News: MLS Coaching and Front Office - News & Discussion Thread 2024-25

New England Revolution hire Marko Mitrović as club’s 10th head coach
revolutionsoccer.net
Friday, Nov 7, 2025, 09:30 AM

 

Is it legal now for veterans like them to be loaned within the league? Because that’s an interesting option. I’m thinking as a DC fan, if the coach wants to do a complete, extreme rebuild, they aren’t going to be able to sign THAT many starters in one offseason. So they and other teams undergoing to-the-foundation rebuilds might be willing to take in the salary hit for a year.

 

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2023-mls-roster-rules-and-regulations
Intraleague Loans
Clubs may loan up to two players to another MLS club subject to the following:

• A field player must be 24 years old (or younger than the age of 24) during the League Year (i.e., cannot turn twenty-five (25) during the League Year); a goalkeeper must be 28 years old (or younger than the age of 28) during the League Year (i.e., cannot turn twenty-eight (28) during the League Year).
• Each club may loan up to two players to another MLS club per season.
• The loan must be initiated during the Primary Transfer Window or Secondary Transfer Window.
• Intraleague Loans that are initiated prior to the close of the Primary Transfer Window may allow the loaned player to be recalled during the Secondary Transfer Window as agreed upon between the two clubs. If recalled, such a player must remain with his original club for the remainder of the MLS season.
• Except in an instance where the player is recalled as outlined above, he must remain with his new club for the entire MLS Season.
• The player may compete against his former club during the MLS Season while on loan (includes MLS League Season games and all other competitions).

The 2 players is new as of 2023, I think.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/updates-to-the-2023-mls-roster-rules-regulations#:~:text=Expansion of Intraleague Loans,compete against his former club.

So, no. Field player has to be under 25 for the whole year, and GK under 29.

 

I assume the player's salary budget charge goes with him. You won't have the situation in Europe where the parent club pays some or all of the salary.

 

I’m not seeing that spelled out here.
Since I’m already on the rules page:


Transfer and Loan Fees
The revenue share from transfers or loans for clubs is as follows:

• A club shall receive 95% of the corresponding transfer or loan fee revenue from any transaction, after it has recouped all out-of-pocket cash payments made by the club in connection to that player (if applicable).

Usage of Revenue

The club's share of transfer or loan fee revenue may only be used as follows:

The club may assign up to $1,157,625 of the transfer/loan revenue as General Allocation Money. In the case of Designated Players, transfer/loan revenue may not be assigned as General Allocation Money. In the case of U22 Initiative Slot players, please refer to the section on U22 Initiative Roster Slots.

The remaining balance of the club's share (if any), and which cannot be traded, will be distributed by the League to the Club as cash.

 

Looking likely that Nancy will be leaving the Crew for Celtic.


Wilfried Nancy on brink of Celtic manager job as move for Dermot Desmond's top target hits fast track

The Columbus Crew boss is inching closer to replacing Brendan Rodgers in the Parkhead dugout

Celtic are in advanced talks to land Wilfried Nancy as new boss.

Record Sport can reveal the Columbus Crew head coach is Parkhead powerbroker Dermot Desmond’s No.1 target – and discussions with club chiefs are planned for this weekend with a view to nailing down a deal.

The Hoops have remained in touch with several candidates but Nancy has been top of the wishlist from day one, with the Irish tycoon Desmond originally reaching out to Nancy last month in the wake of Brendan Rodgers’ shock departure.

Desmond agreed to wait until Crew’s MLS campaign was over but ramped up the chase on the back of their play-off exit last weekend.

Record Sport understands Nancy has been sold on the move and Parkhead officials are now hoping he can be on board for the side’s Premiership return against St Mirren next weekend.

More info in link below...

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport.../wilfried-nancy-brink-celtic-manager-36249152

 

Columbus Crew have granted permission for their boss Wilfried Nancy to speak to Celtic over their managerial vacancy 🍀 pic.twitter.com/8Ne62riiYn

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 14, 2025

Columbus Crew have granted permission for their boss Wilfried Nancy to speak to Celtic over their managerial vacancy

 

Pablo Mauer with a pretty significant article on Ernst Tanner and accusations of sexism, homophobia, and racism.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/nov/18/philadelphia-union-ernst-tanner-mls-investigation

 

Bruce got fired for less, probably.

Thx,

Jay!

 

Not sure what's more concerning:

All of the alleged allegations against a CSO

or

the implied fear of losing their job for speaking up as witnesses

Neither are good for improving the standard of play in MLS and soccer in the USA.

