frisco has been a success. Since Cappis became a regular in the starting lineup, Dallas has lost twice in regulation: once to the Galaxy and once to Vancouver in the playoffs. That does correspond with Lucho Acosta's departure, as Cappis debuted in Acosta's last game. There is a correlation there still.

A stabilizing force in the midfield, Cappis' skill set was something Dallas needed in the pitch's center. Reliable passing, calmness on the ball, and measured tenacity on defense combined with a 90 minute engine were huge assets to Dallas' 5-2-3 down the stretch. It also enabled Ramiro to move out to right wing back when called upon, giving Dallas flexibility they didn't have previously.

If you're more a visual learner, here's Cappis' scouting report per FBRef:

If Cappis never arrives in Frisco this summer, there's a real chance Dallas' formation change doesn't work well enough to get them in the playoffs. Now with a full off-season and training camp ahead, Cappis' can fully integrate with whatever plan Quill has going forward. Should 2025 be any indication, 2026 will be even better for the Texas native.

Switching Bernard Kamungo to left wing back

One of 2025's biggest questions was the future of Bernard Kamungo. 2024 was a nightmare for the Abilene Dream, with no goals and no clear path or position to success. Whoever the new manager was, one of their tasks would be trying to restore Kamungo's confidence and form.

Enter Quill, who signed Kamungo to North Texas SC in 2021 out of an open tryout. If there was any coach who could turn Kamungo's career from pumpkin to carriage it was Quill.

He did, but not how anyone expected. Mid-season Kamungo began working and then starting at left wing back, a departure from his normal winger position. Kamungo had previously tried wing back under Estevez in 2024, but it was in short a disaster. Kamungo looked lost on both offense and defense, unable to find his footing before returning to his winger position.

Which made it all the more shocking when Kamungo went back to the position in 2025 looking more than competent. His winger instincts helped him stretch the field while his pace gave him defensive tools that made him hard to blow by. All while Quill was simplifying the instructions for his protege, giving him mental clarity to have physical success.

While 2026 remains mysterious in how Dallas will line up, if it involves a left wing back Kamungo has laid strong claim to the starting job. All because of his career revitalization thanks to an old friend on the touchline.

Switching to the 5-2-3

From the day Quill was hired it was expected Dallas would want to play in a 4-2-3-1. That's how Quill lined up with North Texas, with New Mexico, and even on Opening Day against Houston.

Problem is it never worked.

A lot of that is chalked up to Lucho Acosta's failure to adapt. That formation can't work without a competent 10, which Acosta wasn't in 2025. As well, Dallas had problems getting overrun in the two man midfield set up regardless of who they slotted in there. The result was Dallas leaking goals without being able to score regularly.

That led to Quill experimenting quite a bit on lineups in both personnel and formation, before landing on the 5-2-3 post Acosta. After that, it was off to the races before Vancouver ended Dallas' season in November.

Quill deserves credit for putting aside his ego and preferences to get the job done. Many coaches continue to ram the square peg into that round hole when things are going wrong. Their stubbornness often costs them their jobs. Quill showed a resilience and willingness to put results over appearance knowing that winning was more important than how in 2025.

The bad

Offensive set piece performance

One of Dallas' biggest offensive flaws this year was generating and capitalizing on set pieces, specifically corner kicks. The Burn generated the fewest corner kicks in MLS last season, at 127. That's the same number as 2024 FC Dallas, who finished second to last behind Montreal, but four more than Dallas' 123 in 2023.

It's not just pure set pieces. Dallas tied for third worst last year with just three Goal Creating Actions off dead ball passes(free kicks, corners, throw ins, etc.). While that number isn't one that's large in general, Chicago led MLS with 10, sharing a stat with Montreal and New England isn't ideal.

That Quill's team wasn't better at this aspect of the game is a mark against him. With a new regime and new coaches you'd hope new ideas would spur change. Instead Dallas remains at the bottom of the league in this area, with no real indication it'll get better anytime soon.

With all due respect to current set piece coaches Michel and Drew Keeshan, it's time for Dallas to consider hiring a dedicated set piece coach. Not only will it take the stress off those coaches, allowing them to do their other jobs better, it'd show a commitment to improvement. The margins in MLS are thin, and an extra goal here or there could be the difference in making/missing the playoffs or home field advantage therein.

However it happens, Dallas has to get better in this area. As the manager it falls on Quill's shoulders to get it done.

Overall grade: A-

So much of Quill's 2025 was hamstrung by Acosta's decline. It made his job that much harder, and it didn't feel like we saw Quill's ethos on the field consistently until after Acosta left.

That glimpse of Quill ball was quite encouraging for the future. The team displayed resilience, effort, and grit. Some of that is playing on a short deck talent wise, something that hopefully will be evened out in 2026. There's all reason to believe that if Quill receives better players, he'll get better results.

2026 will be a big year for Quill for many reasons, but 2025 will go down in the books as a positive one for the first year gaffer.