Toronto FC announced today that Robin Fraser has been named the 15th Head Coach in club history. He will be under contract through the 2027 MLS season and report to TFC’s General Manager Jason Hernandez. Fraser, 58, returns to Toronto after a four-year tenure as Head Coach of the Colorado Rapids. He previously served as Assistant Coach with Toronto FC (2015-2019).
“We are very excited to welcome Robin as our new head coach for the 2025 season and beyond. Robin has one of the most accomplished careers in MLS, combining a multitude of experience as both a player and coach,” said Toronto FC General Manager Jason Hernandez. “As a person, he exemplifies our club values to the highest degree, and as a manager, we are confident in his ability to achieve sporting success. Robin’s commitment to winning has delivered trophies at Eastern and Western conferences and we are looking forward to the work ahead to build TFC into the annual contender our ownership and supporters deserve.”
With over 30 years of professional experience as a player and coach, Fraser returns to Toronto FC after spending the past five seasons (2019-2023) with the Colorado Rapids. Under his leadership, the Rapids became a contender in the Western Conference, setting numerous records across four seasons and leading the club to consecutive postseason appearances in his first two full seasons as the Rapids Head Coach. In his second season (2020), the club posted the second-most goals per game in franchise history, scoring 32 goals in 18 games. During the 2021 campaign, Fraser guided Colorado to a club-record 61 points — their best MLS regular season points total of all time — as the Rapids topped the Western Conference for the first time in club history. This earned him recognition as one of the top coaches in MLS, finishing as runner-up for the Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year. During his five seasons with the club, Fraser integrated and developed young talent, leading to notable moves to top European clubs, including Auston Trusty (Arsenal FC), Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp FC), and Moïse Bombito (OGC Nice). In 129 matches with the Colorado Rapids, Fraser compiled a 47W-48L-34T record across all competitions during his time at the helm.
“I’m incredibly delighted to be back in Toronto and back with TFC. This is a city and a club that are very near and dear to my heart,” said Fraser. “The TFC fans are among the best in the league, and I’m so thankful to be a part of this group as we look forward to giving our fans something to be excited about. From top to bottom, this is a first-class organization, and I’m so looking forward to doing all that I can to help us compete for championships, year in and year out.”
Prior to his time with the Colorado Rapids, Fraser served as an assistant coach to Greg Vanney with Toronto FC for five seasons (2015-2019). During his time at TFC, the club won the first domestic treble in MLS history, winning the MLS Cup, the Supporters’ Shield, and the Canadian Championship in 2017. While with the Reds, the club qualified for three MLS Cup Playoffs (2015, 2016, 2017), reaching two MLS Cup Finals (2016, 2017). He was also part of the coaching staff that led TFC to capture three consecutive Canadian Championships (2016, 2017, 2018).
Fraser began his coaching career with Real Salt Lake as an Assistant Coach (2007 – 2009), where he won his first MLS Cup in 2009. In 2011, he was appointed Head Coach of Chivas USA, where he spent two seasons before serving as an Assistant Coach at New York Red Bulls (2012), where he played a key role in the club lifting the Supporters’ Shield title in 2013.
As a player, Fraser made over 200 appearances throughout a remarkable 17-year MLS career, where he established himself as one of the league's top defenders and earned numerous accolades, including two MLS Defender of the Year honours, five MLS Best XI selections, and five MLS All-Star recognitions. Fraser was also honoured as one of The 25 Greatest players in MLS history in 2020. Throughout his playing career, the former defender spent five seasons (1996-2000) with the LA Galaxy, where he was part of the squad that won the Supporters' Shield in 1998. Fraser was among the first players to join the LA Galaxy in the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft. He was traded to the Colorado Rapids, where he spent three seasons (2001-2003) before joining the Columbus Crew via trade in 2004. The defender captained the Crew for two seasons and led the Black & Gold to capture the Supporters' Shield title in 2004. Internationally, Fraser earned 27 caps with the U.S. Men's National Team, featuring in the 1999 Confederations Cup and the 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Fraser will be introduced to the media at a press conference to be held at BMO Training Ground on Wednesday, January 15 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
