TORONTO — Former Canadian international Terry Dunfield has four games to prove to the Toronto FC brass he is worthy of becoming the soccer team's permanent head coach.
TFC president Bill Manning and newly promoted general manager Jason Hernandez already have a shortlist of coaching candidates they will ask for permission to interview. Manning said they want to make their hire "fairly quickly."
But a day after the firing of veteran head coach Bob Bradley, Manning confirmed Dunfield would be at the helm for TFC's next four games, beginning at home against Real Salt Lake on Saturday and ending on the road against the Chicago Fire on July 15.
"Terry has coached at multiple levels," Hernandez said at the team's BMO Training Ground on Tuesday. "He's played overseas, and he's played in the MLS.
"In this building, he has a unique perspective, as far as the different things he's seen and experienced in his young coaching career."
The 41-year-old Dunfield was the head coach of Toronto FC Academy's under-17 team and has worked in the team's academy for seven years.
Dunfield has played midfield for Canada, Toronto FC and his hometown Vancouver Whitecaps as well as two seasons with Manchester City.
"This is someone we didn't pluck out of the sky to solve tasks," Hernandez said. "He's a guy who's lived it. He understands this league, and we're hopeful and optimistic that he's going do a great job."
When Manning called Dunfield on Monday morning to offer him the interim position, he was in a meeting at a downtown Toronto hotel with Canadian men's national team head coach John Herdman, preparing for the Gold Cup tournament, which began on Tuesday.
Dunfield has been the team's performance analyst under Herdman.
Dunfield spent 10 hours later Monday afternoon and evening talking to TFC staff and players. On Tuesday, he met with the players as a group before undergoing video and on-field training sessions.
Dunfield, whose team is seven points out of the playoffs, relayed his players want "tactical clarity."
"We went out and, with all that information, had a really good training session," Dunfield said. "That was a ton of fun. The energy was great.
"If we can turn this around, what a story this will be," Dunfield said. "It starts Saturday."
At 3-7-10, TFC is seven points below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference standings.
"I don't think this is about Terry," Dunfield said. "It's about the group of players unlocking their potential."
Two players TFC needs to step up if the team turns its fortune around under Dunfield will be Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi, who have scored only three goals apiece.
Bernardeschi pulled Dunfield aside after practice on Tuesday, asking his new coach to be direct with him. Dunfield appreciated his player's candour.
TFC is five years removed from its 2017 MLS Cup championship. After head coach Greg Vanney departed in December 2020, Manning's hirings of Chris Armas and Bradley flopped.
Manning, who shared personnel decisions with Bradley the past two years, also has been under fire from the team's supporters for the signing of Italian players Bernardeschi and Insigne.
He called the past few days and the decision to fire Bradley a low point in his 22 years as a sports executive.
"I challenge Lorenzo and Fed, as well as the other players, that we all need to look in the mirror, and we all need to be accountable, and we need to do better," Manning said.
While Manning and Hernandez will be busy looking at the head coach situation in the next few weeks, Hernandez remarked signing defender Richie Laryea is a priority.
TFC's loan agreement for Laryea with English club Nottingham Forest expires at the end of June.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2023.
Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press
