Curt Onalfo has a reputation of being one of the good guys in American soccer circles. Well liked. Great personality. Gets along with everyone.
But with the ignominious honor of receiving his second pink slip in a year, his people skills will likely not be enough to get him another head coaching job in the league. At least not in the near term.
Wednesday’s firing by D.C. United was the ultimate indictment of his head coaching abilities.
One year ago to the day he was shown the door in Kansas City. On multiple occasions his successor, Peter Vermes, would go on to comment that the culture in the Wizards locker room needed to change. Not exactly a glowing review of Onalfo's work over two and a half seasons.
It was an identical story in DC. At least, that’s all that one can conclude.
By axing Onalfo, United has basically said that they are better off without a head coach at all than with Onalfo. Although Ben Olsen is being given the interim tag, he won’t be the team’s manager next season. DC has made that much clear. In a way Olsen is a lame duck interim coach.
But the team still judged that Olsen was better than having Onalfo at the helm.
“I don’t think there’s anybody better to get the message across to the players … of what is expected, and what our commitment is to our fans, than Benny,” DC President Kevin Payne said.
Reading between the lines: Onalfo could not fulfill that function. Olsen is more qualified to step up and manage the locker room.
Payne has been at DC United since Day One and under his watch DC has never fired a manager. Onalfo was a former player and a former assistant with the team. Payne said he really didn’t want to let him go. But he just had to. It was that bad.
Although the team was in last place, there were still 12 games remaining - 36 points - and a US Open Cup semifinal to play for, which could have meant a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League.
But the firing on Wednesday says that there was no future with Onalfo. Even the mother lode of coaching excuses - injuries, inexperience of young players and the late arrival of a DP and international caliber starting forward - weren't enough to buy him more time.
This was not a bout of panic by the most decorated club in MLS. This was not a knee-jerk reaction. This was not a decision to appease the masses.
Perhaps the former World Cup assistant was too nice a guy. Too good-hearted to be the leader of men, at least for now.
Onalfo will surely have to endure a period of rebuilding: his own career. That opportunity will most likely come as an assistant on an MLS club or on the national team level. He has the experience and he's received the best training of anyone over the course of his career.
In the meantime there's that line about nice guys finishing last. Until Onalfo gets another chance to take over another club, it will unfortunately continue to ring true.
