Pat Noonan named 2023 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year 

FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan has been named the 2023 Sigi Schmid Major League Soccer Coach of the Year, the league announced today. The second-year head coach of the Orange and Blue led the club to unprecedented heights in 2023, winning the Supporters’ Shield with a league-best 69 points and 20 wins.

FC Cincinnati’s on-field turnaround began immediately in Noonan’s first season in 2022 – when the club reached new heights including the club’s first MLS Cup Playoff berth and win – and the success carried over in an extraordinary way in 2023. Under Noonan’s direction this season, Cincinnati tied for the fourth-most points in a single MLS season and the most since the New England Revolution set the MLS record with 73 points in 2021.

This year, the club also became just the ninth team in league history to win at least 20 games in a single season (excluding the shootout era), including a league-high 13 home matches in 2023. Cincinnati matched the MLS record by winning their first 10 matches at home to start the season and concluded with a 13-2-2 record at TQL Stadium. With 41 points at home, the Orange and Blue tied for the fourth-most points in a season at home and their 13 home wins were tied for the second-most in league history.

Noonan’s team excelled in close games this season, as the club led MLS with 14 wins in one-goal games – the third-highest total in a single season in MLS history. FC Cincinnati dominated when scoring first, having an unbeaten 17-0-4 record when scoring the first goal in regular season play, three more wins than any other club. When leading at halftime, the club was 9-0-0, the most wins without any losses or draws in MLS.

The team also found success in adversity, holding the league’s best win percentage when allowing the first goal (3-5-4, .417 win percentage) and when trailing at the half (2-5-3, .364 win percentage). FC Cincinnati captured the most points in MLS this season after the 75th minute (12) while being the only team in the league not to drop any points from the 75th minute on.

Noonan is the 10th former MLS player to take home Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year accolades. He played under the namesake of the Coach of the Year award – Sigi Schmid – while with the Columbus Crew (2008) and Seattle Sounders FC (2010-11). Noonan also coached as an assistant under two different MLS Coach of the year honorees (Jim Curtin: 2020, 2022 and Bruce Arena: 1997, 2009, 2011, 2021).

Under his guidance, Noonan’s squad earned several individual honors throughout the season, including the most MLS All-Stars of any club this season (Luciano Acosta, Álvaro Barreal and defender Matt Miazga). Miazga was additionally named the 2023 MLS Defender of the Year while Acosta – the 2023 MLS leader in goal contributions – is a finalist for 2023 Landon Donovan MLS MVP.

Noonan’s regular-season win percentage in his first two years as a head coach in MLS – 63.2% (32-14-22) – is the second-best in league history only behind Tata Martino’s 64.7% mark in 2017-18 with Atlanta United. Noonan’s 32 wins in his first two seasons as a head coach in the league are tied for the third-most in the MLS post-shootout era behind Martino (36) and Steve Cherundolo (35).

FC Cincinnati extended Noonan’s contract last month.

Noonan and the Orange and Blue host Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Saturday, November 25 at TQL Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET and the match will broadcast exclusively on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The match will also be carried over the radio locally on ESPN 1530.

The 2023 MLS Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year award honors the best head coach in MLS during the 2023 regular season. The award was voted on by MLS club technical staff, media, and current MLS players. Below is a breakdown of the voting results, with Noonan edging out St. Louis CITY SC’s Bradley Carnell and the Columbus Crew’s Wilfried Nancy for the honors.

FC Cincinnati will host Philadelphia Union in an Eastern Conference Semifinal showdown at TQL Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at FCCincinnati.com/Tickets or by calling (513) 977-5425 (KICK). The match will broadcast exclusively on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and be carried over the radio locally on ESPN 1530.

For more information on FC Cincinnati in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, visit FCCincinnati.com/Playoffs23.

For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team’s new official mobile app on iOS or Android for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.