MLS Black Monday arrived on Monday November 9, 2026: three head coaches lost their jobs on the same day after their teams missed the playoffs. Raphael Wicky was fired by Sporting Kansas City, Robin Fraser was fired by Toronto FC, and Pascal Jansen parted ways with New York City FC. The moves came right after Decision Day, when the playoff field was set. Each club now has to find a new leader before the 2027 season begins, and each reset starts from a different kind of failure.
Table of Contents
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date of the firings | Monday November 9, 2026 |
| Coaches who left | Raphael Wicky, Robin Fraser, Pascal Jansen |
| Clubs involved | Sporting Kansas City, Toronto FC, New York City FC |
| Reason in each case | Team missed the MLS playoffs |
| Wicky record in 2026 | 7 wins, 22 losses, 5 draws, 26 points |
| Toronto record in 2026 | 9 wins, 13 losses, 12 draws, 39 points |
| NYCFC result in 2026 | Four points away from the final playoff spot |
| Next MLS season | Sprint season starts February 2027 |
Raphael Wicky and Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City terminated the contract of Raphael Wicky on Monday after only one season in charge. The team missed the playoffs in his first year, and the numbers behind that failure were hard to ignore. Kansas City won its final game, a 1-0 win at San Diego FC on Saturday, but still finished last in the 15-team Western Conference with 7 wins, 22 losses and 5 draws for 26 points.
The team scored the fewest goals in the West with 40, and gave up the most goals in the entire league with 81, a league record for goals allowed in an MLS season. The club record across all competitions under Wicky was 7 wins, 23 losses and 5 draws.
Wicky, 49, had been hired on January 5 on a contract that ran through the 2027-28 season, with a club option for 2028-29. One season was enough to change that plan. Assistant coaches Edu Rubio and Ash Wallace will also not return in 2027.
David Lee, the President of Soccer Operations and General Manager, spoke about the decision in a club statement. He said: “The 2026 season has been challenging for many reasons, and we recognize that Rapha and his staff worked incredibly hard in difficult circumstances. After a review of the season, Rapha and I met, and I decided to make the change.”
Wicky had coached Chicago Fire in 2020 and 2021 in MLS, and Young Boys from 2022 to 2024 and Basel from 2017 to 2018 in Switzerland. Sporting KC roster decisions were set to be announced on Tuesday November 10. The club kicks off its 14-game 2027 MLS Sprint Season schedule on Saturday February 20 in Houston.
Robin Fraser and Toronto FC
Toronto FC fired Robin Fraser after two years in charge. Fraser is a former LA Galaxy defender who was given two years to turn the club around. Toronto missed the playoffs in both 2025 and 2026, and that run of failure ended his time in the job.
Toronto finished 12th in the Eastern Conference this season, with 9 wins, 13 losses and 12 draws for 39 points. That is the record of a team that drew too many games it needed to win and lost too many games it needed to draw. The gap to the playoffs was not closed, even though the club spent heavily to improve.
The club made major moves in the offseason before the 2026 season. It brought in American forward Josh Sargent, who scored 10 goals, with Djordje Mihailovic pulling the strings in midfield. Those signings were meant to lift Toronto into the playoff race. They helped in attack, but they did not fix the wider problems.
Toronto was poor at the back through the season, and the team lacked the scoring punch needed for the playoffs. Ten goals from Sargent was a solid return, but one striker cannot carry a whole attack on his own. Fraser was given time to show progress from year one to year two, and the club did not see enough of it. The next coach will inherit talent in attack and clear problems at the back.
Pascal Jansen and New York City FC
New York City FC parted ways with Pascal Jansen after two years of a four-year contract. The timing stands out because the club is about to open a purpose-built stadium in Queens in summer 2027. A new stadium is meant to mark a new era for a club, and NYCFC has decided that era needs a new head coach.
NYCFC finished four points away from the final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference. Four points is a small gap, but it can be the difference between progress and a missed chance. In 2025, a fifth-place finish in the East saw the club reach the conference finals, where they fell to Inter Miami. The 2026 season did not reach that level, and the momentum from the year before was lost.
