Coaching Questions: Near and Far

Let’s take a quick dive into some of the coaching changes impacting FC Dallas and what they might mean for our squad in Frisco.

Needless to say, it’s been a long week for me personally.

I am navigating life as a single dad (with my wife out of the country), trying to help people through a super disappointing election season, and staying afloat after travel and workshops in my 40+ hour work week.

Afterburn Soccer unfortunately has to take a back seat. We are a super part-time operation after all. But don’t worry - we are hanging around, and I will have some extra coverage of the big North Texas game this weekend for the championship.

How does the election impact FC Dallas?

Regardless of how you voted, we are headed for another strange four years with Trump in office. Strange may be an understatement. Chaotic? Bizarre? Uneven? Unjust? Restrictive? Your guess is as good as mine.

A fellow FC Dallas fan wondered what the election results mean for FC Dallas. In the short term, probably nothing. Of course, a major effort to deport a bunch of folks could impact academies and grassroots soccer in the long run. How does a kid focus on soccer if his parents are in danger of getting picked up by ICE?

I don’t know, but for FC Dallas, maybe a change in relations with Russia opens the door for Jesus to move to Moscow?

Maybe even more fans will look to an outlet for entertainment and head up the tollway to watch FC Dallas?

No one knows.

Nico Estevez to Austin

In a move that threw everyone for a loop, former FC Dallas head coach Nico Estevez is back at it with our sort of rivals to the south. Yeah, it was a surprise move for Nico to return so soon to a head coach position. He had been working with the USMNT, helping a new staff take over.

Evidently, Austin FC came looking for him, which indicates they see an opportunity for the charismatic Spaniard to do well, to help them build for their next chapter.

Here is what is going in Nico’s favor - he is a really charismatic and likable guy who can build connection with players and instill some vision tactically. You could argue that FC Dallas gave up on him in the midst of a difficult injury-ridden year. Maybe the transfers didn’t exactly help him.

I’m always bullish on MLS coaches improving on their second go round, so we’ll see if Nico has learned some things and approaches this opportunity with extra wisdom.

We wish him luck.

FC Dallas Coaching Search

What we have heard so far is that Peter Luccin was once the front runner, but the loss at San Jose may have lowered that status. He is still in the running and certainly showed the ability to lead this squad and put out an improved product on the field. But when it came time to gut out a win or two at home or even on the road, did we see enough?

I agree with that assessment. Keep him in the mix. Maybe at the end of all the interviews, he emerges as someone who deserves more time with a revamped squad and an offseason to implement his approach.

The other candidates are unknown. We can speculate - maybe Eric Quill with New Mexico United? Maybe someone else internal? Could it even be Michel with his extraordinary success at North Texas?

The big news today though was Philadelphia firing long-time head coach Jim Curtain. Curtain fits the FC Dallas boxes in many ways. First of all, he knows how to develop talent. Philly has rivaled Dallas in developing and selling young talent. He appears to know how to be patient with players who are coming along. Second, he knows how to instill a system for an entire organization. Philly and Philly II are always competitive and in the mix.

Oh, and he’s worked with very reasonable constraints, finding a solid mix to success with homegrown, domestic, and foreign talent. That checks all the boxes for Dallas.

The question is - is FC Dallas far enough along in the process that Jim Curtain is simply not an option? Are they willing to spend more for a coach? Is Jim even interested in coaching again immediately, and is he willing to trade Philly cheesesteaks for Whataburger patty melts?

We have so many questions, and we can only wait.