Jim Curtin was surprised by his family as he was named MLS coach of the year. (Photo courtesy of MLS)
Major League Soccer Tuesday announced Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin as the Sigi Schmid MLS coach of the year.
Curtin earned the honor for the second time in his career. After first winning the award in 2020, Curtin directed the Union to a record-breaking campaign this season that set a season club points record (67) to secure first place in the Eastern Conference for the second time in three seasons.
He is the youngest two-time recipient of the honor and fifth coach overall in league history to win the award multiple times. He joins the dignified group of Bruce Arena (1997, 2009, 2011, 2021), Bob Bradley (1998, 2006, 2019), Sigi Schmid (1999, 2008), and Frank Yallop (2001, 2012). Curtin is also the first Philadelphia-based head across the five major North American men’s professional sports leagues to twice win a Coach of the Year award in their respective sport.
In Curtin’s ninth season at the helm, he guided the Union to club records in goals scored (72) and fewest goals conceded (26) in a single season. Philadelphia earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the second time in three seasons, en route to qualifying for their fifth consecutive MLS Cup Playoffs under Curtin’s leadership.
Curtin recorded his 100th regular season career win as head coach after the Union’s win over the San Jose Earthquakes on March 12. He accomplished the feat in under 250 matches to become the second youngest and 10th coach overall in league history to do so. He owns the fifth-highest regular season win percentage of all MLS head coaches with at least 100 wins (54.5 percent), and he coached his 300th match across all competitions on July 16 in a win over the New England Revolution.
The award honors the best head coach in MLS during the regular season.
The award was voted on by MLS club technical staff, media and current MLS players. Below is a breakdown of the voting results, with Curtin narrowly beating out CF Montreal’s Wilfried Nancy for top spot and Los Angeles Football Club’s Steve Cherundolo finishing third.
2022 MLS Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Voting Breakdown
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Name | PLAYER | MEDIA | GM | AVG |
Curtin, Jim (PHI) | 23.00% | 17.90% | 29.80% | 23.57% |
Nancy, Wilfried (MTL) | 9.50% | 43.90% | 17.00% | 23.47% |
Cherundolo, Steve (LAFC) | 14.60% | 16.30% | 12.80% | 14.57% |
A full list of previous MLS Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year award winners can be found below:
MLS Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Winners
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Season | Coach | Club |
2022 | Jim Curtin | Philadelphia Union |
2021 | Bruce Arena | New England Revolution |
2020 | Jim Curtin | Philadelphia Union |
2019 | Bob Bradley | Los Angeles Football Club |
2018 | Gerardo “Tata” Martino | Atlanta United |
2017 | Greg Vanney | Toronto FC |
2016 | Oscar Pareja | FC Dallas |
2015 | Jesse Marsch | New York Red Bulls |
2014 | Ben Olsen | D.C. United |
2013 | Caleb Porter | Portland Timbers |
2012 | Frank Yallop | San Jose Earthquakes |
2011 | Bruce Arena | LA Galaxy |
2010 | Schellas Hyndman | FC Dallas |
2009 | Bruce Arena | LA Galaxy |
2008 | Sigi Schmid | Columbus Crew SC |
2007 | Preki | Chivas USA |
2006 | Bob Bradley | Chivas USA |
2005 | Dominic Kinnear | San Jose Earthquakes |
2004 | Greg Andrulis | Columbus Crew SC |
2003 | Dave Sarachan | Chicago Fire |
2002 | Steve Nicol | New England Revolution |
2001 | Frank Yallop | San Jose Earthquakes |
2000 | Bob Gansler | Kansas City Wizards |
1999 | Sigi Schmid | LA Galaxy |
1998 | Bob Bradley | Chicago Fire |
1997 | Bruce Arena | D.C. United |
1996 | Thomas Rongen | Tampa Bay Mutiny |