In what was perhaps our editors' easiest pick, they overwhelmingly went with FC Dallas head man Schellas Hyndman. It's pretty remarkable to look at what he has done since being hired just three years ago. Last year, he took his team to the MLS Cup championship game. This year, he has them poised for a Supporters' Shield run.
MLS At Midseason: FC Dallas’ Schellas Hyndman Runaway Winner As Top Coach
Amazingly, he's done it all with a payroll that pales in comparison to many of the other teams in the league. This year, he's doing it without the league's reigning MVP, and has managed to get even better since David Ferreira went down.
Here’s what some of our editors had to say about the pick:
Adam Taylor, Black and Red United: When RSL lost their MVP candidate, their title hopes faded and they’ve fallen back on their otherworldly defense. When FC Dallas lost theirs, head man Hyndman retooled the formation and has somehow made his team even better. Props to Robert Warzycha and Robin Fraser for exceeding expectations, but Hyndman is an easy pick here.
Alicia Ratterree, The Goat Parade: FC Dallas look like Supporters Shield and MLS Cup contenders halfway through, which represents a remarkable turnaround from the beginning of the season. Despite finishing as the MLS Cup runners-up last year, Dallas got off to a very slow start that seemed to indicate their playoff performance last year was a fluke. Then, just as reigning MVP David Ferreira was hitting his stride, he suffered a season-ending injury. But Hyndman got his team to regroup and they haven't looked back since Ferreira went down. Most importantly, moving Brek Shea out of defense has worked wonders, and Dallas looks like a team that will be very tough to beat in the second half of the season.
Notable vote-getter: Peter Nowak.
Sidereal, Sounder at Heart: This was supposed to be a lost season for the Crew after turning over a huge chunk of their roster in the offseason. But now they’re sitting on an automatic playoff spot in the East.
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