According to the Athletic, FC Cincinnati are targeting Union head coach Jim Curtin for their head coaching vacancy. Cincinnati has already made one offer to buy Curtin out of his current contract that goes through the 2023 MLS season. 

Curtin and the Union are currently preparing for the biggest match in club history this Sunday against NYCFC in the Eastern Conference Final. The Union have rejected the attempt from Cincinnati and looks to be keeping their stance. Cincinnati, regardless is still focused on acquiring Jim Curtin this off-season.

One key component in this move is FCC general manager, Chris Albright. Albright joined Cincinnati after spending over seven years with Union as their technical director. Now he’s leading the charge to hire Jim Curtin. 

Albright met with the media and updated the coaching search. They are down to their final few candidates and hope to have an official hire by Christmas. If they hire Curtin, it’s believed that it would have to be once the Union’s playoff run is officially over. If the Union make it to the MLS Cup, negotiations would have to go through December 11th. 

A source from the Athletic said that:

“Curtin’s contract does not include a specific monetary figure that another club could pay to automatically trigger a release from Philadelphia. A lack of such a clause means that Union ownership and sporting director Ernst Tanner could simply decline any attempt by Cincinnati to sign Curtin and hang onto the manager.”

Curtin is the second longest-tenured MLS head coach in the league’s history behind Kansas City’s Peter Vermes. Curtin has led the Union to the last four postseasons, and in 2020, they won the club’s first-ever trophy, “The Supporters’ Shield.” Curtin was named MLS Coach of the Year in 2020 as well. 

Mandatory Credit: Carl Gulbish