U.S. Soccer has conducted initial conversations with some candidates for the still-open U.S. men’s national team head coaching job.
The federation’s new sporting director Matt Crocker, in an interview with U.S. Soccer, said that informal meetings with candidates for the USMNT job have already begun.
“What we have is a list of candidates who based on our initial research we think will fit the profile. We already have had a number of conversations with some of the candidates,” said Crocker, who does not begin his full-time duties until August 2. “In some instances a candidate may hold a current position, in which case we must be very respectful to their clubs and always make sure any communication begins with them.”
Crocker reiterated that U.S. Soccer, who since Gregg Berhalter’s contract ended in December has left the USMNT under the leadership of interim head coach Anthony Hudson, is heavily emphasizing a long-term view on the hire before laying out a timeline for the evaluation process.
“The plan is to conduct a series of interviews in June and narrow down the list of candidates,” explained Crocker. “From there, we will engage the finalists in another evaluation activity. Our aim is to have our new coach in place by the end of summer, although it’s possible that club circumstances could impact the timeline.
“We have a strategy in place that includes having a diverse group of voices involved in the process. We have identified the qualities and characteristics we think are necessary for the next coach and are moving along with initial conversations and outreach.”
No candidates have been confirmed yet. Jesse Marsch has come up frequently as a hypothetical candidate, though neither he nor U.S. Soccer has said anything to indicate even preliminary conversations between them. In March, Jose Mourinho made sure to note that no one had called him, while Hoffenheim manager Pellegrino Matarazzo and France legend Thierry Henry have both indicated some level of interest in the job.
Crocker: Hudson doing ‘fantastic job’
In the meantime, Hudson is set to carry on through the upcoming Nations League finals and this summer’s Gold Cup. From Crocker’s perspective, Hudson and his staff have been very successful in what is an odd situation on the international level.
“I think Anthony Hudson, [assistant coach] B.J. Callaghan and the rest of the staff have done a fantastic job keeping the program moving forward,” said Crocker. “There has been no drop in standard, and as you’ve seen several players who had a choice to represent more than one country have chosen the United States during their tenure and Anthony and his staff deserve tremendous credit for that.”
Under Hudson’s watch, dual nationals like Folarin Balogun, Alex Zendejas, and Timothy Tillman have all moved to play for the USMNT, turning what was a period of uncertainty within the system into a fruitful stretch. Hudson has thus far declined to say whether he wants to be among the full-time candidates.
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