The Major League Soccer coaching carousel is busy these days. Last week, Toronto FC and John Herdman parted ways on Friday, just five days after New York City FC announced that Nick Cushing was let go with one year remaining on his contract. When the 2025 season gets underway, 12 of the league's 30 clubs will have new head coaches in place.
Six of those clubs parted ways with their longest-serving head coach this year. Philadelphia Union let Jim Curtin go after more than ten years in charge, while both Nashville SC and Austin FC fired their only head coaches in the short histories of their clubs.
Next year, the average tenure of an MLS head coach will be 1.8 years. But that number is distorted by the unusually long career of Peter Vermes at Sporting Kansas City — take him out of the equation, and the average tenure of an MLS head coach is just 1.3 years.
MLS | Current Head Coaches
Club | Name | Appointed | Games | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sporting Kansas City | Peter Vermes | 2009 | 595 |
2. | Seattle Sounders | Brian Schmetzer | 2016 | 341 |
3. | Orlando City | Óscar Pareja | 2019 | 195 |
4. | LA Galaxy | Greg Vanney | 2021 | 155 |
5. | LAFC | Steve Cherundolo | 2022 | 143 |
6. | Real Salt Lake | Pablo Mastroeni | 2021 | 138 |
7. | FC Cincinnati | Pat Noonan | 2021 | 130 |
8. | Columbus Crew | Wilfried Nancy | 2022 | 94 |
9. | Houston Dynamo | Ben Olsen | 2022 | 93 |
10. | Colorado Rapids | Chris Armas | 2023 | 43 |
11. | New England | Caleb Porter | 2023 | 43 |
12. | New York Red Bulls | Sandro Schwarz | 2023 | 40 |
13. | Charlotte FC | Dean Smith | 2023 | 39 |
14. | CF Montréal | Laurent Courtois | 2024 | 40 |
15. | Portland Timbers | Phil Neville | 2024 | 38 |
16. | DC United | Troy Lesesne | 2024 | 37 |
17. | Minnestoa United | Eric Ramsay | 2024 | 36 |
18. | Nashville SC | BJ Callaghan | 2024 | 11 |
19. | Austin FC | Nico Estévez | 2024 | - |
20. | Chicago Fire | Gregg Berhalter | 2024 | - |
21. | Inter Miami | Javier Mascherano | 2024 | - |
22. | FC Dallas | Eric Quill | 2024 | - |
23. | San Diego FC | Mikey Varas | 2024 | - |
24. | San Jose Earthquakes | Bruce Arena | 2024 | - |
25. | St. Louis City | Olof Mellberg | 2024 | - |
26. | Atlanta United | TBD | TBD | |
27. | Philadelphia Union | TBD | TBD | - |
28. | New York City FC | TBD | TBD | - |
29. | Toronto FC | TBD | TBD | - |
30. | Vancouver Whitecaps | TBD | TBD | - |
That prompted us to look at the employment history of each club to see which ones prize stability (see: Seattle Sounders, which had exactly two head coaches since joining the league in 2009), and which ones are more erratic (see: Toronto FC, which are looking to hire their fifth head coach in five years). Then we placed each organization in one of three categories: Clubs with Tenure, Looking for Mr. Right, and Revolving Doors.
True, some clubs are tricky to classify. Philadelphia were a Club with Tenure, but now they're Looking for Mr. Right. Others are more straightforward: Sporting Kansas City are a Club with Tenure, while New York Red Bulls have a Revolving Door unlike any other in the league. And a few, such as New York City and Orlando City, might surprise you.
Clubs with tenure
• Sporting Kansas City
One of the league's founding clubs, Sporting Kansas City have had just four head coaches in their history. Peter Vermes (595 games) was appointed ahead of the 2010 season, when Philadelphia joined the league: MLS added 15 teams since his 16-year tenure at Kansas City started.
