Bradley Carnell was named MLS Coach of the Year after an impressive season in which he guided the Philadelphia Union to a Supporters' Shield win in his debut campaign. The South African manager set a club record with 20 wins and was named Coach of the Week four times over the season. The Union had MLS's best defense in 2025, conceding only 35 goals.
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Turnaround on a thin budget
Philadelphia entered the season with the third-lowest payroll in MLS at $13.4 million, but that didn’t stop the team from imposing its will early on. Under Carnell’s leadership, the Union thrived despite making no major offseason additions.
The Union, who missed last season's playoffs, had the biggest turnaround on points in MLS this season. They finished with a league-best 66 points, 29 more than last year.
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Spreading the wealth
Tai Baribo was the team's top scorer with 18 goals, but Carnell stressed a holistic approach to the attack this season. Eighteen different players combined for the team's 57 goals.
The 48-year-old wasn't afraid to rotate, either, featuring 29 players in 25 different starting lineups over the 2025 campaign.
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Defense wins trophies
As good as the team's attack was, it was even better on defense. Philly's efforts on that front included two MLS Best XI players, Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner. Glesnes was a runner-up for defensive player of the year. Last season, Philadelphia were ninth in goals conceded with 55.
Carnell and the Union now await their opponent for the Eastern Conference semifinals.
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Breaking down the vote
Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year Voting Breakdown
| Name |
Media Vote |
Player Vote |
Club Vote |
Total Vote |
| Bradley Carnell – Philadelphia Union |
33.33% |
32.00% |
48.00% |
37.78% |
| Jesper Sørensen – Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
35.59% |
20.00% |
24.00% |
26.53% |
| Mikey Varas – San Diego FC |
21.47% |
22.00% |
16.00% |
19.82% |