Just an observation here. Cultural and societal norms are different all around world. We're all a product of the environments we grow up and live in. Doesn't excuse one's actions. Those allegations are serious. Why? Well in most of American society those alleged actions and behaviors are not socially acceptable (or at least IMO they shouldn't be). Outside of the USA, that may not necessarily be the case.

I'm doing a VERY piss poor job of saying that as MLS/US Soccer attempts to improve t's overall product, some unacceptable elements may be brought in unintentionally. How the organizations choose to deal with these matters is of utmost importance.

 

I get what you're saying but a lot of these wouldn't fly in Europe these days. At least not in the top-flight/top leagues. I have a hard time thinking this behavior is acceptable at 1860 Munich, Hoffenheim, or Salzburg.

 

The part about the witnesses and staffers fearing reporting and speaking out worries me. One constant discussion point when it comes to soccer in the USA is the "good ol'boys network" nature of the sport here when it comes to the professional side (coaching, youth development, US Soccer, etc.). It was said very clearly in this article that people fear for their jobs if they "anonymously report" allegations such as the ones alleged to have occurred here.

That is something that is all too common in corporate America too. Building a culture of inclusivity and diversity is very difficult. Even more so when the longtime culture has been largely the opposite.

MLS teams have largely been run as mom & pop organizations. For a long time it's been recycled coaches and GM's from inside the network. It's a good thing that the league has been looking outside of it's old network for CSO's, coaches, etc. That said, they're all still by and large running at a mom & pop level when it comes to things such as HR departments, scouting departments, etc. (the same is true of a large portion of clubs abroad too). When teams don't do enough due diligence, they're going to miss some of the bad/incompatible components/characteristics of job candidates.

MLS as a league has a lot of growing up to do if it's to reach its potential. It goes far beyond the product on the field. Structurally and culturally it needs to grow and improve as an overall organization.

 

I think the UK is a bit behind the US in rooting out old attitudes, at least in sport.

 

I can tell you that when I had a run in with the Rapids FO (those of you who have been around long enough know what I'm talking about) that I was told some things verbally by Rapids staffers that they wouldn't put in an email or anything, for fear of seeming like they weren't team players and that impacting their careers. Even after they left the Rapids for other soccer jobs and I stayed in contact with them they were careful.

That was almost 12 years ago, I had hoped things had gotten better.

 

It makes sense, when you consider that a large chunk of the reporting in the league is built on anonymous sources. Not many people within the league are willing to go on the record. Which speaks to even bigger issues. Knowing how insular the league is, and the scant media coverage that it gets, I have a bad feeling that these types of things are much more common then we're aware of.

One thing, Tanner didn't sign a long term extension. I believe his and Curtin's extensions were through the end of 2026. I could definitely see the Union and Tanner parting ways at the end of this season. I've seen some stuff on social media stating as much.

 

Didn't the head of a European FA try to kiss a female soccer player on the lips on stage not too long ago?

 

Yes, it was the head of the Spanish FA. he got into a lot of trouble, lost the job, etc.

About a week ago he was doing a press event for his memoir/apologia, and one of his uncles or cousins was there and threw a tomato at him or something. Funny story.

 

While that may be true, the fact that he was comfortable enough to do that on a f**king stage likely means he was even worse in private.

 

Learning a couple hours after hearing the first bit that the person pelting him with rotten tomatoes was his uncle had me grinning hugely.

 

So MLS is now reopening its investigation, and the Union have placved Tanner on administrative leave during the investigation.

 

His uncle who has the same name as him.

Incredible work from the script writers.

 

Charlotte assistant Christian Fuchs has been named the manager of Newport County. They’re 24th in League 2. Good luck!

 

Notts County's manager was Phil Neville's assistant in Miami.

MLS is a breeding ground for League Two managers.

 

But how could the MLS coaches mind possibly grasp the concept of Pro/Rel?????

 

MLS scales back 'Rooney Rule;, alters hiring policies - sources
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_...ck-rooney-rule-alters-hiring-policies-sources

Probably not the news MLS wants leaked on the heels of the Tanner mess...

Also the article as currently published includes a picture of Robin Fraser on the sidelines, in a Rapids jacket, at the Dick (I think) and captions it "Colorado Rapids' Robin Fraser is one of three Black coaches in the 30-team MLS". Which, in an article about minority representation your picture should probably get the details of the minority coach correct...