Philadelphia Union mentor Bradley Carnell has been named the 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) Coach of the Year.

Carnell has been with the Union for only 10 months since taking over from Jim Curtin earlier this year.

The 48-year-old took a Union squad that finished 23rd in the overall league standings last season and led the group to a Supporters’ Shield title with a league-high 66 points in 2025.

Among all clubs in 2025, Philadelphia had the largest points increase from 2024 (+29), which was six more points than the next-closest club (Chicago Fire FC, +23).

The former Kaizer Chiefs left back set a club record with 20 wins in the regular season, went undefeated in 16 of 17 home games, and is currently riding a 16-game home unbeaten streak through the regular season and Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.

The award was voted on by MLS club technical staff, media members and players. Carnell received 37.78 per cent of the total votes to finish ahead of the Vancouver Whitecaps’ Jesper Sorensen (26.53 per cent) and San Diego FC’s Mikey Varas (19.82 per cent).

A former defender, Carnell played professionally for 18 years from 1993 to 2011, most notably collecting three goals and nine assists in 134 matches between VfB Stuttgart (1998-2003) and Borussia Mönchengladbach (2003-2005).

Internationally, Carnell represented South Africa in 42 senior national team appearances from 1997 to 2010, including three starts in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and four starts in the 2002 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).