• Seattle Sounders
Maybe the most stable club in the league? Seattle Sounders have had just two head coaches since joining MLS in 2009. First, there was Sigi Schmid (329 games), who led the team for eight and one-half seasons — the MLS Coach of the Year is named after him. Now there is Brian Schmetzer (341 games), who has been at the helm ever since.
• LA Galaxy
With the win over Seattle on Saturday, Greg Vanney (155 games) is taking LA Galaxy to their first MLS Cup Final since 2014. Vanney, who joined LA Galaxy before the start of the 2021 season, has the third-longest tenure in club history after Bruce Arena (346 games) and Sigi Schmid (199 games). Those three head coaches account for 18 of the club's 29 seasons to date.
• LAFC
Two head coaches in seven years, and Steve Cherundolo (143 games) isn't going anywhere. It helps that the team was wildly successful under both Cherundolo and former head coach Bob Bradley (142 games), winning two Supporters' Shields, one MLS Cup, and two Golden Boots.
• Columbus Crew
Next year, Wilfried Nancy (94 games) will begin his third season in charge of Columbus Crew — unless he's hired away by a European club as rumored. He's just the club's second head coach since Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam bought the club in 2018, and the third since the start of the 2013 season. Nancy follows Caleb Porter (138 games) and Gregg Berlhalter (192 games).
• Orlando City
After burning through three head coaches four years, Orlando City found their guy in Óscar Pareja (195 games). More importantly, the club are patient: Orlando's only piece of silverware is the 2022 US Open Cup, but Pareja is developing the team into a title contender.
• Portland Timbers
Phil Neville (38 games) is just one year into his time at Portland Timbers, where he is the fourth head coach in club history. But he comes after Giovanni Saverse (216 games), who was in the job for more than five seasons, and Caleb Porter (200 games), who was head coach for five seasons.
• New England Revolution
There's a history of tenure at New England Revolution: Steve Nicol (351 games) led the team for more than eight years, then was followed by Jay Heaps (220 games), who was fired just before the end of the 2017 season. But Bruce Arena (151 games) was let go with 10 games left in the 2023 season. Current head coach Caleb Porter (43 games) is always in it for the long haul: He was at Columbus for three full seasons after leading Portland for five full seasons.
MLS | Longest-Serving Head Coach by Club
Club | Name | Years | Games | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sporting KC | Peter Vermes | 2009-present | 595 |
2. | Philadelphia Union | Jim Curtin* | 2014-2024 | 405 |
3. | DC United | Ben Olsen | 2010-2020 | 375 |
4. | Houston Dynamo | Dominic Kinnear | 2005-2014 | 370 |
5. | NE Revolution | Steve Nicol | 2002-2011 | 351 |
6. | LA Galaxy | Bruce Arena | 2008-2016 | 346 |
7. | Seattle Sounders | Brian Schmetzer | 2016-present | 340 |
8. | Real Salt Lake | Jason Kreis | 2007-2013 | 261 |
9. | Minnesota | Adrian Heath | 2016-2023 | 251 |
10. | Toronto FC | Greg Vanney | 2014-2020 | 250 |
11. | Portland Timbers | Giovanni Savarese | 2017-2023 | 216 |
12. | FC Dallas | Schellas Hyndman | 2008-2013 | 201 |
13. | Vancouver Whitecaps | Carl Robinson | 2013-2018 | 199 |
14. | Orlando City | Óscar Pareja | 2019-present | 194 |
15. | Columbus Crew | Gregg Berhalter | 2013-2018 | 192 |
16. | Chicago Fire | Bob Bradley | 1997-2002 | 183 |
17. | San Jose Earthquakes | Frank Yallop | 2007-2013 | 182 |
18. | Nashville SC | Gary Smith* | 2020-2024 | 163 |
19. | NY Red Bulls | Jesse Marsch | 2015-2018 | 151 |
20. | Austin FC | Josh Wolff* | 2021-2024 | 148 |
21. | Colorado Rapids | Glenn Myernick | 1996-2000 | 145 |
22. | LAFC | Steve Cherundolo | 2022-present | 143 |
23. | FC Cincinnati | Pat Noonan | 2021-present | 130 |
24. | Atlanta United | Gonzalo Pineda* | 2021-2024 | 108 |
25. | New York City FC | Nick Cushing* | 2022-2024 | 107 |
26. | Inter Miami | Phil Neville | 2021-2023 | 90 |
27. | CF Montréal | Mauro Biello | 2015-2017 | 79 |
28. | Charlotte FC | Christian Lattanzio | 2022-2023 | 63 |
29. | St. Louis City | Bradley Carnell* | 2022-2024 | 62 |
30. | San Diego FC | Mikey Varas | 2024-present | 0 |
* Let go in 2024
Looking for Mr. Right
• Philadelphia Union
This club belongs in the category above: Jim Curtin (405 games) wasn't just Philadelphia's longest-tenured head coach, he was one of the longest-serving in league history. But after ten-plus seasons the organization decided it was time for a change.
