5 potential Whitecaps coaching candidates the team could consider

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The Vancouver Whitecaps said arrivederci to the winningest head coach in the club’s MLS franchise history on Monday.

Vanni Sartini’s run as head coach lasted three years and three months, with the Italian manager guiding the Whitecaps to three playoff appearances, three Canadian championships, and an MLS record of 44-40-23.

But in the end, it wasn’t enough for him to keep his job, despite Sartini having a year remaining on his contract. 

Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster spent 55 minutes speaking to the media on Monday, explaining his decision to let Sartini go. 

“It’s always about the next game, season, challenge,” Schuster said. “The only thing that has driven me, was really do I have the belief when we are back on the pitch, do we have a group that has anger, hunger, belief, and energy? Is everyone coming back with the right energy? If not, you better find a solution now and not after five or seven games.”

It was during the Whitecaps’ end-of-season slide where they went 1-5-3 in MLS play that Schuster first thought about relieving Sartini, but the ultimate decision was made in the past two weeks. Schuster notified players and staff on Saturday.

The Whitecaps’ four first-team coaches currently remain with the club. Schuster plans to speak to them this week. 

Would Schuster’s decision have been different if the Whitecaps beat LAFC in the playoffs? 

“That’s not that simple,” Schuster said. “The decision was really made on how will our pre-season look and with what kind of energy and mindset for the first game of next season. Winning against LAFC and maybe winning the conference could have changed that… or not. I don’t know… These four (playoff) games made me think more the other way around. It has nothing to do with the outcome of last year to be clear. That’s a clear statement.

“It is only about our belief of where we can get next year.” 

The seventh head coach in the Whitecaps MLS era will inherit a roster that is not expected to have a lot of player turnover. Schuster wants a manager who can coach the same style as what the Whitecaps had with Sartini. 

“The process of hiring a new coach starts now,” Schuster said. “The profile is somebody who understands and accepts what we have here. We will not bring in somebody who has a lot of new ideas and plays a total different style. We have more than 11 players that we can start in MLS and compete to win. The person who comes in has to respect that.” 

Coaching candidates Whitecaps could consider

The Whitecaps will return to the pitch for training camp on January 14, before heading to Spain to continue preseason preparations ahead of the 2025 MLS season in February. So there’s not a lot of time to pick a replacement for Sartini. 

Here are some potential coaching candidates to monitor.

Jim Curtin

Pennsylvania native Jim Curtin coached the Philadelphia Union from 2014 to 2024. He was let go earlier this month, departing with a 137-105-79 record across all competitions. 

Bradley Carnell

A native of South Africa, Bradley Carnell led St. Louis City SC with the best record in the Western Conference in their 2023 inaugural season. He was let go in July. Carnell worked on Jesse Marsch’s Canada Soccer coaching staff earlier this year. 

Giovanni Savarese

Giovanni Savarese coached the Portland Timbers from 2017 to 2023. The 53-year-old Venezuelan is currently an analyst for Apple MLS Season Pass. 

Tommy Wheeldon Jr.

The Liverpool native has coached Cavalry FC since 2018 and he helped guide the Calgary-based club to a Canadian Premier League Championship in 2024. 

Bobby Smyrniotis

Bobby Smyrniotis is a 45-year-old Scarborough native who helped guide Forge FC to four Canadian Premier League Championships in the last six seasons. 

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