Head Coach
Sean McAuley began his Indy Eleven tenure in impressive fashion in 2024, leading the Boys in Blue to a franchise-best 12-match unbeaten streak from April 17-June 15, including a club-best eight consecutive wins in USL Championship action. The eight-match streak from April 27-June 15 is tied for the fifth longest in the USL Championship for any side. Indy is now only one of seven teams in USL Championship history to win eight straight matches in league play. The Boys in Blue outscored their opponents 16-5 in those eight matches, while posting six clean sheets and never conceding more than one goal.
McAuley was named the USL Championship Coach of the Month for the month of May. During the month, the Boys in Blue went 4-0-0 in USLC action to take maximum points for the month. Indy outscored its opponents 10-3 over the four matches, including scoring three-plus on two occasions. During the month, Indy saw six players earn USL Championship Team of the Week honors or bench honors, while Aedan Stanley was named the Player of the Week for Week 10.
The USL Midseason “Coach of the Year” nominee guided his squad on an unprecedented run to the semifinals of the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with four consecutive victories, including a 2-1 triumph at MLS-side Atlanta United (the franchise’s first win vs. an MLS team). The Boys in Blue’s run marked the 15th time that a lower division team has reached the semifinals since MLS joined the competition in 1996.
McAuley’s squad earned the franchise’s first home playoff game since 2019 by finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 14-11-9 mark. The 14 victories and 51 points are the second-best in team USLC history.
The Boys in Blue set a new USLC franchise-record with 49 goals in regular-season play. Indy Eleven scored in 15 straight matches to open the campaign, the longest ever to start a USLC season and the best in team history in a single campaign.
A proven leader at the top tier of U.S. soccer and abroad, Indy Eleven announced Sean McAuley as the fifth Head Coach in club history on January 8, 2024. McAuley came to Indianapolis after serving as the Interim Head Coach, as well as an assistant, at MLS-side Minnesota United FC.
With more than 30 years of experience as a player and coaching stops at the professional and youth development levels, McAuley spent four seasons (2020-23) as an assistant at Minnesota United before taking over the helm during the 2023 season. The Sheffield, England, native also served as an assistant coach with the Portland Timbers (2012-18) and Orlando City (2018-20).
At Minnesota United, McAuley helped the club to playoff appearances in each of his first three seasons, including a trip to the MLS Western Conference Finals in 2020.
In 2015, McAuley helped Portland hoist the MLS Cup with a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew and he was also part of the 2014 and 2020 Western Conference Finalist squads as well as the 2014 and 2017 teams that topped the Western Conference regular season standings. No stranger to the Timbers’ locker room, McAuley played for the club in 2002 as part of the USL A League.
McAuley’s coaching career began with Halifax Town (2002-05) before moving on to serve as Sheffield Wednesday’s Academy Manager (2005-12) and Wednesday’s Interim Head Coach (2006, 2009-10).
As a player, McAuley enjoyed a lengthy professional run, opening his 15-year senior career with Manchester United in 1990 and playing with clubs in the U.S., England and Scotland as well as the U21 Scottish National Team.
McAuley holds a US Soccer Pro License as well as a UEFA Pro License, the highest certifications in U.S. and European soccer. His education also includes BSc Hons Sports and Exercise Science as well as a certification in PGCE Teaching and Education.
