Ben Olsen thriving as coach of Houston Dynamo

A fixture in Washington for more than two decades, Olsen has taken to his new turf. He and his family chose to live in the city, just as they did in D.C., when they nurtured three children in a rowhouse in the Shaw neighborhood.

At his go-to breakfast spot here, Dandelion Cafe, he orders oatmeal, one blueberry pancake and coffee. Before his family arrived for good in late summer, he explored Houston’s restaurant scene, from the hole-in-the wall joints to high-end spots.

“I hit so many places,” he said, “I should’ve started a blog.”

For cultural awakening, the Rothko and Menil museums are “a must,” he said.

The kids — Ruby, Oscar and Frankie — are playing soccer. Oscar, 12, is playing up an age level in the Dynamo’s development academy.

It’s a good life, and a welcome reboot after more than 23 years employed by D.C. United — as a rambunctious midfielder, assistant coach, head coach and front-office assistant. He also served as president of the NWSL’s Washington Spirit for eight months.

Olsen wasn’t just a sports figure with a long tenure in one town. He was enmeshed in the District, advocating for statehood, mixing with political and community leaders, supporting nonprofits and joining his wife, Megan, in educating their kids through urban experiences.

Leaving D.C. “was a big change, but it was a much-needed change,” the 46-year-old Olsen said last week. “And I didn’t know how much I needed to shake things up until I got here.”

“I can’t really put my finger on it,” said Olsen, a central Pennsylvania native and former University of Virginia star. “It was just time to see something different and push myself in a different direction.”

Flashing Dynamo orange instead of United black and red, he has pushed Houston into the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and second time in 10 seasons.

With a 6-1-5 finish to the regular season, the Dynamo (14-11-9) earned the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. It ousted Real Salt Lake in the first round and, on Sunday, will host No. 8 Sporting Kansas City in a conference semifinal.

Playoff ambitions heightened after defeating Messi’s Inter Miami two months ago in South Florida for the U.S. Open Cup title, a 109-year-old competition featuring teams from all levels of the sport.

Known in Washington for blue-collar teams — fans labeled it “Benny Ball” — Olsen has the Dynamo playing an entertaining brand of soccer (25 of its 51 regular season goals came in the last 11 matches) while keeping a tidy defensive record (multiple goals allowed once in that…