US Soccer’s metaphorical list of potential managers was whittled down over the weekend when Zinedine Zidane “politely declined” the position.
News broke on Saturday that the former Real Madrid coach and World Cup winner with France rejected the United States. L’Equipe reported that Zidane turned down the job in an effort to get the France head coach job. However, the outlet added that France is preparing to extend current coach Didier Deschamps, who led France to the 2022 World Cup final after winning the tournament in 2018.
Regardless of the denial, it is a statement for US Soccer to approach Zidane for the job. In the past, USMNT head coaches have been the ones involved in soccer in the United States. The exceptions are Jürgen Klinsmann and Bora Milutinović, who coached the United States at the 2014 and 1990 World Cups, respectively.
Bob Bradley coaches in MLS and then with the US Under-23 team. Bruce Arena has never coached outside of the US, but he still has more matches managed than anyone else in USMNT history. Gregg Berhalter recently spent five seasons with the Columbus Crew before taking over the USMNT in 2018.
However, the latter’s absence from the USMNT due to an ongoing investigation into a domestic violence incident from 31 years ago made potential new hires more likely. Furthermore, the link with Zidane shows a real desire on the part of US Soccer to hire well-known and experienced coaches.
Zidane might be off that list, but there are still notable names hanging around the USMNT.
US Soccer should target these coaches
Like Zidane, some of these potential signings are high. He is not so lofty as a small island nation that he requests the hiring of Pep Guardiola or Carlo Ancelotti. Still, America doesn’t necessarily have the pull to get whoever it wants instantly.
However, the following coaches could be influenced by the rising talent in the United States and the fact that the 2026 World Cup is in the United States.
jim curtin
If US Soccer is looking for coaches to follow that American trend, Jim Curtin is the favorite to take over. The Philadelphia Union coach has coached the team since 2014. He turned an average team with one playoff appearance into one of the strongest teams in Major League Soccer. Under Curtin, the Union has made the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons. In 2021, the team narrowly missed out on its first MLS Cup appearance. Then last season, the Union reached the MLS Cup final for the first time, losing an upset against LAFC along the way.
Cup success is one of Curtin’s main draws for the USMNT job. In his first two seasons, though one of them was cut short when he took over midseason, Philadelphia reached the US Open Cup final. They lost both, one in overtime and the other in the penalties. Philadelphia reached another US Open Cup final in 2018, once again losing. With some-so-so tournament success and an understanding of US Soccer in its current form, Curtin is a popular choice, if not one of the best coaches in Europe or Gregg Berhalter.
jesé march
If you ask USMNT supporters who they think should take over, the overall answer may be Marsch. The current manager of Leeds United is an American who played and coached in Major League Soccer. However, his management style and approach to the game is much more European. Credit that to his time at RB Salzburg, RB Leipzig and now Leeds United. He has seen mixed results at clubs. He prospered in Salzburg but failed in Leipzig. Now, he has Leeds in the bottom half of the Premier League table, fighting to keep his place alive.
Marsch is familiar with many of the USMNT players. Yes, he currently trains Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams. But, his time in MLS allows him some familiarity with the coaches and players in that league. He also coached in three different countries in Europe, which gives you an idea of the talent in that area.
Marcelo Bielsa
Jesse Marsch took the reins at Leeds when the club sacked Los Blancos icon Marcelo Bielsa. Bielsa transformed Leeds with his wild and pressing style of play, launching the club back into the Premier League for the first time in decades. Bielsa is more than a club manager changing sides. He has international experience, including time in World Cups, too.
The prime example of that came with Argentina from 1998 to 2004. Argentina reached the knockout stage at the 2002 World Cup and were runners-up at the Copa América in 2004. They did, however, pull off one triumph, winning gold at the 2004 Summer Olympics. 2004. Without a doubt, Bielsa would be a change for the USMNT. He is a character and a loved one by the fans.
Tomas Tuchel
The former Chelsea, PSG, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz manager recently supervised Christian Pulisic. On a superficial level, the two had a good relationship. And Pulisic, one of the most important players on the team, could easily adapt to a Tuchel system. Of course, they both had problems. It may not have been anything personal, even if Pulisic’s father expressed concern for him, but Pulisic had limited playing time with the German.
