Here Are The 2026 CPL Coach Of The Year Nominees

No surprises here: the top three regular season finishers all have their head coaches represented in the shortlist for the Canadian Premier League Coach of the Year award.

Longtime rivals and perennial contenders Bobby Smyrniotisand Tommy Wheeldon Jr. have achieved their eighth and fifth nominations respectively, while new Atletico Ottawa head coach Gustavo Leal could earn the honour as he continues Atletico Ottawa’s title defense season.

The award considers CPL regular season performances only, but not playoff or cup competitions.

One of this trio will be handed an Inuit soapstone carving of an owl, representing the wisdom, guidance, and vision required to lead a team.

Let’s take a look at each of the nominees:

Gustavo Leal – Atletico Ottawa

Former Atletico San Luis boss Gustavo Leal was only unveiled in July, becoming the first Brazilian head coach in league history, taking the reins following Diego Mejia’s departure and guiding the capital city club into the playoffs.

Leal helped Ottawa to eight wins, two draws, and six losses following his midseason arrival, with Atletico Ottawa finishing in third place. He had a bright start that saw him grab half of those wins in August alone, taking manager of the month honours.

The red-and-white could never be counted out, finishing the 2026 CPL season with a league-record 20 points recovered from losing positions, while smart recruitment saw Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau provide a stellar spark to an attack that was already getting the best out of former Barcelona prospect Ballou Tabla.

The proverbial new kid on the block – and with a smaller sample size than his competition – Leal is admittingly an outsider on this shortlist, but Atletico Ottawa is always capable of surprises.

Bobby Smyrniotis – Forge FC

There’s only one man who has been nominated in every single season of the Canadian Premier League’s existence: Bobby Smyrniotis.

The Forge boss has established an absolute dynasty in Hamilton, having won every single domestic trophy the club could possibly win. While his first five nominations went without a win, Smyrniotis finally claimed the honour in 2024 and defended the title last year. If he can do the same in 2026, he’ll be the first Canadian Premier League head coach to win it three years straight.

The 2026 CPL season saw Forge as runners-up for the CPL Shield, though it was a neck-and-neck race. The Hammers finished the season with 58 points, scoring an impressive 49 goals while conceding a league-low 22 goals throughout the regular season. The Hammers had 19 different players find the scoresheet in league play, too.

Bobby has always gotten the best out of his players and has a strong track record with the ‘next man up’ approach, with two of his new additions – Dimitry Bertaud and Antoine Batisse – up for awards this year, while Hoce Massunda earned a second nomination for Best Canadian U-21 Player. That’s a reflection on Bobby, too.

Tommy Wheeldon Jr – Cavalry FC

Cavalry’s Tommy Wheeldon Jr. brought the CPL Shield back to Calgary, giving him a strong edge as he looks to lock in another owl.

This is the Cavalry boss’s fifth nomination overall, having been named the league’s inaugural Coach of the Year in 2019 before winning again in 2023. In both those cases, Cavalry were the top finishers – something they managed this year, finishing two points ahead of Forge.

Tommy’s side scored an incredible 58 goals throughout the campaign while conceding just 23, going undefeated at home to produce a club record 36 points from ATCO Field alone. That’s more than three of the league’s eight teams managed overall.

What’s more, the CPL Shield win came after Tommy had to deal with plenty of squad turnover. Two newcomers in Nathan Ingham and Adam Pearlman are up for awards of their own, while German striker Tobias Warschewski is undoubtedly an MVP candidate following an eleven-goal, ten-assist campaign.

Who do you think should win the 2026 CPL Coach of the Year?

Gustavo LealBobby SmyrniotisTommy Wheeldon Jr.

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The Canadian Premier League will announce the winner and honour all nominees at the 2026 CPL Awards show set for Thursday, November 19, just two days ahead of the league final – something each of the nominees will hope to be involved in.

The location will be determined when the host city gets locked in following the conclusion of the semi-final round.