The search for Gregg Berhalter’s successor as U.S. coach shouldn’t be that difficult, according to Jim Curtin.
“If Jurgen Klopp does it and wants to do it, there is no need for an interview process. “He is the best,” the Philadelphia Union manager said on Thursday. “But the reality is I don’t know how serious it is.”
Klopp left Liverpool at the end of the footballing year after nine seasons that included Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles and looked to be the fan favourite to replace Berhalter, who was sacked on Wednesday. The Americans lost in the group stage of the Copa America.
Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira and Argentina’s Marcelo Bielsa are also among the contenders named by Curtin’s own Steve Cherundolo to lead the United States team to host the 2026 World Cup. Jesse Marsh, Salvador’s Hugo Perez, Pellegrino Matarazzo, David Wagner, Italy’s Massimiliano Allegri and Argentina’s Mauricio Pochettino are also among the contenders.
“I think it takes a strong, courageous personality, someone who walks into the locker room and tells everyone it’s a clean slate and they have to figure out how they want to get to that World Cup,” said Taylor Twellman, an Apple TV host, executive, analyst and former U.S. national team forward who spoke at the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament this week.
“Right now, this group of players has long been told that they are the golden generation of football players, but they haven’t really reached that milestone,” Twellman said. “So if I was running the organization, I would say, let’s wait a minute, let’s take some of the spotlight off the players, let’s put someone in front of the camera, someone who will steal the spotlight and take the pressure off of them.”
U.S. Soccer Director of Sport Matt Crocker is leading the search for a coach to prepare his entire team for a total of nine training sessions, each lasting a week, before the team assembles on June 12, 2026, when the World Cup opens.
“They have to talk to people who know something about the job and the qualities of the person and the experience that is needed to do the job,” said Bruce Arena, the winningest coach in Team USA history. “Of course they mention some of the elite coaches in the world, but it’s a different job than running a club and we have to understand that, and certainly the culture of our country’s sport and the players.”
The United States has four friendlies ahead, with Canada on September 7 and New Zealand three days later, against Panama on October 12 and its opponent on the 15th of the same month.
The next competitive matches will be the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals home and away in November.
