- USMNT still without a coach
- Unlikely to make hire until later this year
- Curtin wants to join staff
WHAT HAPPENED? The USMNT is currently without a coach following the expiration of Gregg Berhalter's contract, and it seems unlikely that he returns for a second cycle.
Curtin, who has built the Philadelphia Union into an MLS powerhouse, is one domestic coach that has been linked with the job, and even if he doesn't get the top position, he'd be willing to take a lesser role if that's what it takes to be part of the 2026 World Cup group.
WHAT THEY SAID: “Of course I’d love to coach the national team if that’s what you’re asking,” Curtin said on The Crack Podcast. “But I said this before and I mean what I say when I say it, whoever they choose, if they choose Jose Mourinho, if they choose [Carlo] Ancelotti, if they choose Jesse Marsch, I would also be their assistant. That’s how important I think this World Cup is.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Curtin certainly is an intriguing candidate for the USMNT as he's proven to be a remarkable team builder with the Union. In Philadelphia, Curtin has taken one of the youngest squads in the league right to the top of MLS despite the club's spending being towards the bottom of the league. He's done so due to his ability to develop players and then set them up tactically to get the best out of them.
However, the USMNT's managerial situation likely won't be sorted an time soon, as the federation will first need to hire a new sporting director and, perhaps, a new general manager first.
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IN THREE PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR USMNT? Following their pair of January friendlies under interim boss Anthony Hudson, the U.S. will return in March for the CONCACAF Nations League with matches against Grenada and El Salvador.