FRISCO, Texas (AP) — FC Dallas has hired Eric Quill, who most recently coached New Mexico United in the USL Championship, as the Major League Soccer club's new head coach.

Quill takes over for Peter Luccin, who served as Dallas' interim head coach after Nico Estevez was dismissed in June after a 3-8-5 start. Estevez was named the new head coach of Dallas rival Austin FC in October.

Quill, a former assistant coach for the Columbus Crew, joined New Mexico in 2023 and led the second-tier team to the Western Conference semifinals in the playoffs as well as the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup this season.

“Eric is a championship-caliber coach who has experience leading teams to the top of the table," FC Dallas chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement. "He has a deep knowledge of the game built over three decades as a player and coach at the collegiate, professional, and national team levels, and his keen focus on player development makes him an excellent fit to lead FC Dallas.”

Quill previously coached North Texas SC, leading the team to the USL League One championship in 2019 and earning coach of the year honors. North Texas SC is FC Dallas' reserve club that currently plays in MLS Next Pro. Among those he coached were U.S. national team players Ricardo Pepi and Tanner Tessmann.

Quill played in MLS between 1997 and 2005 for several teams, including the now-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny and the Kansas City Wizards, now Sporting Kansas City.

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