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Bradley Carnell, recipient of the 2025 MLS Coach of the Year Award, has been fired by the Philadelphia Union as part of a major overhaul following the club’s historically poor first half of the season.
Additionally, Jon Scheer has been promoted to full-time interim athletic director of the club. It is unclear whether former director Ernst Tanner is still part of the union.
The well-documented Union misfortune
Carnell won the award after helping the low-budget Union return to the playoffs in 2025 and clinch the Supporters’ Shield after missing out in 2024.
But the offseason brought major changes, with the club parting ways with several key players, including top scorer Tai Baribo, who now plays for DC United.
Despite these departures and the injury to star point guard Quinn Sullivan, Philadelphia was still expected to be competitive this season.
Instead, things quickly went off the rails. Union is the only MLS club to score points in single digits, with seven, and its offense has scored just 18 goals – including four last weekend – in 15 games.
“I would like to thank the fans, players, staff and everyone involved with this club for their support and commitment during my time here,” Carnell said in a statement.
“I am proud of what we have accomplished together and grateful for the relationships and memories we have built along the way. To my staff and especially the players, thank you for your hard work and dedication through the ups and challenges, you have inspired me every day and I appreciate the opportunity to have been a part of this team.
This is the second time in Carnell’s career that a promising start has given way to a sharp downturn. He led St. Louis City SC to the top of the Western Conference in its inaugural season, only to be fired during a difficult sophomore campaign.
Changes at the top too
The Union also made a significant change at the top of the organization, with Scheer now set to oversee football operations as the club’s full-time sporting director.
He succeeds Tanner, who was suspended by MLS following an investigation into offensive and discriminatory comments.
Prior to this controversy, Tanner was widely considered one of the league’s best sporting directors, having kept Philadelphia competitive despite the club generally operating with one of the lowest payrolls in MLS.
Scheer, who has worked at the Union since 2018, is highly regarded within the organization.
“Jon has consistently demonstrated strong leadership, a deep understanding of our club philosophy and a clear vision for the future of the Philadelphia Union,” Philadelphia Union principal owner Jay Sugarman said in a statement.
“As we enter a new chapter for the organization, we are confident in Jon’s ability to lead our sports operations and get us back on track with a culture focused on development, ambition and sustainable success.”
What Scheer said
“I am honored to assume the role of Athletic Director of the Philadelphia Union and would like to thank our ownership group, as well as the mentors, colleagues and staff members who have supported me throughout my tenure with the organization,” Scheer said in a statement.
“This club has built a strong identity rooted in development, hard work and a winning culture, and I understand the responsibility that comes with driving that vision forward. I am committed to helping return the Union to the level our fans, our organization and our community expect.”
What comes next?
Ryan Richter will take on the role of interim coach of the club as it searches for its next permanent manager.
“As the search for a new head coach begins immediately, we have full confidence in Ryan’s ability to lead the team through this transition, given his familiarity with the players and strong commitment to the club’s philosophy and style of play,” Sugarman said.
Richter has deep ties to the Union, having first joined the club as the No. 5 pick in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft.
After a seven-year professional career, he returned to Philadelphia in 2018 and held several coaching positions within the organization. He served as assistant head coach of the first team from 2022 to 2024 before being named head coach of Union II in January 2025.
The team returns to action after the MLS World Cup break on July 22.
FIFA World Cup 2026: how to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament games will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34), with each game streamed live and on-demand in the FOX One and FOX Sports apps. A record 40 games, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, along with the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