Sporting director Todd Dunivant explained the move in a club statement. He said: “This decision follows a thorough review of the season and reflects our ambition as an organization. The search for our next head coach begins immediately as we prepare for the 2027 Sprint Season and build toward the opening of Etihad Park.”
The club wants to be ready for the 2027 Sprint Season and for the opening of Etihad Park. A new coach will have to handle both. Jansen leaves with two years left on his deal, a sign the club is willing to pay for a fresh start.
Why MLS Black Monday Happened All at Once
Black Monday did not happen in a vacuum. Nine MLS teams hired new managers heading into the 2026 season, and more changes are expected beyond those announced on Monday. That level of turnover shows a league where patience is short and where clubs are quick to reset when the season ends in disappointment.
Eight teams made in-season coaching changes during 2026. Some, like the Portland Timbers who hired ex-QPR boss Marti Cifuentes, made long-term appointments. Many others are still led by interims, so the coaching market will stay busy through the winter.
Two names are already linked to the wider picture. Former Philadelphia Union manager Jim Curtin will assume the head coaching role with Austin FC, a move announced in June, ahead of the 2027 campaign. Ex-Columbus Crew boss Wilfried Nancy has said he is interested in returning to the league.
The calendar change adds to the pressure. MLS will play a sprint season from February to May next year before the league starts playing its regular season with a summer start and a spring finish. A short sprint season means every game counts more. The three moves on Monday show three different kinds of failure, but the lesson is the same. A playoff miss is a signal that the plan needs to change. For more on how big names shape the league, read our report on the FIFPRO World 11 for 2026, and for a look at another huge club night this season, see our timeline of Inter Miami against Tigres UANL.
What Happens Next for the Three Clubs
Each club needs a new head coach, a clear plan for the roster, and a strong start to the sprint season. Sporting Kansas City needs a defensive rebuild first. The record of 81 goals allowed is the first number the next coach will look at, and the club also needs more goals after scoring only 40 in the league.
Toronto FC needs balance. The attack has a proven scorer in Sargent and a creative player in Mihailovic. The defence needs to be stronger, and the team needs more goals from across the squad.
New York City FC needs to turn a near miss into a playoff return. Four points is not a huge gap, but closing it takes consistency. All three clubs will be watching each other as they search, because the best coaches will have more than one option. The same kind of star power that drives the league was on show when Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points with 9 blocks as the Spurs beat the Suns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which MLS coaches were fired on Black Monday?
Three head coaches left their clubs on Monday November 9, 2026. Raphael Wicky left Sporting Kansas City, Robin Fraser left Toronto FC, and Pascal Jansen left New York City FC. All three teams missed the playoffs after Decision Day.
Why was Raphael Wicky fired by Sporting Kansas City?
Wicky was fired after one season in which Kansas City finished last in the Western Conference with 7 wins, 22 losses and 5 draws for 26 points. The team scored the fewest goals in the West with 40 and gave up a league record 81 goals. Assistant coaches Edu Rubio and Ash Wallace will also not return in 2027.
Why did Toronto FC fire Robin Fraser?
Fraser was fired after two years because Toronto missed the playoffs in both 2025 and 2026. Toronto finished 12th in the East in 2026 with 9 wins, 13 losses and 12 draws for 39 points. The lack of progress came despite major spending, including the signing of Josh Sargent, who scored 10 goals.
What is next for New York City FC after Pascal Jansen left?
NYCFC will search for a new head coach at once as it prepares for the 2027 Sprint Season and the opening of Etihad Park in Queens in summer 2027. The club finished four points away from the final playoff spot in the East in 2026, after reaching the conference finals in 2025.
Sources
Final Thoughts
MLS Black Monday was not a surprise, but it was still a sharp moment. Three clubs looked at their seasons, saw the same answer, and acted on the same day. Kansas City had the worst numbers in the league. Toronto had two years without a playoff place. NYCFC had a small gap and a lost season after a strong run the year before. Each club has now chosen to start again. In MLS, missing the playoffs has a cost, and on Black Monday, three coaches paid it.
