Breaking: John Herdman Leaves Canada Soccer For Head Coach Job At TFC

On Monday it was made official that Canada men’s national team head coach John Herdman is leaving for a coaching job in the MLS.

The move has been rumoured for some time now, but John Herdman has officially resigned as the head coach of the men’s national team effective immediately.

The news was first confirmed by Joshua Kloke of The Athletic.

Charmaine Crooks, the newly elected Canada Soccer President, was the first to make a statement on the breaking news.

“John Hermdman is the most successful head coach in the history of Canada Soccer,” she declared. “From leading the Women’s National Team to back-to-back Olympic Bronze and paving the way for Gold in 2020.”

“Also leading the Men’s National Team back to the FIFA World Cup, his contribution is unmatched.”

“We would like to thank John for his immense contribution to the game in Canada and wish him the very best in his new role at Toronto FC.”

“I am grateful for the incredible opportunity to have represented Canada for the past twelveyears”, Herdman said in a statement released on the Canada Soccer website today.

“I arrived from New Zealand in 2011 with the aim of changing the game in our country, and I have been able to make many deep connections through experiences in London 2012, a home World Cup in 2015, Rio 2016, World Cup qualification in 2022, and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022.”

“The goal was always to leave the game in a better place and I’m confident that goal has been achieved for Canada.”

Herdman’s tenure as the head coach included 101 international matches as head coach of the Women’s National Team and 58 International matches as head coach of the Men’s National Team.

With the Women’s National Team, he finished first at the 2011 Pan American Games, the first Olympic medal which was a bronze in London 2012, and won another bronze in Rio 2016.

He also guided the Women’s National team to a top four FIFA ranking in 2016 also winning FIFA Most Improved Team the same year, also finishing with the most wins and goals in a single season.

With the men he was able to lead them to their first World Cup in 36 years, also helping them score the first-ever goal at a World Cup and becoming the Kings of Concacaf finishing first in World Cup qualification.

See Also: Reflecting On Canada’s First Men’s And Women’s World Cup Goals

In 2022 he led them to a top-thirty finish in the FIFA World Rankings, later reaching the Concacaf Nations League Final. In 2021, they finished with the most International goals scored.

Herdman takes with him the following staff members from Canada Soccer to TFC: assistant coaches Simon Eaddy and Eric Tenllado, lead scout Alex Dodghson, and head of performance Dr. Cesar Meylan.

Canada Soccer also confirmed that Mauro Biello has been named as the interim Head Coach and the search for a new Head Coach will begin immediately.