As the 2018 MLS season headed into its final weeks and Philadelphia Union fought for playoff positioning, I wrote about Head Coach Jim Curtin and how he and the club had grown together since 2014. A few weeks later, the Union's season came to a close with back-to-back defeats at the hands of Yangel Herrera and a revitalized New York City FC. The team was disappointed and frustrated, and Curtin was too.
But Sporting Director Ernst Tanner, only months after joining the club and indicating that he wanted to see tactical changes in both 2018 and beyond, retained Curtin for the 2019 season.