Potential Candidates for Revs Head Coaching Vacancy

The Caleb Porter era has come to a close in New England, it's time to look for his replacement...

Photo By J. Alexander Dolan

The day that many Revs fans had been asking for, expecting, hoping would come finally arrived this past Monday. After nearly two full seasons of futility, the Revs have decided to move on from Porter and begin another search for a head coach, at the very least. Speculation is rampant that Curt Onalfo, who we have been told is participating in this search, could also be headed out the door.

For now, we will operate under the assumption that Curt Onalfo is staying in his sporting director role and he needs to find a coach that can compete with the roster he assembled for the alleged benefit of the last guy. It’s a difficult task, aided only by the fact that the Revs have acted in mid-September, when there are almost certainly less MLS teams looking for a coach than there will be in a just a few weeks time.

We’ll put this list together in several different groups, starting with the group the next head coach is most likely to come from.

Been Here Before

One of the main attributes we know was important to the organization in the search for Bruce Arena’s replacement was previous MLS head coaching experience. Perhaps, given how things have been going around here lately, they will branch out and explore a wider group. No one has any indication that’s the case, however, so let’s take a look at the available former MLS coaches who might make sense.

Jim Curtin

The longtime Philadelphia Union head coach is the only coach who the Revs have been reported to have reached out to. They will not be the only MLS team seeking Curtin, who’s taken this season off after being let go at the end of the 2024 season by the Union. He led the Union to the playoffs every year from 2017 to 2023, seven consecutive seasons. That’s appealing to a team who’s missed the playoffs three times in the last four years, assuming the Revs miss out again this year.

Curtin famously worked with a low budget in Philly, brought through youth players and seemed to maximize what he had to work with. Ultimately, he lifted only the 2020 Supporters Shield. A season in which trophy success should be looked at cautiously. The Union also came up short in the U.S. Open Cup final three times in Curtin’s tenure. Coming up short at the final hurdle would be a thing he and the Revs would like to finally clear if they came together.

Still, he’s a two time MLS Coach of the Year, well respected around the league and will have his choice of teams to choose from. The simple question is, if you were Jim Curtin would you come to the Revs right now?

Giovanni Saverese

Giovanni is a former Rev, having spent one season with the team in 1999. He’s had two lengthy coaching spells in his career, taking charge of the New York Cosmos from 2012-2017 and then the Portland Timbers from 2018-2023. He took over in Portland for Caleb Porter, so he has hopped in the bus drivers seat after Porter got ejected through the emergency roof hatch once before already.

He also delivered a trophy to the Timber’s cabinet, winning the MLS is Back Tournament…in 2020. Prior to that, he won the NASL Championship three times with the Cosmos, along with three NASL Regular Season titles. He hasn’t been back in a coaching job since departing the Timbers in 2023, does he want to follow Porter again?

Peter Vermes

After an incredibly long tenure as the head coach of Sporting Kansas City, Vermes was let go this past March. That brought an end to a coaching tenure that began in August 2009. That time in the job came with success, albeit in a relatively short period between 2013 and 2017. In that time, Sporting won an MLS Cup in 2013 and captured three U.S. Open Cups in 2012, 2015 and 2017.

The long run of continuity, mixed with a trophy laden period right in the middle of his tenure would make him an interesting and, perhaps, safe choice for the Revs. Would he be ready to come back in straight away for 2026? The bigger question might be if his style and methods fit the modern version of MLS.

The Other Guys with Experience

The Italian born, Vanni Santini was let go in Vancouver at the end of 2024 despite getting them into the playoffs in all three years in charge and picking up three Canadian Championships along the way. He had an interesting developmental path as a coach in Italy before arriving in North America. His coaching development in Italy included working as an opposition scout for U-17, 19 and 21 Italian National sides while also serving in various club roles.

Troy Lesene bombed out of D.C. United in relatively short order, lasting less than two full seasons after being dismissed back in July. He failed to get D.C. United in the playoffs in 2024 and had them headed nowhere in 2025. Sounds familiar. Hopefully the Revs are not looking here.

Drone flying enthusiast, John Herdman, had successful spells in charge of both of Canada’s national teams before joining Toronto FC in 2024. He had TFC flying high early days in 2024, even beating the Revs twice early in the year, only for their season to fall apart and miss the playoffs.

Herdman became embroiled in controversy over his drone campaign to spy on opponent’s training sessions and was let go after just one year. He had a lot to deal with in Toronto, that much is true. But after seeming to have gotten to grip with the job very quickly, it all unravelled just as fast. To be fair, using drones to spy on soccer team opponents is far from the worst way to make use of the technology but the club level lack of success doesn’t warrant any interest from the Revs.

