With the Gregg Berhalter era officially over on Wednesday — although his fate was sealed July 1 when the U.S. men’s national team bowed out of the group stage at Copa America after losing to Uruguay — there is as much intrigue over the vacated coaching post as there are candidates to replace him.
The next boss must rejuvenate a disheartened fan base in short order ahead of the U.S. hosting the 2026 World Cup, develop depth and prioritize that his top players must play regularly and not be standbys on some of the top clubs in the world.
Here is a list of potential candidates, starting with two unlikely hires — but this being soccer, you never know:
Jurgen Klopp: Of course he would be the No. 1 choice, but the 57-year-old walked away from Liverpool after this past season saying he needed a break, and The Athletic reported Thursday that he turned down inquiries from U.S. Soccer. The timing is not right to wait another six months to see if he changes his mind.
Jesse Marsch: The former New York Reds Bulls and Leeds United manager felt put off by U.S. Soccer’s lack of interest in him before Berhalter was rehired in December 2022, and he took the Canada job in May. All he’s done is guide the Canadians to the Copa America semifinals. He’s unlikely to leave.
Other candidates present more viable options:
Mauricio Pochettino: If a big name is still sought, the former coach at Tottenham and Chelsea, among other stops, is available. His attacking style of play and ability to develop young players could be a great fit.
Herve Renard: He was most recently with the French women’s national team but he’s coached men’s teams at the club and national level, notably Saudi Arabia when it defeated Argentina in the 2022 World Cup.
Patrick Vieira: The former French national team player coached two-plus seasons in MLS with New York City FC and drew interest from U.S. Soccer during the process of rehiring Berhalter following the 2022 World Cup. His lack of success at the club level could be a detriment.
Thierry Henry: Another Frenchman to keep an eye on. He coached CF Montreal but had a bad experience at Monaco. On the plus side, he was an assistant to Roberto Martinez with Belgium and is gaining more international experience as the coach for France’s men’s Olympic team. A good showing there will raise his value.
Hugo Perez: The 60-year-old El Salvador native made 73 appearances for the USMNT and later coached the U.S. U-15 team that includes current national team players Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams. He’s also coached the El Salvador national team.
A trio of MLS coaches are in the mix:
Steve Cherundolo: Many see the Los Angeles FC coach as the overall leader to be hired. He played more than 400 matches in Germany and appeared in two World Cups for the U.S. before leading LAFC to the 2022 MLS Cup in his first year there. His background is similar to Berhalter’s, which may be a turnoff for some.
Jim Curtin: Twice the MLS Coach of the Year in the past four seasons with the Philadelphia Union, he’s long been mentioned as a possibility because of how he gets his Union academy players European contracts. But he’s having a second straight subpar season.
Wilfried Nancy: The second-year Columbus Crew coach is revolutionizing MLS with his possession-with-a-purpose style that has led to the most goals in the league the past two seasons and the 2023 MLS Cup title. One drawback is that the Frenchman’s system takes time to implement, something there is little of at national team camps. But when it works, it’s the beautiful game at its finest.
–Craig Merz, Field Level Media
