This Friday just before the end of the workday, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks announced that Head Coach and General Manager had been acquired via transfer by the Houston Dynamo of MLS. Burke, a Coach of the Year finalist in 2021 who fell just short of the top five of my recent coach ranking, is widely considered one of the best tacticians and most amiable managers in the USL. His departure on such sudden terms is a shock.
Burke took over in Colorado before the 2021 season, transforming a middling Western side into a top-five finisher and unleashing the power of Hadji Barry as an MVP candidate. The former Bethelehem gaffer was an ace in terms of player development, leading to the sale of Isaiah Foster to FC Cincinnati, the exit of Michee Ngalina to Turkey, and Barry's near-million-dollar move to Egypt.
2022 began excellently for the Switchbacks, with eight wins in their first nine games and 11 in their first 13 vaulting the club to the heights of the Western Conference. The defense faltered from there, and the side hobbled into the playoffs amidst tight scheduling, but Burke led Colorado Springs to a first-round playoff win.
Heading into 2023, Burke seemed to have been given a blank checkbook to acquire high-profile USL names with the Barry money and re-form the team in his image anew. Indeed, 62% of the minutes played by the Switchbacks this past season left and were replaced by a spate of veterans. Between Ngalina, Barry, and Elvis Amoh, 41 of the side's 57 goals exited.
The new faces were well-known in USL circles. Speedy Williams, a Jamaican international, is widely considered one of the greatest midfielders in league history. Joe Kuzminsky has tended goal in Charleston for years, Patrick Seagrist garnered all-league consideration with Memphis in 2022, and players like James Musa and Drew Skundrich earned cups of coffee in Major League Soccer.
Still, integrating that many new faces was always going to be a challenge. Burke's steadying presence and tactical surety meant that the blending process was to be a smooth one. Questions arise now that the vision is different at the coach's spot.
Furthermore, some of the new signings seem to be on the wrong side of their prime. I love Williams, for instance, but he looked noticeably slower in Miami's midfield than he did in his prime Louisville days. Kuzminsky ranked as the worst goalkeeper in the USL by Goals Saved Above Average. New forwards Maalique Foster and Romario Williams couldn't earn starts with any consistency with Sacramento and New Mexico, respectively; the Switchbacks hoped to remain above those sides.
Another loss looms large in the shape of Cam Lindley. His two goals, nine assists, and 98th percentile Goals Above Replacement indicate all-USL impact. Neither Speedy Williams nor Drew Skundrich replicate his deep creation. Maybe this team looks long to an Aaron Wheeler or drops Jairo Henriquez or Zach Zandi - a group of stellar retainees, it must be said - to drive offense, but questions remain.
In one sense, the state of this team depends on the question of stars. Can a team of stalwart veterans like Duke Lacroix and Matt Mahoney compete with the upper crust of the West, chock full of flashy MVP candidates? Time will tell. Sides like Oakland and Rio Grand Valley have scraped into the playoffs and earned upsets with parity-laden squads. There may not be title upside, but a run is never out of the realm of possibility.
My data model has Colorado Springs eighth in the Western Conference at the time of writing, in the playoffs but 0.3(!) points above El Paso for that final spot. An expanded field helps the Switchbacks' postseason case, but much depends on the replacement for Brendan Burke. Maybe Jay Mims comes from Omaha and integrates a defensive system. Maybe the club looks internally and ponders a bigger move for 2024. Either way, one of the best coaches in lower-tier soccer will be missed.
At the same time, it's worth pondering if this is the future of the USL. Colorado Springs has turned a profit on five of their brightest stars in the last calendar year, including the sale of Barry in the thick of the playoff race. Money is hard to come by at this level, and such sales make this club a viable venture in one of the league's smaller markets. Still, what message do these moves send to the fans? These questions ring heavy and don't beg easy answers.