Miguel Herrera facts for kids
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Herrera as Tijuana manager in 2016
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Miguel Ernesto Herrera Aguirre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 18 March 1968 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Cuautepec de Hinojosa, Hidalgo, Mexico |
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| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Costa Rica (manager) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1986 | Deportivo Neza | ? | (?) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1988 | UAG | ? | (?) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | Santos Laguna | 30 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Atlante | 36 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | Querétaro | 30 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1995 | Atlante | 125 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1999 | Toros Neza | 109 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Atlante | 33 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 380 | (21) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Mexico | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Atlante | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Monterrey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Veracruz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Estudiantes Tecos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Atlante | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | América | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Mexico | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Tijuana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | América | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Tigres UANL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Tijuana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Costa Rica | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Miguel Ernesto Herrera Aguirre, born on March 18, 1968, is a famous Mexican football manager and former player. People often call him "Piojo", which means "louse" in Spanish. He is currently the manager of the Costa Rica national football team.
Herrera used to play as a defender. He started his playing career in 1985 with Deportivo Neza in the second division. In 1988, he made his debut in Mexico's top league, the Primera División, with Tecos UAG. He played for several clubs, including Santos Laguna and Querétaro. He had three different periods playing for Atlante, where he won his only league championship as a player in the 1992–93 season. He also played over 100 games for Toros Neza from 1995 to 1999. Herrera retired from playing with Atlante in 2000. He also played for the Mexican national team 14 times and helped them reach the final of the 1993 Copa América.
As a manager, Herrera first coached Atlante in 2002 and again in 2010. He also led Monterrey to two finals in 2004 and 2005, though they lost both. He managed Veracruz in 2008 and Estudiantes Tecos from 2008 to 2010. In November 2011, Herrera became the manager of Club América, where he won his first league title in 2013. He won a second Liga MX title with América in 2018 during his second time managing the club.
In October 2013, Herrera was chosen to be the temporary coach for the Mexico national team. His job was to help them qualify for the 2014 World Cup by playing against New Zealand. Mexico won these games and qualified, so Herrera continued to coach the team for the World Cup. He even extended his contract until 2018. Although he led Mexico to win the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, he was later removed from his role as national team coach after an incident with a journalist.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Herrera started his football journey in 1985 with Deportivo Neza. He began as a forward but became a defender after joining Tecos UAG in 1987. His first game in the top league, Primera División, was on May 22, 1988. His team won 2–0 against Atlas.
Early Clubs and First Title
After playing for Santos Laguna, Herrera joined Atlante for the first time in 1989. He played 36 games and scored four goals. In 1990, he moved to Querétaro. He returned to Atlante in 1991 and helped them win their first league title in the 1992–93 season. They beat Monterrey 4–0 in the final. He stayed with Atlante until 1995, playing 125 games and scoring nine goals.
Later Career and Retirement
Herrera then joined Toros Neza, where he played in another league final in 1997. However, his team lost to Guadalajara. In 1999, Herrera went back to Atlante for a third time. He officially retired from playing football in 2000.
International Football for Mexico
Miguel Herrera played for the Mexican national team in the 1993 Copa América tournament in Ecuador. Mexico made it to the final but lost 1–2 to Argentina.
He also played in all of Mexico's qualifying matches for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. However, the coach, Miguel Mejía Barón, did not include him in the final team for the World Cup.
Managerial Journey
Two years after retiring as a player, Herrera became a manager.
First Coaching Roles
In 2002, Herrera returned to coach his old club, Atlante. He managed them for two years but left in 2004 because he couldn't lead them to a final. For the Apertura 2004 season, Herrera became the head coach of Monterrey. He led Monterrey to the final twice, in 2004 and 2005, but they lost both times. He continued to manage Monterrey until September 2007, when his contract ended due to poor results.
Before the Clausura 2008 season, Herrera was hired to manage Veracruz. He helped them win a big game against Club América 4–0. His main goal was to prevent Veracruz from being moved down to a lower league, but they were eventually relegated. Herrera left the club in May 2008.
Soon after leaving Veracruz, Herrera took over Estudiantes Tecos in 2008. He was fired on September 6, 2010, after Tecos lost a league match 0–3 to Guadalajara.
Return to Atlante
In November 2010, Herrera was announced as the new manager for Atlante again. Under his leadership, Atlante finished fourth in the Clausura 2011 season. However, they were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Cruz Azul. Atlante did not make it to the playoffs in the Apertura 2011 season, and Herrera's contract with the club ended.
Leading Club América
On November 16, 2011, Herrera officially became the manager of Club América. He signed a six-month contract, saying he would leave if he didn't get good results. His first win with América was a 2–0 victory over Querétaro on January 7, 2012. América finished third in the Clausura season but lost in the semifinals. Herrera's role as manager was confirmed on May 14. He led the club to a fourth-place finish in the next Apertura season, but they were again eliminated in the semifinals.
On May 26, 2013, América won their eleventh league title in a very exciting final against Cruz Azul. They won 4–2 on penalties after coming back from a 0–1 loss in the first game to tie 2–2 overall. They even played most of the second game with only ten players. This was Herrera's first championship as a manager.
In the following Apertura season, Herrera led América to another league final after they finished first in the league. However, they were defeated by León. During this time, Herrera was also named the temporary coach for the Mexico national team. His assistant, Álvaro Galindo, coached América until Herrera returned in November. It was later announced that Herrera would become the permanent coach of the Mexican team.
