Austin FC announced Monday that Jim Curtin will become the club’s third head coach after the conclusion of the 2026 Major League Soccer season, formally setting a coaching transition that will take effect when Curtin begins his first season in Austin in the 2027 sprint season. Davy Arnaud will continue as interim head coach through the remainder of 2026.
Curtin arrives with a decade-long record in Philadelphia. He led the Philadelphia Union for 11 seasons, collected 141 regular-season victories — the ninth-most in MLS history — and guided the club to seven MLS Cup Playoff appearances. Under Curtin the Union won the 2020 MLS Supporters’ Shield, captured the 2022 Eastern Conference title and reached MLS Cup 2022. He was twice named MLS Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year, in 2020 and 2022.
The Union parted ways with Curtin at the end of the 2024 regular season after missing the playoffs for the first time in six seasons; Bradley Carnell was hired to replace him in January 2025. Austin’s announcement on Monday comes with that recent history plainly in view: a proven winner in MLS is committed to leading the club once the 2026 season concludes.
Curtin, speaking to the club’s leadership, said he was honored by the decision and thanked Anthony Precourt, Andy Loughnane and the ownership group for their trust. He told the club he had other opportunities both inside MLS and abroad, but none matched what Austin offered: a passionate fanbase, top facilities and the chance to compete for the community. Curtin also praised Q2 Stadium and called the project in Austin uniquely compelling.
Owner Anthony Precourt framed the hire as an urgent, deliberate move. Precourt said Curtin is one of North America’s top coaches and that the club chose to act decisively rather than risk missing the opportunity to add a leader of his caliber. Precourt also reiterated that Austin’s search for a sporting director remains active and that the club is committed to finding the right candidate to build a long-term sporting vision.
The decision to secure Curtin now creates an immediate practical consequence: Arnaud retains control of the first-team roster and results for 2026, while the incoming coach will be able to plan with a clean start in the 2027 sprint season. It also follows a disruptive spring at Austin — the club fired sporting director Rodolfo Borrell and head coach Nico Estévez on May 18 after a 3-6-5 start in league play — and represents a clear effort to reset expectations.
The friction in Austin’s timeline is obvious. The club has locked in its next head coach before naming the official sporting director who will oversee transfers, scouting and the broader roster blueprint Curtin will inherit. Precourt acknowledged that the sporting director search is ongoing while saying Curtin’s pending arrival signals the competitive standards Austin wants to establish.
With MLS matches scheduled to resume July 16 and the Philadelphia Union set to return July 22, the timing gives Arnaud a defined runway and gives Austin a public statement of intent well before the 2027 sprint season begins. But the critical unanswered question now is not who will coach Austin in 2027 — it is who will be hired to shape the club’s roster and long-term plan as sporting director.
