With just nine matchdays left in the MLS season, several teams are behind the power curve, and their managers are under pressure
Five MLS teams – Nashville SC, San Jose Earthquakes, St. Louis CITY SC, Atlanta United, and FC Dallas – have already changed coaches this season.
The latest impacted? CITY's Bradley Carnell, a 2023 MLS Coach of the Year finalist. In this league, no coach is safe without results.
With just nine matchdays left in the MLS regular season, it's make or break for several teams. If they fall short, could their coaches be next? From the Chicago Fire to Sporting Kansas City, here are five managers who might be on the hot seat as the games resume.
Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowUSA Today Images5Frank Klopas, Chicago Fire
Fire Sporting Director Georg Heitz announced he's departing at the end of the season, while club stalwart Xherdan Shaqiri also mutually terminated his contract with the club at the end of the MLS summer transfer window.
It seems a changing of the guard is coming in Chicago, and that Klopas' time could be up soon, too.
A true club legend, Klopas has been an incredible steward for the club, with this being his second stint with the Fire. Deployed as an assistant from 2020-2023, he was promoted to first-team manager ahead of the 2024 campaign. Unfortunately, the Fire are 14th in the East, on 25 points through 25 matches, with just six wins on the season.
The writing is on the wall. The Fire, if they decide to move on, will most certainly allow their legend to leave gracefully.
AdvertisementImagn4Josh Wolff, Austin
Things aren't looking good for Wolff.
The Austin FC manager has the shortest leash of any coach in the league at the moment. He can't afford any other hiccups after missing out on a spot in the 2023 MLS Playoffs, and continuing that slide into their current regular season campaign.
Austin FC sit 10th in the Western Conference, one spot out of a play-in game for the postseason, and six points out of an automatic berth. They've been on a summer skid, with just two wins in their last 10 regular season matches. On top of that, they have the third-worst goal-differential in the conference, despite their positioning in the table.
Not much has gone to plan in 2024 for Wolff and Austin. If this is another campaign without the postseason, changes is likely to come.
USA Today Images3Caleb Porter, New England Revolution
The Revolution are gradually finding form under Caleb Porter, but their dreadful start to the season has left them far behind. With only two wins in their first 13 matches, a brief resurgence – five wins out of six – wasn't enough. The hole they dug seems too deep to escape.
Now, even with that tidy run, they're last in the Eastern Conference, 11 points out of an automatic bid into the postseason. In response, the club broke its transfer record, reportedly spending up to $7.3 million on Luca Langoni and set a new club record in overall summer window spending.
Will that be enough?
Porter hasn't exactly made himself a popular figure in New England. Reports surfaced earlier this year of him scuffling with players and media members alike.
Porter has won MLS Cups with the Portland Timbers and Columbus Crew, but the project in New England might have been too much of a challenge. He's treading water.
Getty Images Sport2Laurent Courtois, CF Montreal
Courtois led Columbus Crew 2 to the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Cup in 2022 and finished runner-up the following season before being appointed head coach of CF MTL in January.
In his first senior job, though, things have not gone smoothly. Some factors were out of his control, such as Olivier Renard leaving the club as Chief Sporting Director just three months into the season.
However, his team's performances, do rest on his shoulders. Montreal have just three wins in their last 18 MLS matches. Defensive woes have been this team's failing this seas, with 49 goals being conceded across their 25 matches played. That is second-most in the Eastern Conference.
It wouldn't be too fair to pin all the blame on Courtois, but considering Montreal's impatient ownership, there are reasons for concern.