All the Offseason MLS Coaching Changes | OneFootball

One-third of MLS clubs made a coaching change prior to the February start of the MLS 2026 season. For three clubs, the changes came mid-season (click here for that story).

All the rest occurred after the conclusion or regular season (or in some cases, post-season), and we summarize all of these by team, in the approximate order in which the changes were made.

Atlanta United

The Five Stripes parted ways with Ronny Deila following a disappointing 2025 season that saw the team miss the playoffs and struggle with consistency despite high expectations from their roster investments.

Deila was in charge for just under a year, and registered six wins, 13 draws and 18 losses in his tenure. Deila’s termination was part of a broader organizational overhaul, as Atlanta is seeking a return to their championship-winning form under new leadership. Deila’s replacement, Gerardo “Tata” Martino, will be returning to Atlanta for a second time. From 2016 through 2918 he led the team to 42 victories, 16 draws and 20 losses, and also helmed them when they reached the 2018 MLS Cup final.

Of course, as the club saw with the much-heralded return of Miguel Almíron, trying to relive the past doesn’t always work….

Colorado Rapids

The Colorado Rapids mutually parted ways with Chris Armas at the end of the 2025 season. The American had been in charge since Nov. 2023, but could not stay on after a dismal regular season performance that failed to meet the club’s ambitions.

Despite some late-season improvements, the team sought a fresh face to better utilize their squad and infrastructure. Enter Matt Wells, 37 year-old Englishman with exactly 18 games as a proper manager, all of that with the Tottenham Hotspur U18 academy and between 2018-19. Since then, he’s been working as an assistant to the likes of Scott Parker (at Fulham, Bournemouth and Club Brugge) and Ange Postecoglu. It’s a bold and risky move for the veteran franchise, and it will be worth watching to see how he does.

Columbus Crew

It made world headlines when Wilfried Nancy said goodbye to the Columbus Crew in December to take over as manager at Celtic FC. Nancy sought new challenges after successfully leading the Crew to multiple trophies in MLS, but, alas, we all know how that ended.

Replacing him is  49 year-old Swede Henrik Rydström, who is probably more well known for his long-time association with club Kalmar FF, for which he played 805 games and managed on two separate occasions. Rydström becomes the ninth head coach in the Crew’s long history, and was quoted by the team: “As a coach, you love the Crew’s playing style and how the players enjoy it, the focus on hard work and the Club’s passionate supporters. Our goal is to continue to build upon the team’s impressive success and attacking style while combining the desire to win with challenging ourselves every day to improve and to create joy for the team and supporters.”

New York Red Bulls

The New York Red Bulls parted ways with Sandro Schwarz in late October, a move that surprised few after their lackluster season.

The team seriously underperformed relative to their historical standards, finishing tenth and missing the post-season for the first time since 2009. Along with Schwarz’s departure, the Red Bulls introduced a new Head of Sport: Julian de Guzman. On December 15, the club dropped a bombshell. Michael Bradley, USMNT legend and former Red Bulls player, took over the head coaching position. In 2025 he led the RBNYII side to their first-ever MLS NEXT Pro Cup title. Exciting times ahead.

Sporting Kansas City

Anyone who watched Sporting Kansas City this season knew that change was ‘a coming. Long-time head coach Peter Vermes (he began back in 2009) finally called it quits after 608 games.

Their 2025 tally of 28 points was the worst of his tenure, and forced widespread upheaval within the club’s structure along with his dismissal. Taking his place is Swiss coach Raphaël Wicky, whose previous experience includes Chicago Fire and the Swiss side Young Boys. It’s somewhat worrying that in both those clubs, Wicky was terminated after the club’s underperformed, but SKC was so outstandingly poor that being better shouldn’t be too difficult.

LAFC

Given that LAFC advanced all the way to the MLS playoff semi-finals, Steve Cherundolo’s departure from the club after four seasons was a bit of a surprise.

In his debut season he set an MLS record for most wins by a rookie coach (21) and LAFC went on to lift the Supporter’s Shield as well. The club would go on to win the MLS Cup, Cherundolo becoming the sixth coach to accomplish that double. He departs with a fantastic 54.2% win percentage, and only 50 losses from 192 games. 

Trying to fill his big boots is Marc Dos Santos, who was part of Cherundolo’s staff for the past three years. Don’t expect to see  the Canadian implement a radical change, as LAFC overall performed very well in 2025.

Minnesota United

Eric Ramsay was arguably Minnesota United’s best coach ever. The 2025 season saw the club break records in total points, wins, goals scored, goals conceded, clean sheets and longest unbeaten run.

But the Welsh manager must’ve felt a little homesick and took the head coach position with West Bromwich Albion in January 2026. Assistant coach Dennis Lawrence left with him. The Loons’ sporting director Khaled El-Ahmad had this to say: “[H]e helped build a strong football environment grounded in hard work, clarity, and accountability. Their leadership set us up well for what’s ahead, and we are grateful for everything Eric contributed during his time at Minnesota United.”

On Monday, the club announced that Cameron Knowles, one of Ramsay’s assistants, would be promoted from within to the top spot. He began as a video analyst back in 2021 and has risen through the ranks over the years, including a brief stint as interim coach prior to Ramsay’s hire in 2024.