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MLS John Herdman has resigned from his position as head coach of Toronto FC, the team announced Friday. The former head coach of the Canadian national team joined the club in August 2023. He leaves with a record of 16-6-22. Herdman called it “the right time” to depart as he looks forward to “the next chapter” of his career. Advertisement “Personally, I have made the difficult decision that it’s the right time for me to step away from the club, as the organization defines its vision for the future, ” Herdman said in a statement via the team. “It has been an honour to wear the Toronto FC crest and contribute to the growth of the club. Working with this dedicated group of players and staff has been a true privilege. “I want to thank Keith Pelley and MLSE ownership for the opportunity, and I also want to thank the incredible fans for the support they’ve shown me both on and off the pitch. “I wish the organization success going forward, and I look forward to the next chapter in my career. ” Toronto FC announced today that John Herdman has resigned his position as Head Coach of the club, effective today. ? : https: //t. co/Qfxg Jo0Y0P pic. twitter. com/i Txh Oe9Yr2 — Toronto FC (@Toronto FC) November 29, 2024 MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley thanked Herdman for his efforts. “On behalf of the entire organization, I thank John for his commitment to Toronto FC and for the important strides for the club during his time as head coach, ” Kelly said. “John’s passion for the game and dedication is evident to all those he has worked with and we wish him and his family the very best. ” Toronto becomes the fifth open vacancy in Major League Soccer. NYCFC, Atlanta United, Philadelphia Union and Vancouver Whitecaps are all also searching for new head coaches. Inter Miami this week named Javier Mascherano as Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino’s successor following his own resignation earlier this month. Herdman was the head coach of the Canadian women’s team between 2011 and 2018, guiding the side to Olympic bronze medals in 2012 and 2016. The drone spying scandal uncovered at the 2024 Paris Games sparked questions over his role in creating what Canada Soccer CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue called a “deeply embedded systemic culture” while he was in charge. Herdman was not interviewed as part of a months-long investigation into the use of drones by both the women’s and men’s national teams owing to what Canada Soccer called “scheduling issues” but a “disciplinary process” is underway. Analysis from Joshua Kloke Even with the recent publication of an independent report that concluded some of the coaching staff of Canada’s women’s national soccer team spied on the New Zealand during the 2024 Paris Olympics, Herdman’s role within Canada Soccer’s spying scandal remained in question. The independent report stated a “disciplinary process” was underway to examine “potential violations of the Canada Soccer Code of Conduct and Ethics by the former head coach of the men’s national team”. Advertisement It’s believed Herdman could have been prevented from coaching in Canada Soccer-sanctioned competitions such as the Canadian Championship, which Toronto FC compete in. And so resigning from his position hardly absolves him of any guilt, but only suggests that Herdman and Toronto FC knew questions about his role in the scandal and possible repercussions would continue. The reality as well is that Herdman didn’t necessarily have the full backing from Toronto FC ownership as part of a full rebuild. Herdman inspired TFC to more energetic play early in the 2024 season but he looked unable to get the most out of the team’s stars as the season wore on. If you’re TFC and you’re looking to take this rebuild seriously, that includes taking a hard look at the coaching staff. The issue of the club’s poor culture was front and centre to end the season. If there were any questions from within TFC management and ownership about whether Herdman would have been able to inspire a healthier culture within the team, it’s possible he might have been dismissed before the season anyway. GO DEEPER Canada Women's coaches 'directed, approved and condoned' using drones, report finds (Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Get all-access to exclusive stories. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.