Bob Bradley’s name always comes up for MLS openings as well, his best days may be past him at this point.

No, Never, Not Now, Not Anytime, Not Going to Happen, Please, God, Stop, No

We’ll breeze through this group relatively quickly! The following people will not be the next coach of the New England Revolution: Jose Mourinho, Erik ten Hag, Joachim Low, Gareth Southgate, Xavi, Jesus Christ, Nuno Espirito Santo, Gerardo Martino, Roberto Mancini.

It’s a time to be optimistic, it’s a time to dream, yes. I get it. But these guys are unlikely to come to MLS and it’s highly highly improbable they would come to the Revs if they did. Please continue to dream but please don’t put it out into the Revs fandom. I wake up every day thinking, just maybe, somehow today’s the day I start down a path that leads to me owning a Ferrari 488 GTB. But it’s just a dream that I have via the occasional purchase of a lottery ticket and nothing more.

Also, you don’t want Nuno here. Trust me.

Movin’ On Up

Who’s currently coaching in the USL Championship that is ready for the step into MLS?

We’ll leave it to John Morissey, friend of The Blazing Musket Podcast, as the foremost expert on the USL with his work on Backheeled.com and his SubStack, USL Tactics to let us know who to keep an eye on…

Danny Cruz

Still only just 35 years old, Cruz is one of the brightest coaching talents in the country. Cruz has taken a Louisville organization that’s always competed at the top end of the USL and turned them into a juggernaut. He’s got a clear sense of system – 3-4-3, direct build, extremely aggressive pressure – but is really flexible with his lineup choices and has done well to bring young players into the first team.

Ben Pirmann:

Pirmann hasn’t received enough attention for MLS openings because he didn’t play at a high level, but he’s the best manager in the USL for my money. He got his start at Detroit City in their pre-professional era, turned a low-budget Memphis 901 organization into a perennial winner thereafter, and has taken an even bigger leap at Charleston. Pirmann loves to possess the ball out of a 4-2-3-1, but he’s adaptable within matches in way that consistently makes his teams better.

Dennis Sanchez

Sanchez has a vast resume – he’s helped lead Sacramento and Columbus’ academies, served as an assistant in MLS Next Pro, and coached two Championship sides – and a completely distinct style of play. No one in the lower leagues is more committed to short passing and successful at making it work. Sanchez managed to turn the historically awful Las Vegas Lights around in one season, got poached by New Mexico United last winter, and feels like he’s on an undeniable upward trajectory.

Leigh Veidman

It would be insane for an MLS team to hire a USL League One manager, but Veidman is exceptional. He did an admirable job salvaging Oklahoma City’s final Championship season as an interim coach before they folded, then spent a year under Pirmann’s wing in the year the Battery reached a title game. Since then, he’s built the Spokane Velocity program from the ground up. Veidman is data savvy, adaptable to the tactical meta, and has done nothing but win in League One.

We’re not one to disagree with John, if the Revs look outside of MLS, these guys should get a look in.

WHAT ABOUT BRANDON BURKE?

Yes, what about Brandon Burke? We asked John to leave him off the list as we’ve seen the incredible turnaround going on down in Hartford in Burke’s second year. It’s been amazing to watch unfold, Hartford is in a Cup final, fifth place in the USL Eastern Conference and have just one single loss in their last 13 games across all competitions. He’s got the ownership to invest in the squad as well off the back of this turnaround.

It’s barely believable that this team is having their best ever season just a few months after their main supporters group, The Bonanza, launched an organized protest that actually grabbed the attention of the higher ups in the Club, the players, coaches and fans after years of poor results. You could give the credit to The Blazing Musket Podcast’s July 13th episode that coincided with the turnaround, which we would appreciate, but it’s Brendan Burke working the miracles down in Connecticut. A state that now has three reasons to visit, Lime Rock Park, Thompson Speedway and the mighty Hartford Athletic.

If Burke can do it in Hartford, could he do it in Foxboro?

A year ago, Khano Smith might have made the list and some probably still think he should. He’s had his hands full down in Rhode Island this year following up on last year’s USL Championship final run. They have scored just 17 goals in 24 games this year. Some of the descriptions of RIFC’s attacking style sound a little too familiar. But he’s early in his career, maybe next time around he’ll be ready.

It Feels Like the First Timers

Bringing in a coach from the USL ranks might seem like a risk to some but handing someone there first head coaching job at the 1st team level on a permanent basis would surely be a roll of the dice. Perhaps it’s the right time, perhaps instead of going after Jim Curtin, they should be going after the next Jim Curtin.

If the Revs take a chance, who might they take it on?

