The first domino fell on Wednesday when the Birmingham Legion parted ways with Tommy Soehn, and now it’s open season; the Tampa Bay Rowdies are moving on from manager Robbie Neilson.
Neilson spent the better part of a decade managing in the Scottish Premier League and Championship before taking over in Tampa Bay ahead of the 2024 season. At Al Lang Stadium, he represented the first full-time successor to Neill Collins, who left the club midway through 2023.
Tampa Bay entered last season as the presumptive favorite in the East, having added star players like Jordan Farr, Nick Moon, Manuel Arteaga, and Daniel Crisostomo across every position group. Instead of dominating, the Rowdies limped to a sixth-place finish while winning just two of their final eight matches in the league. Late-season displacement caused by Hurricane Milton took a toll, but Neilson’s side never lived up to their club’s lofty standards.
