New Mexico United is thrilled to announce that Head Coach Eric Quill has signed a two-year contract extension, to remain with the club through the conclusion of the 2026 US Championship season. In the wake of this extension, we sat down with United Sporting Director Itamar Keinan for a deep dive into what goes into a decision like this, what the club really admires in Quill, and what “Quillball” will look like over the next two and a half years.
David Wiese-Carl: “Itamar Keinan – Sporting Director for New Mexico United. The big announcement is that Eric Quill has signed a two-year extension with New Mexico United. Let’s start rather generically, here: As Sporting Director – The person who is in charge of technical personnel – What’s your reaction to that? How does that make you feel, specifically in regard to the club’s direction?”
Itamar Keinan: “Excitement is the first word that comes to my mind. With what Eric has done so far with this group, and with the club and, the direction that we’re going right now. I’m so excited. And it feels like it’s only the beginning. Being able to keep him here for two more years; It’s very exciting for me.”
DWC: “You mention it there. Eric hasn’t been here all that long – 14 months, pretty much, since his arrival. What is Eric showing you, again, as Sporting Director, that made you think. Yeah, we’re gonna lock this guy down?”
IK: “So I was thinking back to the day that we signed Eric. What were some of the attributes or things that we were looking for in the new coach that comes in? And, I remember putting out that list. That was: He’s won at some level of the game; He developed young players; He coached at a high level; He’s a good communicator; Someone who was inclusive in his processes with staff and the organization as a whole; An attacking style of play; And a willingness to take risk. And I would say, Eric has shown us in these 14 months that he’s done that, and then some. And because of that, I think he’s very, very deserving for us to go out and extend this contract, and for us to keep him here for as long as we can keep him.”
DWC: “You mention ‘and then some.’ What has Eric done that has surprised you so far?”
IK: “It’s a good question. Hmmm… Surprised me? In all honesty, one: We got into the playoffs last year. For me, that was the first surprise from almost an unrealistic position. I’m very optimistic in nature, but there was one point in that season that I said we couldn’t. This could not be done, right? And I saw him galvanizing the group and they made a push that was unbelievable, not only in terms of the heart, but we played some some of the best football I’ve seen played at this club in those games leading up to the playoffs last year.”
DWC: “It was a kind of never say die attitude. He doesn’t know how to give up.”
IK: “No. He doesn’t. His competitiveness… and he’s a winner. And I think that attitude just kind of resonated with the group. And it shows. They feed off him. And then, the second surprise was, I didn’t think with the amount of turnover we had this offseason… We practically had to put together, I don’t want to say it’s a full new team, but we had, what, ten newcomers plus three Academy? So that’s 13 new players in our club. That’s more than half a team. I had to make some really tough decisions on long-term players that had been here for a long time. His ability to connect that locker room and those players into a group, into a team so quickly, that is massive. That is again surprising. I knew he had that ability. I think I was just surprised by how quickly that was done.”
DWC: “You talk about kind of connecting the locker room. What comes to my mind when you say that is creating a culture. What does an Eric Quill culture look like? What does an Eric Quill player look like?”
IK: “It’s ‘first.’ ‘First’ is the word that comes to mind. What’s great about him is having the ability as a coach to find that fine line between, ‘I’m here for you as a mentor,’ but also giving tough love and being all over them when necessary. And he has a gift, to be honest, of being able to, to walk that line between, ‘I’m going to be all over you right now and I’m going to scream at you’ and all that, but also when the right moment appears, he knows exactly when to hug you and when to bring you in. And so that is something that I see in Eric. And, yeah, he’s a fierce competitor. He wants to win always. Sometimes it’s harsh to be around, when, when the end result is not that. But you have to understand where it’s coming from. That’s from a pure competitiveness. I don’t think you see that level of competitiveness very often in people.”
DWC: “And you mentioned balance, right? You talked about knowing when to put an arm around the player and knowing when to get in their faces. There’s also a balance between being that competitive winner and being a community asset and a community leader as well. Can you talk a little bit about the way Eric has endeared himself to the fans? They really seem to love him.”
