Greg Vanney Back-Handed Appreciation Post

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Vanney oversaw the successful period of Toronto FC's history, guiding the team to accomplishments such as winning the 2017 MLS Cup, the 2017 Supporters Shield, and making the CONCACAF Champions League Final in 2018. He was also the MLS Coach of the Year in 2017. When I heard the news, one question was spinning in my head. How much did Greg Vanney really contribute to Toronto FC's success over his tenure?

I think about Vanney’s hiring in the middle of the 2014 MLS season and going into the 2015 season. Vanney was wedged between a front office who was willing to spend significant sums of money and big-name players who accepted those sums of money to play for the club. When Greg Vanney was hired, TFC's front office still insisted in taking the 'needle in a haystack' approach of hiring a coach with little professional coaching experience, rather than hiring a coach that had professional coaching experience. Regardless, I was willing to give him a chance.

I also think about how the end of the 2015 MLS season was a critical moment in Vanney's tenure and for Toronto FC as a whole. TFC's first playoff appearance was a 3-0 battering by the Montreal Impact, and a large number of TFC supporters (including myself) wanted Vanney fired. It was incredibly surprising for me to hear at the time that Toronto FC would stick with Vanney as head coach, and the ownership received a return on this trust.

When you have owners who spend like crazy (in MLS terms) and have well-paid players who could be playing in a more competitive league, then you want a coach who can effectively manage those egos and keep the ship steady (I am not saying that Giovinco, Altidore, or Bradley were ever difficult to manage). To me, it looked like Greg Vanney commanded the respect of the players, and that is certainly an achievement, because I can think of other managers that would not be able to do this. Greg Vanney would make the occasional tactical blunder, or rely too much on his nephew to anchor TFC's defence, but Toronto FC's history will look at him fondly (especially compared to Toronto FC's other coaches).

With all that said, I go back to the question about how much Greg Vanney has contributed to Toronto FC's success. I used to think that Toronto FC would put in any old coach and they would have made the same achievements over the last five years. This is not true. Greg Vanney has certainly contributed his share to Toronto FC's success. He is the one that selects the starting 11 and dictates the team's tactics. However, for me, the best thing about Greg Vanney is that neither the players, TFC staff, nor TFC media have anything bad to say about him. I get the impression that he is a good person, and it a great quality to have in his position.

Therefore, I say, thank you for your time at Toronto FC and best of luck in your future endeavors.