• FC Cincinnati
The club cycled through head coaches during their Wooden Spoon era, burning through three permanent appointments – and three interim head coaches – in their first three years of existence. Then Pat Noonan (130 games) joined ahead of the 2022 season, and is on his way to building a legacy.
• Real Salt Lake
With just six head coaches since joining the league in 2005, Real Salt Lake don't make staffing changes often. But the organization is known to hit the panic button: Four of those were midseason hires, including current head coach Pablo Mastroeni (138 games).
• Chicago Fire
When Gregg Berhlater wears his Supreme x Nike Air Max in the technical area next season, he will be Chicago's fourth head coach in six years. But that follows a period of stability under Veljko Paunovic (149 games), who was with the club for four seasons.
• Houston Dynamo
Dominic Kinnear (370 games) was in charge when Houston Dynamo joined the league in 2006, and led the team for their first nine years of existence. Current head coach Ben Olsen (93 games), who took over ahead of the 2023 season, has the longest tenure at the club since Wilmer Cabrera (112) was fired in the middle of 2019.
• Vancouver Whitecaps
The club fired Vanni Sartini (148 games) after the head coach led an overachieving Vancouver Whitecaps to an upset playoff win over Portland. He was the club's third permanent head coach since the 2014 season.
• Minnesota United
With just two head coaches since joining the league in 2017, Minnesota United could be considered a Club with Tenure: Adrian Heath (251 games) led the team for nearly six years. But that "nearly" is key — he was let go with two games remaining in the season. Current head coach Eric Ramsay (36 games) took over from caretaker Cameron Knowles just three games into the 2024 season.
• Nashville SC
BJ Callaghan (11 games) is just the second permanent head coach in Nashville SC history after the club let go of Gary Smith (163 games) midway through the 2024 season.
• Austin FC
Josh Wolff (148 games) lasted for more than four seasons — not bad for a club's inaugural head coach. We'll see what happens with Nico Estévez when he takes over next year.
• Colorado Rapids
One of the league's founding clubs, the Colorado Rapids are serial daters: They have six head coaches with more than 100 games in charge, but no single one with more than 150 games: Young clubs like Cincinnati and Nashville have found more stability than Colorado.
• FC Dallas
A club that once offered tenure dismissed Nico Estévez (98) before the end of the 2024 season and Luchi González (87) before the end of the 2021 season when he failed to make the playoffs. Will Eric Quill, who will take over the club next year, get a longer leash?