Rob Valentino

A former New England Revolution draft pick that never saw the field in an MLS game, Valentino would make a bigger impression coming back as a coach than a player. That’s a guarantee. Since his playing days ended he’s been coaching down in Atlanta since 2018. He started off as an assistant with Atlanta United 2 before serving as an assistant with the first team from 2019-2024.

That spell ended with his appointment as the interim head coach in Atlanta on June 3, 2024. You’ll remember, that Atlanta team had sold off its two best players, not replaced them and was struggling mightily into June, triggering the change in head coach. Valentino led an impressive turnaround that saw Atlanta sneak into the play-in game in ninth, win that game on the road and then knocked out Inter Miami in the first round. To knock Miami out, they had to beat them twice in three games.

Despite the playoff success, Valentino wasn’t given the job full-time and is now working in the US Men’s National team setup with their U-19 team. It’s believed he would be willing to leave that post for a head coaching position in MLS. He’s shown he can guide a team he didn’t put together to the playoffs in a written off season. He should be close to the top of the Revolution’s list, maybe even at the top.

A pair of MLS Next Pro coaches also would be due some consideration, from outside New England. Gianni Cimini has had a largely successful spell with Toronto FC II during a time period in which the 1st team has been nowhere near the playoffs for five years. Cimini took TFC II to their first ever playoff appearance in 2022, prior to that he worked in Toronto’s Academy starting back in 2012. He would be another coach with a long youth focused developmental period as a coach.

Our very own Josh Nye who spends more time covering Revs II than anyone, suggested Ryan Richter. He’s currently the head coach for Union II, who sit third in the Eastern Conference. Prior to that he spent three years as 1st team assistant alongside Jim Curtin. At just 35 years old, he already has real experience at both levels of MLS play.

If Dean Smith came to Charlotte, why wouldn’t these guys come to New England?

This is the unrealistically realistic group. Probably will not happen, probably won’t even get a call from the Revs but these guys might just be willing to come over. After all if Dean Smith came to Charlotte, which is not a MLS Destination City, to a team who plays in a football stadium on turf, why wouldn’t someone below give MLS and the Revs a chance?

Sean Dyche

The man is well known as a scruffy, hard nosed coach who’s teams haven’t always been the most enjoyable to watch. That much is true. But we only know him operating in the hypercapitalistic league that is destroying the beautiful game with its sole sucking obsession with ever larger amounts of money. And usually at the helm of a team like Burnley, perennial strugglers due to a small budget. He did once guide them to Europa League Qualification.

He knows how to organize a defense and stifle an opponent. If he was operating in a more balanced league, with no relegation, maybe he’d consider playing with as many as two out and out attackers earlier than the 80th minute.

Chris Wilder

Like Dyche, he’s currently out of a job and in his mid-fifties. Just maybe the right time for a spell in the states.

Wilder has been at it as a coach since 2002 taking charge of several lower league Clubs. He rose to heightened fame for twice winning promotion to the Premier League with Sheffield United. Those promotions came in 2017 and 2019 lifting Sheffield out of one of the most difficult leagues in the world to win, the English Championship. Prior to that, he won the Conference Premier playoffs in 2010 with Oxford United and Football League 2 in 2016 with Northampton Town.

He’s a proven winner, played some entertaining stuff with Sheffield United and the Revs might just be able to get him in here, if only they give it a try.

Ralph Hassenhuttl

Last seen at Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga, Hassenhuttl gained notoriety in Europe all the way back in 2013 when appointed that October as head coach for Inglostadt 04. He pulled them to safety that year, won promotion via a 2. Bundesliga championship the year after and then kept them up in the Bundesliga in 2015-16 with a solid 11th place finish.

From there, he took charge of RB Leipzig for their first season in the Bundesliga, and guided them to a second place finish. He also had a wild four year spell at Southampton. He suffered not one but two 9-0 hammerings, surviving the sack on both occasions. His best year was in 2020-21 when Southampton finished 11th, their best finish in three seasons.

His teams have played a high pressing, intense, vertical game and attacked with reckless abandon throughout his career. If he could bring the gengenpress to New England, it would be rocking good time with the occasional hammering thrown in for good measure. And Jurgen Klopp and Marcelo Bielsa aren’t coming here either, Hassenhuttl would bring some similar stylistic impressions of those two icons of high octane soccer.

This is a time for optimism. Sure, there’s plenty of reasons not to be, we may still be in a dark place as Revs fans but this is a chance to think about what could be. The door is open, someone has to step through it and when they do, we’ll have someone who we all will be hoping to get behind, a true leader who can dare to take this team where it’s never been before.

Enjoy the moment to dream.