The Seattle Sounders were not chasing the 2016 MLS Cup when the team parted ways with Sigi Schmid in July — at least neither players nor management could have reasonably expected, at the time, to win the league championship. Midseason coaching changes have a long and dismal history.
Of 14 midseason managerial changes in MLS over the past five seasons, Brian Schmetzer's takeover represents only the second squad to reach the playoffs. The other was the 2015 Montreal Impact, which introduced Mauro Biello — and Didier Drogba — with 11 games remaining and a pre-switch PPG of 1.