IK: “I think what I’ve learned about New Mexico and what I’ve learned about our fans is that they see through you and they appreciate a few things: They appreciate people who care. They appreciate people who work hard. And they appreciate people who are putting everything on the line. And if I had to guess and why he’s so loved in the community or by our fans, I’d say it’s because they can see how much this means to him. They can see how this guy – I always joke, but when the (players) play, you know, you have the GPS data. I would love to see what Eric’s GPS data would says after a game.”
DWC: “His heart rate.”
IK: “Yeah. How he works. He works up and down the line. He goes everywhere. So, just that passion, I think, what really gets these fans. And then, you know, he’s been here for 14 months. He and his family have settled in. And I think they’re out there in the community, and he’s just very approachable, which is also another thing that I think people appreciate here.”
DWC: “Yeah, I think that’s right. Switching gears a little bit, your role, as we mentioned at the top, is making sure that we have the personnel we need to go win a championship. Is that a pretty good summary?”
IK: “It could be, yes.”
DWC: “Yeah, at least in part. Yeah. So when you’re looking at a guy that you brought in 14 months ago as the head coach, what’s your thought process when you’re going into a renewal process? Eric’s contract was set to expire at the end of this year. So how do you approach that? You want to keep the guy. How do those conversations happen? How do you approach it? What goes into your strategy that gets you from, ‘Okay, we want to keep Eric,’ to now he’s got a new two year contract?”
IK: “Well, first and foremost, I think there are questions that you need answered. Yes, we saw progress last year. We saw progress. We saw a team that improved. Again, we didn’t win the Cup, but we saw progress. And I think we all saw a style of play there. It was exactly what I was hoping for when Eric came to this club. By the way, just for the record, when we signed Eric last year, we had an option for this year. So we actually picked up his option at the end of last year. Based on the progress that we’d seen.”
DWC: “It’d be hard not to.”
IK: “It would be really hard not to. And then, coming into this offseason and then working together, putting together this roster, it was really important to me to – and we’ve done it- to really start this conversation. I think this is really important. And for the sake of this conversation, we started talking to Eric and his representative before we were sitting at number one in the table. We started the season, and I was like, “Okay, I don’t want results – one way or another – to affect this decision making, even though it’s a result driven business.”
DWC: “But ultimately, I would imagine it’s – and sorry to interrupt – It’s about the culture that we talked about. It’s about making progress, yes. But, it’s about what somebody builds irrespective of those results.”
IK: “It’s exactly that. You know, what was really important to me and Peter. Was the thought of ‘Let’s go early enough.’ I didn’t want to be sitting right now in, August, sitting either number one in the table, which we are right now, or number seven or eight, pushing for a playoff spot. None of that should matter. I know that this is a results-driven business. We want to win, right? But at the same time, when you see something in someone, and you see the process, and you see the day-to-day, and you see how it works, and you see how the players are connected, maybe sometimes you might lose a game or two. But, what’s important is that you believe in their way, and you believe in that person, that he can lead that club. And exactly like you said, the culture that he sets, the culture he creates is real. And that’s how you make this decision. So, to go back to your question, we went back fairly early. We approached Eric and said, ‘Hey, we, we want to see if we can get this done. We want to see if we can get a deal done to extend the contract.’ And, from there, it’s actually a pretty long process. I would say two and a half months, maybe, just to make sure everything lines up and works out for everybody. But I would say that, right away, he was very much inclined to stay here because he loves this club and he loves the community. Every time we speak to a new player, he just talks about the passion of the fans and how much that means to them. And, it’s something that sticks with me.”
DWC: “I imagine it requires a certain level of trust to take a step back and not focus on the results, when you’re ultimately committing the leadership of this team to somebody for two years. Again, if you don’t look at the table, you don’t look at where United is in the table at any particular moment, and you’re just saying, this is our guy. You’ve got to really trust this guy to lead the team. Not just the team, but the whole club in a positive direction for an extended period of time. Can you talk about that level of trust?”
IK: “Of course. Yes. There is a certain level of trust that he will continue to lead this team, in this club in the direction we want to go. Up to today, I’ve seen his work. I’ve seen how he goes about his business, and how he communicates with the guys, how he thinks about the game, how this team plays stylistically, win or lose. How do we play? We played (against Tulsa). We tied, 3-3. That second half was unbelievable football. And I promise when we brought Eric in, I said ‘We might be losing games but we’re not going to lose them 1-0. For the most part. If we lose – which obviously we don’t want to – we’re going to lose 4-3.”
