Ben Pirmann is now officially in charge of the Charleston Battery, and his primary job will be to get Battery into the post-season again after the team’s disappointment over the last two years. This is the minimum requirement for most Battery managers as they're a side who have won the USL Championship four times and never failed to qualify for post-season before 2021.
Pirmann’s Record
Pirmann certainly has the credentials, coming in after picking up the 2022 USL Championship Coach of the Year award before making the switch to Battery. The Charleston club finished in 12th place out of 14 teams in the Eastern Conference last season, and their points tally of 25 from 34 games put them in the bottom three of the league overall. This followed a 2021 season in which they finished 6th out of 8 teams in the Eastern Atlantic Conference before the league’s structural rehaul. That was the beginning of what Battery hope remains a two-year blip.
The Battery’s outright odds of winning the title last season on most sportsbooks were hovering at about +6600, quite a long shot for a team with the history that they possess. The Battery’s chances are sure to improve significantly when pre-season for 2022-23 rolls in. With new leadership, it seems US sportsbook bonuses are likely to reflect Pirmann’s future decisions.
Pirmann has been managing soccer teams for the last 13 years, and bringing the Battery back to expected levels will be among his greatest challenges to date. Can he do it? A look at his last three gigs might give you an idea.
Memphis 901
He was hired in 2018 by Memphis 901 as an assistant first and got the chance to showcase his full array of managerial skills when Tim Mulqueen got fired in September 2020. He was the interim head coach before being named the permanent head coach for the 2021 season.
In his first full season with Memphis 901, he led the side to their greatest USL season to date by taking them to the semifinals, and also a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference standings. This was also the first time that the club had gotten a post-season victory. He was honoured with the 2022 USL Championship Coach of the Year award for his efforts. He had a 38-21-13 record with Memphis which was the fourth-best record of the year. He made quite the impression at Memphis, which directly earned him a move to the Battery.
Detroit City
Most of his managerial career was spent in Detroit City. He spent six seasons in Detroit – from 2013 to 2018, and this was the making of him as a coach. He was only 28 years old when he took the job but did an impressive job during his time at the club. He was nicknamed Caesar during his time in Detroit and helped in the club's rise during its formative years. Pirmann had a 49-17-17 regular-season record in his years with Detroit City.
Michigan State University
Detroit City was the National Premier Soccer League representative of Michigan University. Before working with Detroit City, Pirmann had spent two years with the Michigan State Spartans as an assistant.
Here, he was made in charge of everything from areas of compliance, recruiting, travel, video analysis, camps and scouting. This was his first real preparation for management at a higher level. By having all these macro-level tasks, he was able to get a wider understanding of how a sports team works, and he had to learn this as a 26-year-old. The experience served him well, as it has now taken him to one of the historical USL teams.