MLS | Number of Head Coaches by Club§
Club | Joined League | Head Coaches |
---|---|---|
New York Red Bulls | 1996 | 17 |
San Jose Earthquakes | 1996†† | 16* |
LA Galaxy | 1996 | 11 |
Colorado Rapids | 1996 | 10 |
DC United | 1996 | 9 |
FC Dallas | 1996 | 9† |
New England | 1996 | 9 |
Columbus Crew | 1996 | 8 |
Sporting Kansas City | 1996 | 4 |
Chicago Fire | 1998 | 12* |
Real Salt Lake | 2005 | 6 |
Houston Dynamo | 2006 | 6 |
Toronto FC | 2007 | 12† |
Seattle Sounders | 2009 | 2 |
Philadelphia Union | 2010 | 4† |
Portland Timbers | 2011 | 5 |
Vancouver | 2011 | 5† |
CF Montréal | 2012 | 10 |
New York City FC | 2015 | 5† |
Orlando City | 2015 | 4 |
Atlanta United | 2017 | 5* |
Minnesota United | 2017 | 2 |
LAFC | 2018 | 2 |
FC Cincinnati | 2019 | 5 |
Inter Miami | 2020 | 4* |
Nashville SC | 2020 | 2 |
Austin FC | 2021 | 3* |
Charlotte FC | 2022 | 3 |
St. Louis City | 2023 | 2* |
San Diego FC | 2025 | 1* |
§ Permanent head coaches only; interim head coaches are not included
* Already named a new head coach for the 2025 season
† Yet to name a new head coach for the 2025 season
†† Did not participate in 2006 and 2007 seasons
Revolving doors
• New York Red Bulls
No team have burned through head coaches like Red Bulls. Not only do they lead the league with 20 hires (17 permanent, three interim), their longest-tenured head coach was Jesse Marsch (151 games), who was in charge of the club for a little more than three seasons before leaving to take an assistant job at Red Bull Leipzig: The Red Bulls higher-ups decided it was important to groom Marsch for other positions within the company than to let arguably the best head coach in club history build a legacy in New Jersey.
• CF Montréal
Does the staff at Stade Saputo bother to learn the names of CF Montréal's head coaches? Red Bulls might lead the league in most hires, but Montréal leads in shortest tenures for all but the newest clubs: The longest-serving head coach is Mauro Biello (93 games), who is the only one to make it past three seasons.
• San Jose Earthquakes
New York Red Bulls might lead the league with 17 head coaches in club history, but San Jose Earthquakes are firmly in second place with 15 — and the club didn't participate in the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Incoming head coach Bruce Arena might want to note that three of the last four head coaches were fired mid-season.
• Toronto FC
Now that John Herdman is gone, Toronto will start the 2025 season with their fifth head coach in five years — and their 12th since joining MLS in 2007. What's going on at what was once one of the league's most glamorous clubs? Greg Vanney (250 games) was head coach from 2014 to 2020, winning MLS Cup, a Supporters' Shield, and four Canadian Championships. Since then, Toronto have failed to qualify for the postseason.
• Inter Miami
Javier Mascherano will be Inter Miami's third head coach in three years, and the fourth since they joined the league in 2020.
• Atlanta United
They have yet to announce who will take over in 2025, but it will be Atlanta United's fifth head coach in nine years.
• New York City FC
Many were surprised to learn that Nick Cushing (107 games) was the club's longest-tenured head coach, but that's what you get when you make five hires in 10 years. The smooth mid-season transitions between Ronny Deila (90 games) and Cushing in 2022 and Patrick Vieira (90 games) and Domé Torrent (60 games) in 2018 papers over NYCFC's inability to find a head coach to lead the team for three full seasons. The club's overall culture might be consistent, but the head coach position is a revolving door.
• DC United
Ben Olsen (375 games) led the club from 2010 to 2020 in one of the longest-tenured runs in league history. But since then, DC United are on their third head coach in a little more than four seasons.
• St. Louis City
Bradley Carnell (62 games) didn't even make it to the end of year two. But St. Louis City is a young team, and we'll see if they made a love match with Olof Mellberg.
• Charlotte FC
Three head coaches in three years? Dean Smith (39 games) will begin his second season in charge next year.