Ezra Hendrickson Fired by Chicago
Chicago Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson has been fired, sources have confirmed to MIR97 Media.
Current assistant coach and club legend Frank Klopas is expected to take over as the interim head coach.
The decision to pull the plug on Hendrickson’s project was made by Sporting Director Georg Heitz and the sporting staff in light of this weekend's match against Nashville SC. The Fire extended their winless run in MLS to four matches as they stumbled to a 3-0 loss at Geodis Park.
In addition to the results on the field, the higher-ups were unhappy with some internal matters at the club. The former MLS defender, whose first head coaching job in MLS was with the Fire, took charge ahead of the 2022 season, and after failing to make the playoffs in his first year, the team now sits below the line after ten matches.While he arrived at the Fire without any previous first-team head coaching gigs on his résumé, Hendrickson brought a wealth of experience from a variety of assistant coaching roles around the league with the Seattle Sounders, LA Galaxy, and Columbus Crew. Hendrickson shows promise as a manager, but his inability to manage the team through high-pressure moments resulted in too many dropped points this season and last. Hendrickson leaves the Fire with a record of 12 wins, 14 draws, and 18 losses.
Hendrickson was Heitz's second head coaching hire since he took over the sporting department in December 2019. Heitz's contract expires at the end of the year; as things stand, it seems increasingly likely that he won't be renewed, given that his first three seasons were largely unsuccessful on the field and the fourth is quickly unraveling.
