John Herdman, manager of Canada, looks on during the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football Gold Cup game against Cuba at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas, July 4, 2023. /CFP
John Herdman resigned as the manager of the Canadian men's national football team on Monday and will take over Major League Soccer's (MLS) Toronto FC on October 1.
"John Herdman is the most successful head coach in the history of Canada Soccer. From leading the Women's National Team to back-to-back Olympic bronze medals, paving the way for their gold medal in 2020, and to leading the Men's National Team back to the FIFA World Cup, John's contribution to the game in Canada is unmatched," Canada Soccer President Charmaine Crooks said in a statement.
Herdman managed the Canadian women's national team for seven years before being put in charge of the men's team in 2018. He helped the team make their first World Cup appearances in 36 years in Qatar in 2022. They were in Group F with Belgium, Croatia and Morocco, losing three games with two goals scored and seven goals conceded.
"I am grateful for the incredible opportunity to have represented Canada for the past 12 years, for the moments I've been able to share with the players, the staff, and the supporters," Herman said in the statement. "I arrived from New Zealand in 2011 with the aim of changing the game in our country, and I have been able to form many deep connections, through experiences in London 2012, a home World Cup in 2015, Rio 2016, World Cup qualification in 2022 and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The goal was always to leave the game in a better place and I'm confident that goal has been achieved for Canada."
John Herdman, manager of Canada, looks on during the FIFA World Cup game against Morocco at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha , Qatar, December 1, 2022. /CFP
Mauro Biello, who has been Herdman's assistant since 2018, has been appointed as the interim manager of Canada. His co-workers Simon Eaddy and Eric Tenllado, as well as lead scout Alex Dodgshon and head of performance Cesar Meylan, will part ways with the national team as well.
Toronto fired their manager Bob Bradley on June 26 and put Terry Dunfield in charge on interim basis. They won only three of their past 26 games in the MLS and suffered 13 losses to get only 19 points, matching the worst record of all 29 teams.
"It's the right time for me to step into a new challenge in my career, and the structure of a club environment is a context I've aspired to operate in," Herdman said in an announcement by Toronto. "Having access to connect and collaborate with the staff and players daily allows for a different depth of development and connection, both on and off the pitch."