Calls for him to take home the accolade began before Orlando City even made it out of the bubble at ESPN Wide World of Sports. Pundits and critics were unsure whether to believe the Orlando City turnaround at first. With each win — first in the bubble, then in the regular season — that disbelief trickled away.
At midseason, he was listed at the top of most lists for the top coaching award in the league. By the conclusion of the regular season, Pareja had earned spots in Orlando City record books — the winningest year in club history and the club’s first playoff berth.