After a drastic turnaround saw the Chicago Fire rise from a 2016 last-place finish to third in both the 2017 Eastern Conference and Supporters' Shield standings, head coach Veljko Paunovic's efforts earned him a place among Major League Soccer's elite.
As announced on Monday afternoon, Paunovic finished third in the 2017 MLS Coach of the Year vote, behind Atlanta's Gerardo "Tata" Martino and winner Greg Vanney of Toronto FC.
Paunovic -- in his second year in Chicago -- guided the Men In Red to a 55 point finish on a 16-11-7 record, and helped the club reached the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2012.
The MLS Coach of the Year award is voted on by MLS club management, media and current MLS players. Below is a breakdown of the voting results (via MLSsoccer.com):
Coach of the Year |
Player Vote |
Club Vote |
Media Vote |
Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Greg Vanney (TOR) |
26.98% |
44.05% |
40.18% |
37.07% |
Gerardo “Tata” Martino (ATL) |
35.71% |
3.57% |
27.61% |
22.30% |
Veljko Paunović (CHI) |
9.92% |
10.71% |
12.88% |
11.17% |
Patrick Vieira (NYC) |
9.13% |
17.86% |
3.99% |
10.33% |
Carl Robinson (VAN) |
3.17% |
9.52% |
5.52% |
6.07% |
Gregg Berhalter (CLB) |
1.59% |
4.76% |
0.92% |
2.42% |
Paunovic and his staff are currently in the midst of preparations for the 2018 season.
