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Bradley Carnell, winner 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 from interim sporting director to the club’s full-time sporting director. It is unclear whether former director Ernst Tanner is still part of the union.
The Union problem is well documented
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 change, with the club parting ways with several key players, including top scorer Tai Baribo, who now plays for DC United.
Despite those departures and the injury to star playmaker Quinn Sullivan, Philadelphia was still expected to be competitive this season.
Instead, things quickly went off the rails. Union is the only MLS club with single-digit points, with seven, and its attack has scored just 18 goals, four of which came last weekend, in 15 games.
“I want to thank the fans, players, staff and everyone involved at this club for the support and commitment during my time here,” Carnell said in a statement.
“I am proud of what we accomplished together and grateful for the relationships and memories we built along the way. To my staff and especially the players, thank you for your hard work and dedication in both the high moments and the challenges, you 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 steep decline. He led St. Louis City SC to the top of the Western Conference in his inaugural season, only to be fired during a struggling sophomore campaign.
It also changes at the top
The Union also made a significant change at the top of the organization, with Scheer now tasked with overseeing soccer operations as the club’s full-time sporting director.
He will replace Tanner, who was suspended by MLS following an investigation into offensive and discriminatory comments.
Before that controversy, Tanner was widely regarded as one of the league’s top sporting directors, having kept Philadelphia competitive even though the club typically operated with one of the lowest payrolls in MLS.
Scheer, who has been part of the Union since 2018, enjoys great prestige 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,” Jay Sugarman, principal owner of the Philadelphia Union, said in a statement.
“As we enter a new chapter for the organization, we are confident in Jon’s ability to lead our sporting operations and get us back on track with a culture focused on development, ambition and sustained success.”
What Scheer said
“I am honored to assume the role of Athletic Director of the Philadelphia Union and want to thank our ownership group, as well as the mentors, colleagues and staff members who have supported me during my time with the organization,” Scheer said in a statement.
“This club has built a strong identity based on development, hard work and a winning culture, and I understand the responsibility that comes with leading that vision forward. I am committed to helping the Union return to the standard our fans, organization and community expect.”
What comes next?
Ryan Richter will take on the role of interim manager of the club as it searches for its next permanent manager.
“While 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 his 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 overall pick in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft.
After a seven-year professional career, he returned to Philadelphia in 2018 and worked his way through several coaching positions in the organization. He served as first-team assistant head coach from 2022 to 2024 before being named head coach of Union II in January 2025.
The team resumes 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 the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34) and each match will be streamed live and on-demand on both FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, 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, as will the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
