Happy New Year, everyone! The start of a new year always brings a sense of possibility and optimism. For Nashville SC, they’ll happily turn the page on a forgettable 2024 and look forward to a 2025 that doesn’t guarantee success, but at least brings the potential that things might be different.
For BJ Callaghan and his new-look Nashville SC, here are three resolutions.
1. Be fun again
Nashville haven’t been consistently fun to watch on the field since 2022. Largely due to the individual brilliance of Hany Mukhtar, their ability to destroy opponents in transition countered their defense-first approach and struggles to consistently press the ball in buildup.
From 2021 to mid 2023, Nashville at their worst were a one-dimensional team who defended well and competed for spots in the playoffs. But in the latter days of Gary Smith’s reign, the entertainment value had plummeted, the team was painfully predictable, and they weren’t winning games to add some redeeming quality.
The hiring of BJ Callaghan as the club’s second-ever manager came with promises of a more front-foot approach, a more modern style of play, and a more entertaining aesthetic. And while the end of the 2024 season showed glimpses, Callaghan’s vision was never fully going to be realized in 11 games with an aging roster built for a wildly different manager.
With a re-tooled squad and a full offseason to prepare, Nashville can and should look much different on the pitch in 2025. They have to give fans a reason to enjoy watching them again.
2. Own the city
Nashville sports are in a rut. The Coyotes weren’t the only team to struggle this year: The Titans currently have the joint-worst record in the National Football League, with a paltry three wins and 13 losses as questions continue to swirl around the future of their franchise, even with a new $2.1 billion stadium set to open in 2026.
Similarly, the Predators are in a rut. They’re the second-worst team in the NHL Western Conference’s Central Division, and only one team has fewer than their 11 wins. They barely snuck into the postseason last year, but have themselves been in a downward trend over the last several seasons.
If Nashville can take a couple major but achievable steps forward in 2025, it’s not wild to think that they could be the best professional team in Music City, and with the World Cup coming in 2026, it feels like there’s a lot of ground to be gained for the sport of soccer, both nationally and for individual clubs.
3. Continue the youth movement
Nashville have never been great at playing and developing young players. Under Gary Smith, Nashville consistently relied on in- or past-prime veterans, while getting young players like Alistair Johnston or Jack Maher on the field was a rarity.
In 2022 and 2023, Nashville had the oldest average age in MLS. In 2024, they had the second-oldest team, even with young players seeing an uptick in playing time under Callaghan. Nashville are intentionally pivoting hard away from their original model and prioritizing playing and developing young players.
Their offseason moves have been indicative of that, moving on from veterans like Aníbal Godoy, Brian Anunga, Lukas MacNaughton and Shaq Moore in favor of players like Edvard Tagseth and Julian Gaines. Expect to see a significant uptick in playing time for the kids as Nashville move towards a more forward-thinking approach.
4. Get Hany Mukhtar playing like Hany Mukhtar again
This one is self explanatory. Nashville have been incredibly reliant on Hany Mukhtar, which has mostly worked out since Mukhtar’s 2021-2023 campaigns were among the best three years ever seen in MLS. He dipped off heavily in the second half of 2023, though, and that poor form continued until the final weeks of 2024.
In 11 matches under Callaghan, Mukhtar showed flashes of the form he had been on, scoring three goals and adding three assists. While Nashville would like to be less dependent on Mukhtar than they have been for their entire history so far, he’s still one of the most important players in MLS, and getting him firing on all cylinders in his new role under Callaghan is crucial.
5. Continue preparing for 2026 re-set
The recent Allocation Money report showed that Nashville have very little GAM with which to work. Their stockpile grew significantly after trading Shaq Moore to Dallas, but they’re clearly in the midst of a long rebuild.
The end of the 2024 offseason saw plenty of overhaul, with eight players departing after the season and three more traded away. They’ll have even more flexibility heading into 2026, with 12 players on the last year of their guaranteed deal.
There’s certainly a chance that Nashville improve drastically in 2025. But there’s an equally probable chance that this is a longer-term project to completely retool their roster. Don’t be shocked to see more roster overhaul this winter and throughout the season as Mike Jacobs and BJ Callaghan try to get this squad back into contention.
What are your biggest wishes for Nashville in 2025? Let us know in the comments.
