Chicago Fire part ways with head coach Hendrickson, assistant coach González

CHICAGO - The Chicago Fire have parted ways with head coach Ezra Hendrickson and assistant coach Junior González, the club announced Monday.

Frank Klopas will take over as head coach for the remainder of the 2023 season, the Chicago Fire said in a statement. Klopas was head coach from 2011-13, and previously served as interim manager after the club fired Rapael Wicky in 2021.

"This was a difficult decision, but after careful consideration, we felt that a change was necessary at this time as we work toward our goal of advancing to the playoffs and competing for trophies," said Chicago Fire FC Sporting Director, Georg Heitz. "We’d like to thank Ezra and Junior for their efforts during the past two seasons, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors."

Ezra Hendrickson (Chicago Fire)

Assistant coach C.J. Brown and goalkeeper coach Zach Thornton will remain in their current roles, the club said.

Hendrickson joined the Fire as head coach in November 2021 after spending 13 years coaching at the domestic and international levels. He compiled a 12-18-14 regular season record during his tenure with the club across the last two seasons.

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The Fire host St. Louis City SC in the Round of 32 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at SeatGeek Stadium at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.