The 2025 MLS season is still in its early days, but some clubs have already dealt with problematic seasons as they closed out March on Matchday 6.
While it may be early to consider changes on the touchline, CF Montréal has already announced coaching departures, parting ways with Laurent Courtois after securing just one point from five games.
Although the Canadian club’s ruthlessness with managers has been a theme throughout their tenure in MLS, letting Courtois go before even managing a home match in 2025 appeared harsh.
Montréal hasn’t been the only club that started poorly, but could they kickstart a wave of coaching departures? There are certainly a few that could be on their way out.
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Which MLS Coaches are on the Hotseat After Poor Starts?
So, which coaches find themselves under the most pressure already?
1. Peter Vermes - Sporting Kansas City
It’s been a tremendous run for Sporting Kansas City and Peter Vermes, but the time may well have come to move on from the long-tenured manager. After six games, the club has just one point and has gotten poor play from nearly every player on the roster, with a team effort that has looked disconnected and joyless.
At the same time, crowds at SKC’s home games have appeared sparse, a far cry from when The Cauldron was one of the most challenging places for away teams to find any points.
On Saturday, SKC fell 2-1 to FC Dallas, including a poor giveaway from new designated player Manu Garcia, only adding to the poor form that has seen them lose five of six games this season —their last win came on Sept. 18, 2024.
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This season, they’ve conceded 12 goals and only scored six, with key offseason signing Dejan Joveljic not enjoying anywhere near the type of chance creation he needs to thrive as one of the league’s best strikers.
Vermes has a strong relationship with ownership, and it would be emotional for all sides to part ways with a coach who has led the club since 2009, but has the time come? Is it time to move on, SKC?
2. Greg Vanney - LA Galaxy
The LA Galaxy are having a historic season, but not in the way they would have hoped. After losing 2–1 to Orlando City SC on Matchday 6, they officially set the mark for a reigning champion's worst start to a season.
Through six games, the Galaxy have just two points, drawing twice and losing four times. It would surely be harsh to dismiss Vanney so soon after winning MLS Cup, but given the way things have gone since, it is conceivable, especially since his contract has not been extended past this season.
A bright spot, and a factor that could earn Vanney some more time, is that the club has been without talismanic playmaking midfielder Riqui Puig and another attacking force, Joseph Painstil, to start the season due to injuries.
Puig won’t be back soon, as he recovers from an ACL tear, but Painstil got 30 minutes off the bench against Orlando and helped create one chance while taking three touches in the opposition box. Painstil’s return may not be a life saver, but combined with new signing Christian Ramirez’s recent run of four goals in four games, it could buy Vanney time.
Maybe the LA Galaxy are an MLS Cup contender just stricken with bad injury luck. But the longer the poor form wears on, the more the team will look in need of a quick rebuild, one that could begin on the touchline.
3. Caleb Porter - New England Revolution
It took until Matchday 6 for the New England Revolution to score their first goal of the season, with Carles Gil curling in a free kick in a 2–1 win over the New York Red Bulls in front of a strong home crowd of over 20,000.
While the win may buy Caleb Porter some time, the Revolution have struggled in 2025. They've lost three games and prior to scoring twice on Saturday, their only offensive contribution was an own goal.
Carles Gil scores the first goal of the season for the Revs and it's a beauty! ☄️ pic.twitter.com/BV1mLThH4u
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 29, 2025
Porter has led the team since 2023, when it finished a respectable fifth place in the Eastern Conference. However, a dismal 2024 campaign saw the club flounder to 14th.
Despite several moves and the addition of former Inter Miami CF striker Leonardo Campana, things are yet to work out for the Revolution so far in 2025 and a new voice may elevate the group.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Which MLS Coaches are on the Hotseat After Poor Starts?.
