Jim Curtin parts ways with the Philadelphia Union to end an era filled with tremendous success and a disappointingly low end.
Curtin grabbed the reins of the Philadelphia Union midway through the 2014 season after the mid-season firing of John Hackworth. With it, the Montgomery County native became the official head coach in 2015 and what followed over the next 10 seasons would simultaneously be a period of tremendous triumph and agonizing shortcomings. Through their first 5 years of existence, the Union made the playoffs once. Curtin led the Union to 8 playoff appearances in the next 10 years while developing the Philadelphia Union into a perennial contender that included a Supporters Shield, 2 Conference Championship appearances, as well as an MLS Cup appearance. They became stalwarts in the Eastern Conference, not finishing below 4th in the Eastern Conference regular season standings every year from 2019-2023, and even made waves internationally in a handful of tournaments. They were a gritty, hardworking squad that made up for any lack of talent with a well-prepared, overpowering team approach.
Philadelphia Union Fires Jim Curtin
However, after a brutal second half to the 2023 season and an absolutely abysmal season in 2024 that saw one of their worst finishes in franchise history, Curtin was let go today. This is not a responsibility that Curtin needs to wear on his own though as with a declining roster and an ownership vehemently unwilling to spend money, Curtin could only do so much with the hand he was dealt. That being said there is more than a fair amount of criticism that could be handed his way. Curtin’s use of subs, or lack thereof, had always been a problem and the former Philadelphia Union coach seemed to lack the in-game adjustment needed at times when the game plan didn’t work. Curtin’s teams also experienced much more pain in the playoffs than success. 8 playoff appearances with zero championships will always be looked at with criticism, especially when at least half had a real chance. Curtin is a really good coach, but ultimately the biggest criticism that could be laid at his feet would be that Jim Curtin is a coach that gives your team a very high floor. They’re well-prepared and ready to execute their intended game plans. The problem is that Curtin also seems to have a defined ceiling. One where championships might be on the other side.
This firing is more emblematic of the greater dark cloud looming over the Philadelphia Union at the moment. A big rebuild was expected and it was time to press the reset button. You absolutely can make the case for Curtin being let go as well. Regardless of every other reason, sometimes a fresh voice is a good thing. However, the Union have much bigger issues. Ownership showed their hand during the peak of the franchise. Jay Sugarman and company were blatantly unwilling to spend anything more than they absolutely had to. They were unwilling to move above the bottom 5 in MLS payroll, despite having a perennial contender who had a real shot at the MLS Cup. In their biggest moment, they chose the bottom line over a title. It is hard to move past that. Whether the move is warranted or not the Union enters uncharted waters. Curtin was Head Coach of the Philadelphia Union for over half of all total games in franchise history. He is a necessary part of Union history whose legacy may always be consistently competitive, but lacking Cup credentials.