Still, Tuchel is a talented coach. He led PSG to the Champions League final for the first time in 2020. Then, a year later, he won the competition as Chelsea manager. His career achievements include a pair of Ligue 1 titles, a DFB-Pokal, the FIFA Club World Cup and multiple “Manager of the Year” accolades in 2021.
His system showed success in cup competitions. Tuchel’s three proprietary uses allow for an easy transition from strong defense to fast-paced offense. Reece James thrived and became a top winger. The same goes for Ben Chilwell, who dealt with a major knee injury, he also thrived under Tuchel. Sergiño Dest, one of the bright young prospects in the USMNT camp, could develop quickly under Tuchel. Plus, Dest already has a knack for offensive prowess.
Tuchel has no international playing experience yet, but he raised an interesting possibility.
Mauricio Pochettino
Not so long ago, Mauricio Pochettino was the most in-demand product among coaches. He led Tottenham Hotspur to their most successful moments in decades. A Premier League battle fell short against Leicester City. Several years later, Tottenham played in their first UEFA Champions League final. Dramatic second legs against Manchester City and Ajax perhaps propelled the team to more glory than it deserved.
He saw PSG as the logical next step, a team ripe for Champions League success. Pochettino arrived in the winter of 2021 to replace the outgoing Thomas Tuchel. Despite defeating Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the round of 16, PSG fell to Manchester City, losing in both legs of that semi-final tie. The Argentine coach then had all the expectations in the world for his second season, since the club acquired Lionel Messi. However, it was a relative disaster for the Parisians. PSG won the league, but that was their only trophy. It was the first time since the 2012/13 campaign that PSG had only won one trophy. PSG changed coaches, with the entry of Christophe Galtier.
Pochettino remains unemployed but is a household name in the potential market for jobs across Europe. The United States was one of those jobs, although it is not the familiarity of club management in Europe. Gregg Berhalter remains coach under a new contract with US Soccer, but Pochettino brings an air of desire and commitment. He showed immense growth at PSG and Southampton, taking those clubs to new heights. He could have done the same with the United States.
Luis Enrique
Another coach out of a job after the 2022 World Cup, Luis Enrique was hailed as a top coach. He had Spain humming along, playing beautiful football. That was, at least, after the opening game of the tournament. The next three games in the World Cup, draw, loss and elimination on penalties, showed the flaws in Enrique’s system. If a team can win possession of Enrique’s team, they are vulnerable.
Still, Enrique has the experience and knowledge to develop a young American team. Berhalter tried to dominate in possession. In fact, the United States had a large portion of possession in three of their four World Cup games. The only one that didn’t was against Iran, a game in which the team clung to 1-0. Even then, the USMNT had 49% of possession.
Therefore, Enrique could easily slip into the possession-based system that Berhalter employed. However, he would incorporate the quick passes and clinical finishing that the United States lacked at times against the Netherlands. However, like Martínez, Enrique wants to play for clubs again. He doesn’t bring the tiki-taka and passing style to Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie.
Brian Schmezer
If US Soccer wants to stick with the coaches of MLS and the American scene, then Seattle Sounders manager Brian Schmetzer might be a good place to look. The problem is that Schmetzer is entrenched in Seattle soccer. Born in Seattle, Schmetzer played for the Sounders in the NASL and the American Professional Soccer League. His coaching history dates back to indoor soccer in Seattle and Tacoma when he played in the 1980s. He has been on the Seattle Sounders’ coaching staff since 2002, serving as head coach from 2002 to 2008. He regained the role in 2016 and still occupies it today.
Schmetzer has won a pair of MLS Cups and lost in two more finals since taking over in 2016. Plus, he’s done something no MLS coach has done: win the CONCACAF Champions League. As a result, Schmetzer and the Sounders will go to the FIFA Club World Cup to potentially play Real Madrid and Flamengo. Schmetzer is one of the best MLS coaches of all time and could fit the US Soccer mold.