Coaching the Mexico National Team
On October 18, 2013, Herrera was appointed as the temporary head coach of the Mexico national team. He helped El Tri win 9–3 against New Zealand in a special playoff. This win allowed Mexico to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. On December 2, it was confirmed that Herrera would continue to coach the national team through the World Cup.
At the World Cup, Mexico finished second in their group with 7 points. They won against Cameroon and Croatia, and had a scoreless tie against the host nation, Brazil. In the round-of-16, they played against the Netherlands. Mexico was eliminated after a close 2–1 defeat. On December 3, his contract with the national team was extended. His coaching in 2014 earned him a ranking as the 7th best manager of the year by the IFFHS.
Mexico did not make it past the group stage in the 2015 Copa América. On July 26, 2015, Mexico won the CONCACAF Gold Cup by beating Jamaica 3–1 in the final. Two days later, Herrera was removed as coach of the Mexico national team after an incident with a journalist.
Managing Club Tijuana
On November 2, 2015, Herrera became the manager of Club Tijuana. He coached the club until May 2017, leading them to the playoffs twice.
Second Time at América
On May 26, 2017, Club América announced that Herrera would be their new manager again. He lost his first official game, a 1–2 defeat to Querétaro in the Supercopa MX. Six days later, América lost to Querétaro again, 0–1, in their first game of the Apertura tournament. The next week, Herrera won his first league match in his second period with América, beating Pachuca 2–0. Herrera led América to a third-place finish in the Apertura, but they were eliminated in the semifinals. América also lost in the semifinals of the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League. The club finished second in the following Clausura tournament but was again eliminated in the semifinals.
Herrera led América to another second-place finish in the 2018 Apertura. They only lost two games during the regular season and were undefeated in the playoffs. On December 16, Herrera won his second league title with Club América, beating Cruz Azul 2–0 in the final. He also led the team on a 17-game unbeaten streak, matching a club record.
On February 5, 2019, Herrera reached 100 wins as manager of Club América. This happened after a 3–1 victory over Necaxa in the Copa MX. He became the third manager in the club's history to reach this milestone. On April 11, América defeated FC Juárez 1–0 in the Clausura final of the Copa MX. This was Herrera's first cup title and his third overall title with Club América.
On December 21, 2020, Herrera was dismissed from his position after the club was eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League.
Tigres UANL and Another Tijuana Return
On May 20, 2021, Herrera was appointed manager of Tigres UANL. He left this role on November 9, 2022. On February 10, 2023, Club Tijuana announced Herrera as their new manager for a second time. He coached them until April 30, 2024.
Current Role: Costa Rica National Team
On January 7, 2025, the Costa Rican Football Federation announced that Miguel Herrera is the new manager of their national team.
Managerial Style and Tactics
Miguel Herrera is known for a coaching style often linked to Ricardo La Volpe. This style often uses a 5–3–2 formation with fast wing-backs. Herrera has said he takes ideas from many coaches he has worked with. Some people have criticized his "pyrotechnic" style, which is very offensive and direct. This can sometimes leave his team's defense open to attacks. He used this formation when he coached Club América and later brought it to the Mexican national team.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Atlante |  |
20 February 2002 | 30 May 2004 | 97 | 38 | 31 | 28 | 39.18 |
| Monterrey | 2 June 2004 | 26 September 2007 | 127 | 51 | 32 | 44 | 40.16 | |
| Veracruz | 30 January 2008 | 3 May 2008 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 26.67 | |
| Estudiantes Tecos | 2 September 2008 | 6 September 2010 | 80 | 25 | 21 | 34 | 31.25 | |
| Atlante | 23 November 2010 | 15 November 2011 | 36 | 13 | 8 | 15 | 36.11 | |
| América | 16 November 2011 | 15 December 2013 | 102 | 55 | 23 | 24 | 53.92 | |
| Mexico | 18 October 2013 | 28 July 2015 | 36 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 52.78 | |
| Tijuana | 2 November 2015 | 21 May 2017 | 74 | 33 | 18 | 23 | 44.59 | |
| América | 30 May 2017 | 21 December 2020 | 175 | 87 | 43 | 45 | 49.71 | |
| Tigres UANL | 20 May 2021 | 9 November 2022 | 63 | 32 | 13 | 18 | 50.79 | |
| Tijuana | 10 February 2023 | 30 April 2024 | 47 | 10 | 13 | 24 | 21.28 | |
| Costa Rica |  |
7 January 2025 | present | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 66.67 |
| Total | 861 | 373 | 219 | 269 | 43.32 | |||
Awards and Achievements
As a Player
Atlante
- Mexican Primera División: 1992–93
Mexico
- Copa América runner-up: 1993
As a Manager
Tecos
- InterLiga: 2010
América
- Liga MX Clausura: 2013
- Liga MX Apertura: 2018
- Copa MX: Clausura 2019
- Campeón de Campeones: 2019
Mexico
Individual Awards
- Mexican Primera División Apertura Best Manager: 2002
- CONCACAF Men's Second Best Coach of the Year: 2013
- CONCACAF Men's Third Best Coach of the Year: 2015
- The Best of America Best Liga MX Manager: 2019
See also
In Spanish: Miguel Herrera para niños
