Former assistant coach Robin Fraser returns to Toronto FC as head coach

Toronto FC has opted for a familiar face in choosing Robin Fraser as its new head coach.

The former elite defender was a key assistant coach to Greg Vanney during Toronto’s glory days, including the 2017 treble-winning season, before leaving in August 2019 to take over the Colorado Rapids as head coach.

Fraser was fired in September 2023 with an injury-plagued Colorado languishing in the Major League Soccer basement at 3-13-10 (Chris Armas, fired by Toronto in July 2021, eventually succeeded him as Rapids coach). Most recently Fraser was chief sporting adviser to CT United FC, an expansion team in the second-tier MLS Next Pro league.

“Robin has one of the most accomplished careers in MLS, combining a multitude of experience as both a player and coach,” Toronto GM Jason Hernandez said in a statement. “As a person, he exemplifies our club values to the highest degree, and as a manager, we are confident in his ability to achieve sporting success.

“Robin’s commitment to winning has delivered trophies at Eastern and Western conferences and we are looking forward to the work ahead to build TFC into the annual contender our ownership and supporters deserve.”

Hernandez played two seasons (2017-18) under Fraser in Toronto.

The 58-year-old Fraser, whose contract runs through the 2027 season, becomes TFC’s 15th head coach.

Friday’s announcement comes almost 10 years to the day (Jan. 7, 2015) that Fraser first joined Toronto.

TFC, which missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season in finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference at 11-19-4, has been without a coach since John Herdman stepped down Nov. 29 after a little more than one season at the helm.

In hiring Fraser, a close friend and confidant of Vanney who led the Los Angeles Galaxy to the MLS Cup in December, TFC is clearly hoping he can help bring back some of the club’s previous identity as a winner.

“Rebuilding this club with MLS experience, TFC lineage and championship pedigree provides a unique strength for the team,” MLSE boss Keith Pelley said in a letter Friday to Toronto season ticket-holders, “and with Jason Hernandez as TFC’s general manager, partnered with Robin as head coach, TFC’s leadership structure is well positioned for the club’s ‘Hunt for Glory’ in the years ahead.”

In October, Pelley promised a “complete rebuild,” saying the club had lost its way and its identity.

Fraser is also known for his work with young players, an area where TFC has shown mixed results recently.

Still, he has his work cut out at a franchise that has fallen on hard times since he was last part of the organization.

Since last making the playoffs in 2020, when the club fell at the first post-season hurdle, Toronto has compiled a 30-75-31 record in MLS play and finished 26th, 27th, 29th and 22nd in the Supporters’ Shield standings.

TFC ranked 22nd on defence last season, conceding 1.79 goals a game. And despite finishing tied for 25th in the league in goals scored, averaging 1.18 goals a game, Toronto opted not to re-sign leading scorer Prince Owusu (nine goals).

There are question marks over the future of high-priced Italian star Lorenzo Insigne as players report for medicals on the weekend. And Toronto probably needs help at every position other than goalkeeper.

“We need to improve everywhere,” captain Jonathan Osorio said Thursday at MLS Media Day in Miami. “It’s that simple

Aside from the MLS SuperDraft, the lone off-season addition has been Brazilian winger Thiago Andrade acquired from New York City FC via San Diego FC in a draft day deal. The 24-year-old spent the last two seasons out on loan, first in Brazil with Athletico Paranaense and last season in China with Shenzhen Peng City FC.

Fraser began his pro career in the American Soccer League with the Colorado Foxes before joining MLS in its inaugural 1996 season. Taken fourth in the 1996 MLS draft and went on to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy (1996-2000), Colorado Rapids (2001-03) and Columbus Crew (2004-05).

As a player, Fraser won the Supporters’ Shield twice and the CONCACAF Champions Cup. A five-time MLS all-star, he was twice named MLS Defender of the Year.

In December 2010, Fraser was named one of The 25 Greatest LS players, as chosen by a panel of nearly 200 MLS experts (former Toronto FC players Dwayne De Rosario and Sebastian Giovinco also made the list).

On the international front, Fraser earned 27 caps for the United States men’s national team.

In introducing Fraser as Colorado coach in 2019, then GM (and now president) Padraig Smith called Fraser “one of the most decorated individuals in MLS soccer history.”

Fraser and Vanney have deep ties.

Vanney, Fraser and Dan Calichman, another former TFC assistant coach now part of Vanney’s staff in L.A., all captained the Galaxy with Fraser following Calichman as skipper and Vanney wearing the armband after Fraser, when Cobi Jones was absent. Fraser and Vanney played in the same Galaxy backline at the 1996 and 1999 MLS Cups.

Fraser was head coach at the now-defunct Chivas USA (2011-2012) with Vanney on his coaching staff. Prior to joining Toronto in 2015, Fraser also served as an assistant coach with Real Salt Lake (2007-2010) and the New York Red Bulls (2013-2014).

His record at Colorado’s helm was 47-48-34 including a first-place Western Conference finish (with a club-record 61 points) in 2021 when he was runner-up for MLS Coach of the Year.

Fraser won MLS Cups as an assistant coach with Real Salt Lake (2009) and Toronto (2017).

Toronto’s hire leaves the Vancouver Whitecaps as the only MLS team left to fill its coaching vacancy.