Houston Dynamo 2 as a club and head coach Kenny Bundy were awarded for their respective efforts during the month of April, with the club going 5-0 during that span under Bundy. Bundy was handed the coach of the month award while the club was given the club of the month award.
The Dynamo Dos head coach told MLSNEXTPro.com about the “team effort” that went into earning both awards, while sharing more about who he is off the pitch: a competitive runner and Houston’s biggest “foodie.”
“I think the team of the month is a great recognition of the work that the boys have put in. For me, that's the most proud that any staff and the club could have when your team is recognized as the team of the month,” Bundy said.
A humbling approach upon receiving the award for coach of the month, Bundy shared the award with his technical staff, recognizing it as a group effort rather than looking at it from a solo perspective.
“I don't consider coach of the month being an award. I look at it as the staff of the month. For me, I'm the one that sits here and talks to you and I've said this before, but really it's without the staff, there is no team and I think that you know, we were a team inside of the team. So I always communicate that as staff of the month.”
Bundy is thrilled with how his team has begun their inaugural MLS NEXT Pro campaign and is seeing limitless potential for the growth of the league. Challenges aside, he believes that ten weeks into the season, teams have found their personal identity and are growing as a group, including Dynamo Dos.
“It's been a great start, I think, yeah, obviously going into this new project… there's a lot of unknowns. And I really believe that we're starting to see the quality of the league. I think we're starting to see that. You know, every team, even with the short run-up to everything, they've done a great job of building groups. This is a great platform for our young players. Specifically for our organization. It's something new for us. So it's been a great experience thus far. And you know, for me, the biggest piece that I think is exciting is the parity of the league and the teams, they're starting to find themselves so the games are getting better and better.”
Dynamo Dos sit atop the MLS NEXT Pro standings heading into week nine with 19 points through eight matches so far this season. For Bundy and his squad, maintaining consistency while growing throughout the course of the year is their primary objective.
“Specifically for our group. We're just trying to improve every day. You know, make the players better, make the team better, keep the culture growing. Make sure that we're not getting complacent with maybe some good results that we're always pushing ourselves.”
Bundy has been with the Houston Dynamo organization since 2016 and has developed a love for the diversity and culture of the city in both its people and even the food.
Yes, it's food. Bundy is a full-on foodie who explores the restaurant world of Houston with his partner, trying diverse foods and exploring different flavors while keeping a list of what he likes, dislikes and hopes to try in the future.
“Listen, for people that don't know and a lot of people when they think of Houston they think of the heat they think of how hot it is. But it's the most diverse city in the country and it has one of the best food scenes.”
Bundy looks at the food scenes like he looks at how a football club is built, from the ground up – with staff members, players and behind-the-scenes workers.
“I like to see the team of the chef and the waitstaff and the general manager. I love to see all of that work because that's a team effort, that you're guiding someone through an experience and it's a lot like what we do where we have a team and we're trying to guide them through this experience and improve them and, and make sure that people come and watch them on the weekend that they're entertained with what's going on inside the club and I feel like that's a lot like a restaurant where you truly you go in and from the minute you walk in the door to the minute you leave. Every team member is somehow impacting you.”
His guilty pleasure lies in restaurants that serve dumplings – all types, all kinds – dumplings are by far his favorite food to try. However, all of the food and all of the restaurants also mean staying active so he can afford to continue his cultural adventure through Houston’s restaurant industry.
A competitive runner, Bundy and his partner both enjoy long-distance running, while Bundy recently competed in both a full and half marathon in the Houston area. His partner, however, competes in triathlons – a spectacle that inspires him to push himself harder every single time he laces up his shoes.
