Union’s Bradley Carnell Wins MLS Coach of the Year

Bradley Carnell has been announced as the 2025 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year.

When he walked into Chester in January, he had a clear plan and a clean slate. His plan was to push the tempo, tighten the press, and he trusted the core that he inherited to get the job done, while adding the right pieces at the right moments. It showed up in the way the Union finished games; this was not luck, it was all by design.

Upon winning this prestigious award, Carnell becomes the second Union coach to win this award, joining Jim Curtin, who earned it in 2020 and 2022. That lineage matters. It means the bar here is real, repeatable, and rising. It connects eras and tells the league that the Union does not cycle in and out; they reload. This reload is far ahead of even our wildest dreams.

The reasoning that this award win hits hard for Union fans is that the team identity snapped back, ahead of schedule. Carnell sculpted this club in his image — second balls were hunted down, triggers were clear, and because of this, late moments routinely belonged to the Union. Young players kept growing while Carnell allowed veterans to manage the tough minutes. That blend is the club’s edge — the edge and energy of youth with the calm and experience of a veteran club. The hard work has paid off in terms of wins.

When Carnell joined the team, there was excitement, and now the hire looks like pure genius. The Union front office bet that Carnell’s ideas would fit the roster and the academy pipeline, which they have. The press has rhythm and edge again, sub patterns served the system, and the midfielders are playing at a championship level. All the while, the message has remained simple: win your moments, keep the pressure on, and then win the match. Players have bought in because the needs were clear and the roles made sense, no panic moves.

Awards don’t hang banners by themselves. But they do confirm direction and effort, and this award tells the world that the Union’s blueprint still works at the highest level. It says Subaru Park remains a nightmare for visitors, and it says the standard in Chester hasn’t been compromised with a new coach coming in. If anything, the bar has been raised yet again.

So what comes next? There will no doubt be some personal hardware given out to several key players on the Union, but that isn’t the main thing they are looking at, bringing home the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy. The challenge from the Chicago Fire showed that the Union can beat you in close games, and they can get on a roll and blow anyone out of the water. The East is crowded this season, so margins are thin, so the Union can widen those margins by doubling down on their identity and sharpening their late-game control, all hallmarks of their coach’s program, which they have all bought into.

The moment belongs to Carnell and everyone who poured their heart and soul into this season. Success doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it happens when you have complete buy-in from an uber-talented roster. It belongs to the players who ran the plays, the staff who planned them, and the fans who filled the stands and let the visitors fear the noise that Philly fans are world famous for bringing. Let’s enjoy the moment, then get back to the chase. Because this is what Philadelphia does. It celebrates hard work, but it demands more. Two different coaches, same franchise, but the standard remains the same. Congrats to our coach of the year. I can’t think of anyone who deserves this honor more.

Steve Hamilton

Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.

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