Toronto FC's acting head coach Chris Cummins (left) and team captain Jim Brennan (right) leave the pitch after their 1-0 win over Kansas City Wizards in MLS action in Toronto on Sunday, April 26, 2009. Cummins took temporary charge of the side after former head coach John Carver resigned Saturday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

By The Canadian Press

Toronto FC adds storied alumni Jim Brennan and Doneil Henry to its front office

Mar 11, 2026 | 3:21 PM

TORONTO — Toronto FC has added Jim Brennan, the franchise’s first-ever signing and captain, and Doneil Henry, its first homegrown player, to its front office.

Brennan, 48, joins as special adviser to technical director Sean Rubio in his second go-round in club management. After retiring as a player in 2010, he served as assistant GM, U-17 academy head coach and first-team assistant coach before leaving when Toronto cleaned house in August 2014, firing manager Ryan Nelsen and all but one of his staff.

Henry, 32, becomes the MLS club’s special adviser for player development and engagement and will also serve as a club ambassador.

“We are thrilled to welcome both Doneil and Jimmy back to TFC for the 2026 season and beyond,” Toronto GM Jason Hernandez said in a statement.

“As we began our strategic planning process at the end of 2024, we identified a major gap area whereby our organization lacked the reintegration of pivotal members of our club’s history within our staffing … TFC is much stronger with the knowledge, experience, and passion that both Doneil and Jimmy bring to our sporting department, and we look forward to their elevated contributions during our club’s 20th season.”

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The club says Brennan will support Rubio in player pathways, development and strategies related to the club’s academy and reserve side.

Brennan was the first Canadian to score for Toronto, captaining the side from its expansion 2007 season before retiring in 2010 after 92 appearances in all competitions.

The native of Newmarket, Ont., left home at 17 to pursue his soccer dream. His original destination was Glasgow Celtic but the manager got fired on the eve of his arrival, ending the Scottish powerhouse’s interest.

Brennan found himself headed to Bristol City instead, kicking off a distinguished pro career that also took the gritty fullback-midfielder to Nottingham Forest, Huddersfield Town, Norwich City, Southampton and finally Toronto.

The Canada Soccer Hall of Famer won 49 caps for Canada and won the Gold Cup in 2000.

“It is great to be back with Toronto FC, an organization that holds a special place in my heart,” said Brennan. “I look forward to supporting and collaborating with the team on the overall strategy as we all work together to bring success to the club.”

Brennan served as head coach of the Canadian Premier League’s York 9 FC, now known as Inter Toronto FC, from 2018 to 2021.

Henry will work with TFC academy and reserve team players, supporting TFC II head coach Gianni Cimini, as well as promoting the club in the community.

“From being a supporter to player and now returning, I am honoured to be recognized as a club ambassador in the club’s 20th season,” said Henry. “This club has given me everything, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to give back by helping the Academy players understand what it takes to reach the next level.”

Henry joined the Toronto academy in 2008 and signed his first pro contract in August 2010, becoming the first of the club’s 37 homegrown contracts to date. A native of Brampton, Ont., Henry made 101 appearances in all competitions in two stints with the club (2010-2014 and 2022).

After five seasons with Toronto, Henry joined England’s West Ham in 2015 but made just one first-team appearance due to injury. He had loan spells with Blackburn Rovers of the English second tier and Denmark’s AC Horsens.

Returning to Canada in 2018, he played for the Ottawa Fury of the USL and the Vancouver Whitecaps before moving to South Korea to spend two seasons with the Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

He finished out his career with MLS stints with Los Angeles FC, a return to Toronto and then Minnesota United before a final stint with the CPL’s Halifax Wanderers.

Henry earned 44 caps for Canada and was part of the 2022 World Cup team, albeit on the sidelines after suffering an injury on the eve of the tournament.

The defender was scheduled to captain Canada in a pre-tournament friendly against Bahrain in Manama just two days before then-coach John Herdman named his World Cup roster. But Henry was sidelined after feeling a sharp pain in his calf during the pre-game warm-up and pulled himself out of contention for the tournament.

The initial diagnosis was recovery would take up to 14 days. With Canada’s tournament opener coming 12 days later, Henry opted to take his name out of World Cup contention, saying it was just the right thing to do.

He served in a non-playing role, doing everything from “a little bit of tactical work on the computers” to taking the emotional pulse of his teammates.

Since retiring, he has served as sporting director and co-owner of Simcoe County Rovers and technical director of Milton Magic FC, both part of League1 Ontario.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 11, 2026.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press