Photo by ISI Photos.com
By RYAN TOLMICH
After less than two years in charge of the club, John Hackworth is no longer managing the Philadelphia Union.
The Union announced Tuesday that they have relieved Hackworth of his duties as team manager and named assistant coach Jim Curtin interim manager, effective immediately.
Hackworth posted a 23-30-20 record since taking charge of the team in June of 2012, but the club currently sits eighth in the Eastern Conference.
“We are an ambitious club and although we are just in our fifth season we expect to win and be in the top tier of MLS,” said Philadelphia Union CEO & operating partner Nick Sakiewicz. “We have begun an ambitious and global search for a team manager who will help guide us to our goal of competing to win the MLS Cup.
“Philadelphia is a major market and we expect that there will be significant interest from a wide variety of qualified candidates to become Philadelphia Union’s team manager,” Sakiewicz continued. “We appreciate the work, time and efforts John Hackworth put into building the club and his influence on our youth academy. He is a first class person and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Curtin played 151 games for the Chicago Fire from 2001-2008 before spending his final two seasons with Chivas USA. Prior to his appointment as interim manager, Curtin was an assistant coach with the club’s first team after spending three years working with the Union academy.
Curtin’s first game in charge will come June 17 when the Union host the Harrisburg City Islanders in the fifth round of the U.S. Open Cup at PPL Park.
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