Your Monday Kickoff

Believe it or not, we’re just a month away from teams reporting for preseason. Expansion side San Diego FC technically have the most work cut out for them until then, considering over half their roster’s not even built yet. But it’s worth noting they do have a head coach already in place with Mikey Varas set to lead the league’s 30th club into action in 2025. 

However, five MLS clubs - Atlanta United, New York City FC, Philadelphia Union, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Toronto FC - still remain without a head coach. 

Here’s a quick look on who coached them, what happened and what their outlook is. 

ATLANTA UNITED  

The Five Stripes have been without a permanent head coach since June, when they parted ways with Gonzalo Pineda with the side hovering near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. 

Interim boss Rob Valentino did about as much as could be done to earn the job full-time, first getting Atlanta into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs via a Decision Day miracle. Then came arguably the greatest upset in postseason history, with the Five Stripes sending Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF home in a Round One, Best-of-3 shocker. However, the miracles eventually ran out in the Conference Semifinals against Orlando City SC, and Valentino left the club soon after. 

Reports suggest that former Philadelphia Union boss Jim Curtin is the odds-on favorite to take over the job. Whoever gets the nod, they’ll help oversee arguably one of the busiest teams of the offseason: Atlanta have up two DP slots to fill and U22 Initiative flexibility. 

NEW YORK CITY FC 

Speaking of reports, Nick Cushing was linked to the Arsenal women’s team head coaching job over the fall. He denied said reports at the time, assuring reporters he’d be back with New York City FC next season. 

Club executives had different plans and parted ways with Cushing in late November after their playoff exit at the hands of Hudson River Derby rivals the New York Red Bulls. 

Given City Football Group’s global reach and NYCFC’s history of hiring European managers, it’s fair to expect the club to seek a replacement on the other side of the Atlantic. 

PHILADELPHIA UNION 

As mentioned in the above Atlanta blurb, Curtin isn’t expected to be out of the coaching game for long. However, the fact that he’s available in the first place is a surprise in itself for many. 

And yet, the Philadelphia Union did the unexpected last month by parting ways with the then-second-longest-tenured MLS coach after the club missed out on the playoffs for the first time in eight years. 

Sporting director Ernst Tanner hinted at a lack of alignment between head coach and club brass shortly after announcing the decision. He also suggested that whoever replaces Curtin is expected to give more minutes to the team’s academy players. 

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS 

When it came to memorable quotes, no head coach in MLS could compete with Vanni Sartini. 

However, Vancouver Whitecaps FC executives believed his on-the-field product wasn’t nearly as elite and parted ways with the Italian manager late last month. 

Sporting director and CEO Axel Schuster wants Sartini’s replacement to inject “fresh and new energy” as the club looks to move beyond Canadian Championship dominance and become a legit MLS trophy contender.  

Even bigger changes await Vancouver in the near future: late last week, Whitecaps ownership announced the initiation of a process to sell the club. 

TORONTO FC 

It was one (season) and done for John Herdman at Toronto FC, with the former Canadian men’s and women’s national team coach stepping aside last month after a single year in charge of the club. 

Herdman’s departure came a few months after president Bill Manning left Toronto, who haven’t reached the playoffs since 2020. 

Best of luck to Herdman’s replacement.

Good luck out there. A little bit of this town goes a long way.