Team spokesman Sam Legg said the organization did not want to comment. Olsen declined to speak about his contract status.

Olsen, 41, is entering his ninth full season as coach, second to Sporting Kansas City’s Peter Vermes (10th year) for MLS’s longest active tenure. No other coach in United’s 23-year history had logged more than three years.

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Olsen has been with the organization since 1998, as a midfielder for 11 years and an assistant coach for about eight months before becoming the interim leader during the 2010 season.

He also boasts seniority in Washington pro sports coaching circles; the Redskins' Jay Gruden is next after completing his fifth NFL season last month. Gruden also received word that he will be back for 2019 on Friday.

Olsen has a losing record (95-108-69 in the regular season) and has not guided the team to the Eastern Conference finals since 2012. For years, however, he worked with one of the lowest payrolls in MLS and squeezed everything he could out of a roster that lacked star power.

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Olsen survived a three-win campaign in 2013 and, after rebounding to make the playoffs the following year with the third-most points in the league, United rewarded him with a five-year contract.

D.C. also qualified for the playoffs in 2015-16 but missed out in 2017.

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This past year, with the arrival of a new stadium (Audi Field) and badly needed revenue streams after 22 years at city-run RFK Stadium, United investors increased their spending in a big way by signing English superstar Wayne Rooney in mid-season and making several other roster investments.

With a more capable team, Olsen oversaw a 10-game unbeaten streak that lifted United from last place to the playoffs. Long criticized by some fans and league observers for employing blue-collar tactics, Olsen unleashed an exciting brand of soccer that produced a number of high-scoring performances at Audi Field.

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After a first-round defeat to the Columbus Crew, it seemed unclear whether management would seek to extend the contract or wait for Olsen to prove himself with the new-look roster over the course of a full season. However, one source said, the sides engaged in talks before Christmas and struck a deal in recent days.

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With Olsen getting an extension, his assistants -- Chad Ashton, Zach Thornton and Nolan Sheldon -- likely will remain with the team for the foreseeable future.

United will open training camp Jan. 21 in Washington before moving operations to Clearwater, Fla. The season opener is March 3 against reigning champion Atlanta United at Audi Field.