The Canadian Premier League (CPL) announced on Friday the nominees for the Coach of the Year award, honouring the best coach in the league during the 2025 CPL Regular Season.
York United FC’s Mauro Eustáquio, Atlético Ottawa’s Diego Mejía and Forge FC’s Bobby Smyrniotis are nominated for the award in 2025. The winner will be decided through voting by technical leadership from all eight CPL clubs as well as by select media members, representing local and national outlets, who consistently covered the 2025 CPL Regular Season. The winner will be revealed at an in-person ceremony in Ottawa, Ont. on Friday, Nov. 7 as part of the 2025 CPL Final festivities.
Voting for the CPL’s Coach of the Year award is based on performances during the 2025 Regular Season, not including the TELUS Canadian Championship, Concacaf Champions Cup or the 2025 CPL Playoffs action.
Eustáquio guided York United FC to a record-setting campaign in 2025, his first year as the club’s head coach after serving as an assistant for the previous three seasons. Under his leadership, York United scored a club-record 43 goals and finished the year with a goal differential of five, the best in team history. The results reflected Eustáquio’s tactical structure and attacking intent, which propelled The Nine Stripes into one of its most competitive seasons to date. This is Eustáquio’s first nomination for the Coach of the Year award.
Mejía oversaw a record year for Atlético Ottawa as the capital club reached new heights in 2025. Atlético Ottawa improved its point total by 12 from the previous campaign, rising from 44 to 56 and up to second in the league table. The club’s 54 goals were the most ever in a single CPL season and its goal differential of 26 Atleti’s highest tally to date and ranked third best in league history. Mejía’s leadership and balanced approach produced one of the most dominant regular seasons the club has enjoyed since joining the league. This is his first nomination for the honour.
Smyrniotis earned his seventh career nomination for Coach of the Year after another record-setting season at the helm of Forge, who repeated as Regular Season Winners and lifted the CPL Shield. His side went 20 games unbeaten from season kickoff on April 5 to Aug. 30. Forge’s 51 goals for, and 22 goals conceded, marked the second-best offensive and defensive outputs in CPL history. The club’s goal differential of 29 was the second highest in league history, underscoring Smyrniotis’ continued ability to deliver excellence on both sides of the pitch. Smyrniotis previously won his lone Coach of the Year Award in 2024.
The winner of the Coach of the Year award will receive a unique piece of Inuit soapstone art, conceptualized by artist Palaya Qiatsuq and carved by Ruben Komangapik. The Owl statue symbolizes wisdom, guidance and knowledge, while its heightened vision gives it the ability to see what others cannot. The Coach of the Year requires similar attributes to earn the honour.
The 2025 CPL Awards ceremony will be broadcast live on dedicated soccer channel OneSoccer beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, with appearances by OneSoccer personalities, current and former CPL players and coaches, as well as special guests from the Canadian soccer community.