DWC: “We’re not going to be boring.”
IK: “Yes. And we’re anything but boring ever since Eric came here.”
DWC: “That’s true.”
IK: “So, that’s where the trust comes in. I know what he wants from the player. I want what he strives to be, for him, personally, and for this group. And again, you get to see the work day-to-day. You get to see how he goes about his business, day-to-day. You get to see how we transfer the information to the players day-to-day. And that’s where the trust comes from.”
DWC: “Two and a half years from where we sit right now, are left on Eric’s contract now, which is a heck of a lot better than half a year. Yeah, a success in those two and a half years looks like what?”
IK: “So, we can’t lose sight. First, the goal this year was to do something we’ve never done before: Host a playoff match. If we can host here, that would be amazing. That would be a dream come true. But again, not to be cliche, but we are building. If it happens this year – if we win the championship – nobody would be happier than me. But we’re building something. We’re here to win.”
DWC: “And win now.”
IK: “Win now. Yeah. So. And we’re showing that (ability.) But how much easier is it going from ‘Hey, we were first place. We made it far. And now we’ve got to tweak two pieces, rather than ten pieces to get it right.’ So, in that time frame, just to answer your question, We want to win the USL Cup. First and foremost we want to host a playoff game. That will be this year. That will be. And for me, that will be success. Beyond that is, beyond everything I’ve ever expected. But, within the two and a half years, we want to win a USL Cup. And, again, as a Sporting Director, I would love to move a few players, in the sense of, we help them develop and sell them to big clubs. But championships are what these guys fight for every day, and ultimately that is our goal, and what we expect.”
DWC: “You use the word ‘expect.’ And you talk a lot about going above and beyond expectations and achieving our expectations. I would imagine that as success continues to come to this club, hopefully. And, and we continue to win matches, your expectations change. Our expectations, as a community, continue to change. One: how difficult is it to make sure that those expectations are kept up with? And, two: to make sure that the expectations stay high? Because again, we’re here to win titles and we’re here to make our mark.”
IK: “This is a really good question. I think it’s important to first enjoy success. And as success comes, expectations start to rise. And, let’s be honest, if I told you before the season that we’re going to be sitting here in August, seven points ahead from number two, what would you tell me?”
DWC: “I would have shaken your hand immediately and taken that deal.”
IK: “You would have taken it. Then, of course, you must be in disbelief that this is possible. Am I exaggerating?”
DWC: “No, I don’t think you’re exaggerating. I think that it’s what I was hoping for. Of course, I always hope that we’re top of the table. I always hope that we’re winning the vast majority of our matches. I want to win every single match. We all do, right? But if you had told me that that would be the case, and I could guarantee it by shaking your hand in that moment, I would have, of course, taken it.”
IK: “Right. And I think sometimes we forget. And then as expectation grow, we just need to remember that this while we need and we love expectations, and we welcome expectations. This is also part of being successful: We’ve got to cherish where we are and not forget that. Yes, even if we win a championship this year, and then next year we start off slow, we’ve got to appreciate what we’re doing. And that we, as a club – and the people who work in the club – that we’re responsible for this club’s success, and that we’ve embraced those expectations. But we also have to be mindful of the fact that it’s not easy and having sustainability and success takes a lot of things to happen just for the right, at the right time, in the right place. So, just again, I love the expectations. We want to be pushing at the moment. But also, appreciate the ride.”
DWC: “Players go their entire careers, coaches, fans, and sporting directors go their entire careers without winning a title. We are one of two teams in the modern history Open Cup to go to the quarterfinals twice. In that history, of the hundreds of teams that competed in the Open Cup, only two have ever gone to the quarterfinal twice.”
IK: “Yeah, that’s pretty good. And we haven’t even talked about that. It’s a huge part of what Eric has done this year. That run in the Open Cup was incredible. That game against (Real Salt Lake.) I just want to touch on that, with regard to Eric: How bold were we in those two games?”
DWC: “Aggressive. Exciting.”
