St Louis CITY2 Finished Season with League’s Best Record After 18-match Unbeaten Streak
MLS NEXT Pro announced today that St Louis CITY2’s John Hackworth has been voted the 2025 Coach of the Year after guiding his club to the best record and No. 1 overall playoff seed (62 points, 17-5-6) this season. Hackworth was appointed interim Head Coach of St Louis CITY2 in May 2025 when David Critchley was named caretaker manager of the St. Louis CITY SC first team, while also balancing his duties as the Club’s Technical Director and assuming shared Sporting Director responsibilities in August.
Under Hackworth, St Louis CITY2 made a historic run during the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro regular season, setting a new League record with an unprecedented streak of 18 matches unbeaten. The streak eclipsed the previous record of 12, set by New England Revolution II (2023) and Columbus Crew 2 (2024). CITY2’s impressive season on both ends of the pitch saw the team tied for most regulation wins (17) and tied for fewest losses (5) in the League; nine of the team’s victories came on the road, the most in MLS NEXT Pro in 2025.
With its fourth consecutive appearance in the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs, CITY2 became one of just two clubs (Philadelphia Union II) to appear in every MLS NEXT Pro postseason since the League’s launch in 2022. The Club defeated No. 8 Ventura County FC (LA Galaxy affiliate), 3-0, in the Western Conference Quarterfinals on Sunday, October 19. CITY2 will next host No. 5 MNUFC2 in the Conference Semifinals on Sunday, October 26 (6 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).
The Club’s record-breaking season was buoyed by players such as 2025 Best XI honorees Mykhi Joyner and Gabriel Mikina. St Louis CITY2 is one of just two clubs (Chattanooga FC) with multiple players in this year’s Best XI. Joyner (15 goals) was one of two CITY2 players to record double-digit goal tallies in 2025, alongside fellow Homegrown player Miguel Perez (10 goals); 11 different CITY2 players scored at least one goal this season, with eight players scoring at least three goals. Overall, St. Louis CITY SC has signed 14 St Louis CITY2 players to first team contracts. The club trails just one team, FC Dallas/North Texas SC (15 signings), in signing MLS NEXT Pro players to the first team since the League launched in 2022.
The 2025 season marked Hackworth’s second spell as head coach with CITY2, having originally led the team to a runner-up finish in the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Cup in the League’s inaugural season. Prior to joining St Louis CITY2, Hackworth accumulated more than 30 years of coaching experience, spending time with Wake Forest University, University of South Florida, various levels of the U.S. Soccer’s Men’s and Youth systems, Louisville City FC and Philadelphia Union.
Hackworth was previously named MLS NEXT Pro Coach of the Month in July 2025 after guiding St Louis CITY2 to an unblemished 3-0-1 record, outscoring opponents 12-4 during that span.
Finalists for Coach of the Year: The Town FC’s Dan DeGeer and Philadelphia Union II’s Ryan Richter. The Coach of the Year award was voted on by Head Coaches, Chief Soccer Officers and League broadcasters and content team members.
MLS NEXT Pro Coach of the Year Winners:
2025: John Hackworth, St Louis CITY2
2024: Tyrone Marshall, FC Cincinnati 2
2023: Erik Bushey, Colorado Rapids 2
2022: Laurent Courtois, Columbus Crew 2
ADDITIONAL AWARDS
Following the conclusion of the regular season on October 5, MLS NEXT Pro announced the winners of the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro **Golden Boot and Playmaker of the Year** awards: Chicago Fire FC II’s Jason Shokalook was named Golden Boot winner after scoring 20 goals this season; New England Revolution II’s Marcos Dias earned the League’s inaugural Playmaker of the Year honors with an MLS NEXT Pro-record 13 assists.
On October 16, MLS NEXT Pro announced the **2025 Best XI and several individual awards**, naming Tacoma Defiance’s Osaze De Rosario as the inaugural winner of the Pathway Player of the Year, Chattanooga FC’s Eldin Jakupović as Goalkeeper of the Year and Philadelphia Union II’s Neil Pierre as the Defender of the Year. The 2025 Match Officials of the Year were also named: Calin Radosav (Referee), Adam Cook (Assistant Referee), and Eric Burton (Fourth Official).
MLS NEXT Pro MVP presented by adidas and Executive of the Year will be announced in the coming weeks.
