Former MLS and Jamaican National Team Player Named Coach of the Year After Leading FC Cincinnati 2’s Remarkable Turnaround
Goalkeeper of the Year, Best XI and Match Officials of the Year also Named
MLS NEXT Pro announced today the winners of four 2024 regular season awards, highlighting the standouts of the League’s third season. FC Cincinnati 2’s Tyrone Marshall – a two-time MLS Cup winner as a player - has been named Coach of the Year after guiding his club through an incredible turnaround this year. North Texas SC’s Michael Collodi was voted Goalkeeper of the Year after backstopping his team to the best record in the League. The Best XI is made up of the top players at each position, all of whom were selected for the honor for the first time this year. Additionally, for the first time, MLS NEXT Pro has recognized top Match Officials for their contributions.
The Head Coach, Goalkeeper, and Best XI awards were voted on by the Head Coaches and Chief Soccer Officers at MLS NEXT Pro Clubs, as well as League broadcasters and content team. The Match Officials were determined by FairWhistle rankings.
2024 MLS NEXT PRO COACH OF THE YEAR
FC Cincinnati 2’s head coach Tyrone Marshall led his team to the best record and No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference (54 points, 16-8-4) in 2024, as well as the Northeast Division title. Marshall’s Club secured its first-ever MLS NEXT Pro playoff berth after the third-year head coach orchestrated a monumental turnaround in 2024: previously the Club finished 11th in the Eastern Conference (27 points, 7-17-4) in 2023 and 10th (17 points, 4-17-3) in 2022. FC Cincinnati 2 ranked highly in several statistical categories during the 2024 season, including having the best road record (8-4-2), second-most wins (16), and third-best defensive record (34 goals allowed) in the League.
In addition to leading his team’s successful season, Marshall also recently completed the Elite Formation Coaching License (EFCL) course, one of the most highly regarded coaching courses in the world. He was a member of the fifth cohort of coaches to participate in the EFCL program, in partnership with the French Football Federation.
As a player, Marshall won MLS Cup twice with LA Galaxy (2002, 2005) and won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup three times (LA Galaxy – 2005; Seattle Sounders – 2009, 2010). The defender appeared in close to 350 matches during his 15-year career in MLS, also winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield with Miami Fusion (2001) and LA Galaxy (2002). Marshall also represented the Jamaican national team, appearing in more than 80 matches.
Other finalists for Coach of the Year were: North Texas SC’s Michel Garbini, Philadelphia Union II’s Marlon LeBlanc, and St Louis CITY2’s Bobby Murphy.
2024 MLS NEXT PRO GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
North Texas SC goalkeeper Michael Collodi (13-4-6) was a vital part of his team’s success in the regular season, claiming the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and the overall best record in the League. In his first season as a pro, the 23-year-old led all MLS NEXT Pro goalkeepers in wins (13), tied for first in clean sheets (6), ranked second in save percentage (73.1%) and ranked third in games played, games started and minutes (23gp, 23gs, 1991 mins). Collodi conceded only 28 goals on the year, the least amount by a goalkeeper with 19 or more games played in 2024. He was also named the MLS NEXT Pro Goalkeeper of the Month for May.
Before joining North Texas SC for the 2024 season, Collodi was a talisman for Columbia University (2019-2023). During that time, Collodi made 58 appearances and logged over 5,000 minutes in goal, finishing second all-time in saves in program history (237 saves, 74% save percentage). The Plano, Texas native earned All-Ivy League honorable mentions (2021, 2022) and was named to Second Team All-Ivy his senior year (2023). At the youth level, Collodi played for the FC Dallas Academy from 2015 to 2019 and was called up to U.S. Youth National Team training camps at the U-14 and U-16 levels.
Other finalists for Goalkeeper of the Year were: Columbus Crew 2’s Stas Lapkes, The Town FC’s Emmanuel Ochoa and Philadelphia Union II’s Andrew Rick.
2024 MLS NEXT PRO BEST XI: Every player, including those named as Honorable Mention, was selected to the League’s Best XI for the first time. The 11 players represent eight Clubs in MLS NEXT Pro, 10 of whom will participate in the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs beginning this weekend with the Conference Quarterfinals.
Goalkeeper (1):
Michael Collodi – North Texas SC
Honorable Mention: Brady Scott – Ventura County FC
Defenders (3):
Nico Gordon – North Texas SC
Michael Wentzel – St Louis CITY2
Francis Westfield – Philadelphia Union II
Honorable Mention: Brian Schaefer – FC Cincinnati 2*
Midfielders (4):
Diego Gonzalez – Houston Dynamo 2
Aron John – Crown Legacy FC
CJ Olney – Philadelphia Union II
David Poreba – Chicago Fire FC II
Honorable Mention: Facundo Canete – Carolina Core FC
Forwards (3):
Taylor Calheira – New York City FC II
Mykhi Joyner – St Louis CITY2
Mehdi Ouamri – Chattanooga FC
Honorable Mention: Yutaro Tsukada – Orlando City B
2024 MLS NEXT PRO MATCH OFFICIALS OF THE YEAR
After every match, MLS NEXT Pro coaching staffs evaluate the performances of the match officials through FairWhistle, a sports assessment software platform focused on measuring and creating healthy sporting communities. The Match Officials of the Year were determined by top FairWhistle rankings. This marks the first time MLS NEXT Pro has honored officials with a year-end award.
Referee: Joshua Encarnacion
Assistant Referee: Jackson Krauser
Fourth Official: Braeden Frey
ADDITIONAL AWARDS
Following the conclusion of the regular season on October 6, Chicago Fire FC II’s David Poreba was named as the winner of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot Award after scoring 18 goals this season.
The final awards of the regular season, MLS NEXT Pro MVP presented by Adidas and Executive of the Year, will be announced in the coming weeks.
