Austin FC opened Q2 Stadium in 2021 with a roster of local restaurant partners and a front-office structure built around a sporting director model. Five years later, both the food lineup and the leadership team have turned over repeatedly. The timeline below assembles those parallel changes from multiple newsrooms.
December 31, 2020
Austin FC enters MLS under Precourt's sporting-director model
Anthony Precourt launched Austin FC in MLS with a front-office structure designed to place a football expert between ownership and the coaching staff. First sporting director Claudio Reyna, a figure with significant soccer credibility, was installed to lead football decisions.
June 18, 2021
Q2 Stadium opens with local restaurant partners including Taco Flats, Mighty Cone, and Kerbey Lane
Q2 Stadium debuted in North Burnet with a concessions lineup featuring Austin-based food vendors. Taco Flats, Mighty Cone, and Kerbey Lane were among the local brands that held stands at the venue in its early seasons.
December 31, 2022
Sporting director Claudio Reyna departs
Claudio Reyna left his role as Austin FC's sporting director in 2023, ending the first chapter of the club's football leadership structure. His departure opened the search that would bring in Rodolfo Borrell.
June 30, 2023
Rodolfo Borrell hired as sporting director, promises ambitious coaching search
Precourt hired Rodolfo Borrell — whose résumé included stints at Manchester City, Liverpool, and Barcelona — to lead football operations. Borrell publicly suggested that "names you wouldn't believe" had expressed interest in the head coaching role.
September 30, 2023
Borrell hires Nico Estévez, recently fired by FC Dallas, as head coach
Borrell's sole head coaching hire was Nico Estévez, who had most recently been dismissed by FC Dallas. The choice drew surprise from observers in Austin and around MLS, given the expectations Borrell had set.
December 31, 2024
Taco Flats, Mighty Cone, and Kerbey Lane no longer serving at Q2
By the 2025–26 period, all three of the local restaurant brands that had been part of Q2's opening-era lineup — Taco Flats, Mighty Cone, and Kerbey Lane — had departed their stadium posts. No public explanation for the departures was reported.
December 31, 2024
Estévez guides Austin FC to playoffs and U.S. Open Cup final in first season
In his debut season, Estévez led Austin FC back to the MLS Cup Playoffs and to a U.S. Open Cup final. The results were the club's strongest in several seasons.
April 8, 2026
Eater Austin publishes Q2 food guide noting vendor turnover, two new additions
Eater Austin's 2026 stadium food guide documented the departure of multiple original local vendors and introduced two new additions: Kesos Tacos and Wanderlust Wine Co. Returning vendors included La Barbecue, OneTaco, Bao'd Up, and Chi'Lantro.
May 12, 2026
Austin FC loses 5-0 at expansion side San Diego FC
Austin fell 5-0 at San Diego FC, a first-year expansion club, in a result that accelerated scrutiny of the team's 2026 season. The loss came after an earlier U.S. Open Cup exit to USL Championship side Louisville City FC.
May 15, 2026
Austin FC loses 2-1 at home to last-place Sporting Kansas City
The defeat dropped Austin's record to 3 wins, 5 draws, and 6 losses through 14 games. Sporting Kansas City held last place in the Western Conference at the time of the match.
May 17, 2026
Estévez and Borrell fired the same morning; assistant Arnaud named interim coach
Anthony Precourt dismissed head coach Nico Estévez and sporting director Rodolfo Borrell before noon on May 18. Lead assistant Davy Arnaud — who has now outlasted two head coaches — was named interim for the May 23 match at St. Louis City.
May 17, 2026
Both sporting director and head coaching roles left open; World Cup window framed as transition period
Following the firings, Austin FC held no permanent occupant in either the sporting director or head coaching role. The club described the upcoming two-month MLS pause for the World Cup as "a natural period to implement a transition."