Chattanooga FC made even more history in just its second season in MLS NEXT Pro. Here's a full look back at 2025.
Chattanooga FC's 2025 season was one of resilience and achievement.
After narrowly missing out on the playoffs last year, 2025 saw the club reach new milestones including its first-ever MLS NEXT Pro playoff spot. CFC became the first independent club in league history to host a home playoff match.
The Chris Nugent era
This season was Chattanooga's first full year under Chris Nugent's leadership after he was promoted to interim head coach for the final two matches in 2024. Nugent had previously served as assistant coach since 2022, and was named Chattanooga FC's head coach for the 2025 season on October 15, 2024.
Nugent rounded out his full coaching staff with the additions of First Assistant Coach Adam Reekie, Second Assistant Coach Liam Davies, Goalkeeping Coach Chris Barocas joining Director of Performance Richard Dixon, who joined the technical staff following his retirement from playing for CFC in 2024.
Nugent's record after 32 total competitive matches stands at 14-7-11 (W-L-D).
Resilience tested
In the midst of the beginning of the new season, CFC captain and midfielder Alex McGrath suffered a season-ending knee injury in the club's match at Atlanta United 2 on March 30. Defender Farid Sar-Sar was tapped to step up in his place and captained the side through the remainder of the season.
Chattanooga kicked off the season strong on a tear that saw the club go unbeaten for six-straight league matches before the summer tested the group's resilience, as CFC went 10 matches without a regulation win. The 1-0 road win over fellow independent club Carolina Core FC was a turning point for Chattanooga, and the Boys in Blue went on to remain unbeaten for eight matches through the end of the regular season.
The streak included a crucial 1-0 home win over Southeast Division rival Huntsville City FC, a gritty 1-0 road victory over Atlanta United 2 that had to be postponed and resumed a week later due to inclement weather, and a 1-1 draw and 5-4 shootout win against Atlanta United 2 at Finley that secured Chattanooga's home playoff spot.
History in the making
Chattanooga FC made history by earning the first-ever MLS NEXT Pro playoff spot in club history with a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference standings.
CFC also became the Southeast Division Champions, playing to a 14W-8L-6D record in 2025. The Blues totaled 53 points through 28 regular season matches, surpassing last season's high of 45 points, and the win over Huntsville on August 23 saw Chattanooga reach 10 wins in MLS NEXT Pro for the first time.
Decision Day on October 5 played out differently than last year, as CFC had already booked a playoff spot and needed a shootout win or regulation win to lock down the home field advantage in the first round of playoffs. With the 1-1 draw and 5-4 shootout win over Atlanta United 2, Chattanooga secured fourth place in the conference standings and its place in MLS NEXT Pro history as the first independent club to host a home playoff match.
The Scenic City is a Soccer City
The Finley Stadium faithful showed out again this season, with over 70,000 people attending one of Chattanooga FC's 20 home matches this season.
April 2 saw the fourth-largest attendence in CFC history when 12,131 were present to watch Chattanooga FC take on the Red Wolves for the first time ever in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Jakupović's impact
Goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović proved to be a key piece in Chattanooga's lineup, bringing an unprecedented level of experience to the squad. Jakupović previously played for Premier League sides Leicester City and Everton, and most recently had been with MLS member Los Angeles FC during the 2023 season.
Since his signing on November 14, 2024, Jakupović played every minute of the 2025 campaign (2,520), was the sole league leader in clean sheets (10), and sat at the top of the table in overall saves (124). Jakupović was named the MLS NEXT Pro Goalkeeper of the Month in September, 2025 Goalkeeper of the Year, and was named to the league's 2025 Best XI alongside CFC defender Tate Robertson.
Jakupović was also selected to participate in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Goalie Wars during the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge in Austin, Texas on July 22. He was one of four goalkeepers selected, joining Pedro Cruz (Houston Dynamo 2), Adisa De Rosario (Toronto FC II) and Carlos Mercado (Orlando City B).
- Gavin Turner in Matchweek 18
- Nathan Koehler in Matchweek 22
- Luke Husakiwsky in Matchweek 27
Team of the month: April
Goalkeeper of the Month: Eldin Jakupović in September
Goalkeeper of the Year: Eldin Jakupović
Best XI: Tate Robertson and Eldin Jakupović
