Greg Vanney named 2017 MLS Coach of the Year

Vanney MTL Shield

Major League Soccer announced Monday that Toronto FC head coach Greg Vanney has been named the 2017 MLS Coach of the Year.


Vanney, 43, helped lead Toronto FC to the highest regular season point total in league history with 69 points and a record of 20-5-9 earning the 2017 MLS Supporters’ Shield. The record topped the 1998 LA Galaxy record of 68 points. In addition, Toronto FC set several club records during the 2017 regular season: wins (20), home points (42), road wins (7) and road points (27). The Club also set the highest point margin between the Supporters’ Shield winners and league second place with a 12-point margin. TFC also tied the MLS record for the most wins in the post-shootout era (20) with the 2014 Seattle Sounders FC and for the most home points in a season (42). The club also posted the second-best regular season goal differential in league history (plus-37) and led the league in goals scored (74) which tied for second-most in league history.


“Since taking over as our head coach, Greg and his staff have worked tirelessly to build a championship caliber team on-field, setting many records along the way,” said Toronto FC Sr. Vice-President, Soccer Operations & General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “On behalf of everyone at Toronto FC we want to express how proud we are of Greg for this well-deserved honour.”


Vanney was named head coach on August 31, 2014 and re-signed a multi-year extension on July 14, 2017. He now holds every major coaching record at Toronto FC including: matches managed (132), wins (61) and playoff wins (5). He has led TFC to three straight MLS Cup Playoffs appearances and back-to-back Canadian Championships (2016, 2017). Vanney was named MLS Coach of the Week six times this season (Weeks 10, 11, 23, 27, 28, 30).