Another year, another Canadian Premier League coach of the year nomination for Forge FC's Bobby Smyrniotis.
But while Smyrniotis's team has won the CPL championship four of the league's previous five seasons, he has yet to win coach of the year honours in his previous five selections as a finalist for the award.
The Forge FC coach faces tough opposition this year in Cavalry FC's Tommy Wheeldon Jr., who won the award in 2019 and '23, and Mexican Benjamin Mora for his work with York United FC.
The winner, to be decided in a vote of CPL teams' technical leadership and select media members, will be announced Nov. 7 in Calgary as part of the CPL championship game festivities.
Smyrniotis led Forge to the regular-season title with a 15-8-5 record. The Hamilton-based side excelled at both ends of the field, leading the league with 45 goals while conceding just 31, second-fewest.
Forge also led the league with 11 home wins, setting a franchise single-season record by earning 34 points at Tim Hortons Field.
"It's always a nice thing," Smyrniotis said of his latest nomination. "That's the same thing I said to the players, it's being recognized for the work that all of us do, all of the staff — not only just the coaches but everyone that's in this room and the players. Because we try and help them look good. And sometimes they make us look very good as well. That's not sometimes, that's all the time with the (Forge) players."
"But like I always say we're much more interested in the team awards as opposed to the individual ones," he added.
Wheeldon earned his fourth top coach nomination, leading Cavalry to second place in the regular season at 12-4-12. The Calgary side earned a league-best record 25 points away from home with a 7-4-3 record and gave up just 27 goals all season, fewest in the league.
York blossomed under Mora, who took charge in early June. The Toronto team finished the season in fourth place at 11-11-6, collecting a franchise-record 39 points.
After posting the second-worst home record in the league in 2023, York recorded the second-best home record at home in the league this season.
Wheeldon was just named the CPL's Manager of the Month for October, his second monthly award of the season.
Wheeldon also was honoured as the top manager in August. Smyrniotis is the only other two-time winner this season (April and September) while Mora won in July.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2024
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press