IK: We didn’t go into the game thinking ‘We’re going to see.’ And that’s what I love about him. I know he’s not going to change just because the opponent is bigger or different. We have a brand. And you hear him saying that quite a bit. We have a brand and we’re going to stick to it. And RSL… I think they didn’t know what was coming to them. We just took the game to them and we chased and pressed, and did everything that I don’t think teams in MLS often have done against them. And it paid off. And then, against LAFC, the quality was off the charts for them. But I still thought we put on a really, really good game. So just another thing that surprised me – but maybe shouldn’t – from Eric. When we’re talking about some of the reasons why trust on these things is what I felt, and why that should be rewarded with a two year contract – these are the things I’m talking about.”
DWC: “We talk about it a lot. We focus on it a lot, because it’s incredible: our fans, this community. How much does that mean to Eric in this process, in deciding to to spend the next, at least two years with us? And for you, as Sporting Director, that has to the help any time you’re recruiting, whether it’s a playerm or a coach or whatever it may be, that has to help in your conversations to say, ‘Yeah, you’re playing for the best fans in the USL.’”
IK: “You have no idea how many times I’ve used that. Here’s what I say: It’s not only the gameday experience, which is unique in USL, and the best out there. And I say that every time, I’m not biased. They’re the best fans in the league. But I also tell them, in every single conversation I have, that it’s not just about the gameday experience. It’s about the experience that you have as a player in New Mexico. You can come from MLS. You can come from the biggest club in MLS and you may walk down the street. And I don’t know that many people would recognize you. You get to come here and be part of somewhere where you are so appreciated. And you walk into a restaurant and people know who you are, and people ask for your signature. And how cool is to have that here. So we use it every time. And I’m sure for Eric – just to go back to that – I’m sure for him that plays a major role. You know, that adrenaline kick for a competitor like him, the adrenaline rush. That’s excitement going. He’s using that as motivation to to our group almost weekly. He reminds them ,every game, what those fans have done to come here to the stadium. How much it means to them. And when he speaks about it, it’s genuine. So it inspires the the players and I think it means a lot to him to be playing in front of the best fans in the nation.”
DWC: “We talked about this a little bit, but but the next two and a half years of “Quillball,” what’s that going to look like? What can fans expect?”
IK: “The ball is going to move fast. We’re going to build from the back. we’re going to play a style that is fun to watch and is exciting. You can expect that our expectations are to win every game we’re going into, we’re not going to any place – anywhere in this league – to tie a game. I think we’ve seen glimpses of what “Quillball” – which is an expression I love by the way – looks like.”
DWC: “Okay, last one: Eric came into New Mexico as somebody who had maybe had never been here. I don’t know if he’d ever set foot in the state before. But he likely didn’t know New Mexico, and certainly he didn’t know the people. I’m sure he knows now. What does it mean to him and to you to represent this state on a daily basis?”
IK: “I’ve heard it a lot from him: The more time he and his family have spent here, the more they fell in love. He feels very connected to this place, and the commitment is real. And Eric wants to do this for not just himself, but for the team, for everybody involved, everybody in the city, everybody in the state. So I think, for him, he and his family are very comfortable. Where, at first, he moved to a new place, there are a lot of moving pieces and it’s hard. I think the selling and everything is falling into place now. And from that perspective, he’s excited and happy. Like I said, it was a no-brainer for us. It was a no-brainer for him, too. He wanted that to happen.”
DWC: “And that representation piece, specifically you talked about Eric getting settled in here. And that’s incredible. That’s important. But the weight of representing this place, the importance of representing a place that is often seen as less than. I know he’s aware of it. How important is that to him to know that he’s leading a team that represents New Mexico to the world?”
IK: “He has learned, as he become more and more immersed in this community, he understands what that means and what winning could do here more than anywhere else. I think it’s something he’s strongly, strongly, strongly devoted to, and bringing championships is something he really wants to make happen. So, that’s a big driving force for him. He has that inner winning mentality. But I think that’s a massive force. He wants to win at every level. But I think doing it in New Mexico will be really, really special for Eric and his family. So, from my perspective, I know Eric goes through this even more so than I do, because he meets the fans and interacts with them more than I do. But the amount of conversations, the more people you come in touch with, and you hear how much that means to them. Somebody told me at the match the other day. I heard somebody, at halftime, they called me outside of the bathroom and said, ‘If you are who I think you are, I just want to say thank you. You have no idea how much this means, what you guys do and how you guys do this. This place needs a winner, and that means the world to us.’ I know Eric is no different than I am. That touches inside and I hope – no, I know – that he can deliver.”
