John Herdman resigns as head coach of Toronto FC amid drone-spying scandal

In the end, John Herdman saw the writing on the wall and walked away from it.

Embroiled in the Paris Olympic drone-spying scandal that has already cost Canadian women's coach Bev Priestman her job, Herdman resigned Friday as coach of Toronto FC.

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With the scandal not going away, Herdman opted to step aside rather than have the matter around his neck like an albatross.

Canada Soccer announced July 31 that it had retained Sonia Regenbogen from the law firm of Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark to handle the review of the Olympic incident "and subsequently, any related matters of a historic nature."

A former Canada women's and men's coach, Herdman has been linked to a culture of spying within Canada Soccer. The fact that he did not speak to Regenbogen added fuel to the fire when the report finally came out.

Herdman declined to publicly address such allegations, citing the "integrity of the investigation." But he maintained his record was clean at the Olympics and World Cups.

"I can again clarify that at a FIFA World Cup, pinnacle event, Olympic Games, at a Youth World Cup, those activities have not been undertaken," he said in July. "And I've got nothing else to say on that matter."

No reason for the resignation was given in the four-paragraph release by TFC.

“Personally, I have made the difficult decision that it’s the right time for me to step away from the club, as the organization defines its vision for the future,” Herdman said in the statement. “It has been an honour to wear the Toronto FC crest and contribute to the growth of the club.

"Working with this dedicated group of players and staff has been a true privilege. I want to thank (president and chief executive officer) Keith Pelley and MLSE ownership for the opportunity, and I also want to thank the incredible fans for the support they’ve shown me both on and off the pitch. I wish the organization success going forward, and I look forward to the next chapter in my career.”

It is understood the decision to leave was Herdman's alone. Neither he nor MLSE offered further comment Friday.

In walking away from TFC, Herdman may have negated the need for further investigation into any past misdeeds. If he is not coaching in Canada, Canada Soccer can look ahead.

According to Canada Soccer's Disciplinary Code, sanctions available to a discipline hearing committee range from a written notice of admonishment to a lifetime suspension.

"We will evaluate the appropriate course of action and determine the next steps to take in this matter," Canada Soccer said in a statement.

Herdman can continue coaching, albeit likely not in Canada.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment avoids a messy scandal that could have lasted for months. And with Herdman gone, it can look to an established MLS coach like Jim Curtin as a replacement.

Curtin was fired earlier this month after 10 impressive years at the helm of the Philadelphia Union. Despite a poor 9-15-10 season this season — tied on points with d 11-19-4 Toronto — Curtin has shown both an ability to develop young talent and work within a limited budget.

The first is sorely needed at TFC and the second, thanks to MLSE's largesse, is not an issue.

The ripple effect of the drone-spying has been wide-ranging.

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Canada Soccer has said Priestman will not be returning. Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi are currently serving one-year suspensions from FIFA, with Lombardi having already resigned his Canada Soccer position

A FIFA Appeals Committee ruling this summer also put Herdman at Ground Zero within Canada Soccer for spying on rival teams.

"Canada is investigating the history of this matter, but we suspect that the practice of using a drone stems back to John Herdman when he was the head coach of the women's national team. In other words, this was a practice started by one person — John Herdman — and continued by Bev Priestman," Canada Soccer said, according to the FIFA document.

In another email, provided to FIFA by Canada Soccer, Priestman — once an assistant coach under Herdman. — suggested the practice was commonplace in both the men's and women's teams.

And likely commonplace elsewhere. Canada just got caught with the eyes of the world on the Olympics

Herdman switched from the Canadian women to the men in January 2018, leading the men to the World Cup in 2022 for the first time since 1986. He had taken over the Canadian women in 2011, leading them to bronze medals in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016,

Herdman was in charge of TFC for the final two games of the 2023 season when Toronto finished bottom of the league at 4-20-10.

There was some improvement this season but Toronto missed the playoffs for a fourth straight year at 11-19-4 in 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

Herdman bled for the cause, leaving his family in B.C. and putting in long hours at TFC.

"I've never seen a work ethic like (his) … He's a machine," captain Jonathan Osorio said of Herdman.

"He cares," he added. "We need people that care."

Herdman was a refreshing change after Bob Bradley. He made a daily point of shaking the hands of observers at training and wore his heart on his sleeves after losses.

Osorio and Herdman both took time to speak to disgruntled fans in the south stand of BMO Field after recent losses.

Herdman inherited a team whose stars — Italian's Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi — were not his hires. He waited patiently for GM Jason Hernandez to untangle past contract snafus but now won't get to reap the rewards

"On behalf of the entire organization, I thank John for his commitment to Toronto FC and for the important strides for the club during his time as head coach,” Pelley said in the statement. “John’s passion for the game and dedication is evident to all those he has worked with and we wish him and his family the very best. The organization will begin the search for Toronto FC’s next head coach immediately.”

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Herdman's departure comes seven years to the day that Toronto celebrated winning the Eastern Conference final with a 1-0 victory over Columbus in the second leg of their playoff series.

Toronto went on to win the MLS Cup that year with a 2-0 win over Seattle and returned to the final in 2019, losing 3-1 to the Sounders.

After falling to expansion Nashville at the first playoff hurdle in 2020, the club has gone a combined 30-75-31 in league play in missing the playoffs the last four seasons.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2024.