Traditionally, this award, in all sports, is really the “you guys were much better than we thought you’d be” award, rather than going to the coach who actually coached well. There are two clear candidates here, Carnell and Varas, by the “you were unexpectedly good” metric. I’m not really sure what Carnell did well, although Philly fans should name things and educate me por favor. ISTM that he got good performances out of many players, and Quinn Sullivan leveled up, but in part the Union just reverted to their mean. If Carnell did things to get those players playing well, that would certainly count in his favor. Varas did an incredible job getting an expansion team ready to play from Day One, so he gets my vote. Schmetzer’s ability to develop his whole squad and have a great year despite many injuries would get him 2nd place on my ballot. But I’m including Leagues Cup, which I’m not sure is “allowed” by the rules. Cherundolo won’t win it, but in 2 months he might be the retrospective obvious winner, and here’s why. When LAFC signed Son, all the talk was how he plays in the same spaces as Bouanga, so how would they play together. However Cherundolo did it, he has quickly created the best attacking pair this league has ever seen. If they go on to win MLS Cup, and maybe if they just make the final, in retrospect he’ll be a top candidate. Sorenson is IMO part Cherundolo (let’s see how Mueller works out) and partly Carnell (IMO he mostly benefitted from some players leveling up).
My vote is for Carnell. Yes I'm biased. That said he got the entire team and organization to buy into a collective ethos. He got Philly back playing the way that made some successful in the first place from 2020-2022. He played young and unproven players in Frankie Westfield (U20 US team call ups), Olwethu Makhanya (from not playing in MLS to arguable a defender of the year candidate), Quinn Sullivan leveled up, gave debuts to top Union Academy Players, Nathan Harriel is now getting USMNT call ups (played every [position along the backline as well as midfield), put faith in 19 year old Keeper Andrew Rick for long stretches of the season, and Philly is one of if not the lowest spending team in MLS. IMO Sorenson needs to get more publicity for the job he's done in Vancouver. That team was written off before the season started, and fans were boycotting, the team was put up for sale, they've sold key players, and unknown players were brought in and all he did was guide them to the top of the Western Conference, a Canadian Championship title, and a CCC Final appearance. Mikey Varas has done an incredible job with an expansion side the pundits thought very little of. Those are the three top choices, and any of them will make a worthy winner for taking teams to the top of the table that nearly everyone thought would miss the playoffs and possibly be spoon contenders.
It will be some sad irony from Carnell's perspective if he loses to Varas. Two years ago Carnell coached St. Louis to a then-record expansion team best season and first place in the West, yet lost out on Coach of the Year honors to Pat Noonan who coached Cincinnati to a Supporters Shield winning season. Surely the vote won't go in the opposite direction this time would it....?
This is a good poll question. I'd lean toward Varas or Sorenson, although Carnell would definitely be in the conversation. If you're looking at overall consistency in team play, I'd go with Varas. To me, Philly's blowout loss to Vancouver, regardless of the circumstances involved in such a rout, should not happen to a team that's earned the overall #1 seed in the upcoming playoffs. The Whitecaps too have had some head-scratching losses, but they're still on top of the West heading into this weekend. Of course, we're all well aware that MLS is basically a parity league. Inter Miami would still have a shot at the Supporter's Shield had it not been for two draws against Toronto and DC United--a couple of league also-rans this year. Just a couple of weeks ago, San Jose, hanging onto its playoff hopes by their fingernails, scored a surprising 1-0 win at San Diego.
Yeah, history says that the coach of the Shield winner has the leg up, especially if that team missed the playoffs the previous year, so I would be surprised if Carnell didn't win it.
Honorable mention to Bruce Arena if he gets the Quakes into the playoffs after a wooden spoon year last season.
Homer here, but I also want to praise what Pascal Jansen has done with NYCFC this year. He managed an incomplete roster, injuries and key transfers out from last season and managed to get into the playoffs, with a shot at top 4 still, despite all that. But the key reason I think he needs to get some respect is that he managed to get a lot more out of players that significantly underperformed in recent years under our previous system. Keaton Parks in particular looked elite again while he was healthy.
I'm obviously biased but Mikey Varas took a group of players who had never been on the same field together and instilled a coherent, pressing, ball control system, within a matter of months. He's also been able to manage and get great performances from his DP's which includes one of the higher profile players in Lozano. While also promoting youth. He's been able to pull the team out of the few slumps we've been in while still sticking with his principals. And of course has earned more points than any expansion team in the league's history. For me a manager for an expansion side is even more important than an established one. There is no culture to draw on you are building everything from scratch. I get the argument that it means you don't have to worry about a toxic culture, but it also means their is no place to hide. You're building it, and if it doesn't work their is nobody to blame but the current coach. Luckily for me he's built a brilliant culture.
Philadelphia Union's Bradley Carnell named 2025 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year MLSsoccer staff Thursday, Nov 6, 2025, 11:01 AM
Proud is an understatement 🥹🥹🥹#DOOP pic.twitter.com/TZ7JfSa5xS— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) November 6, 2025