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After Jurgen Klopp rebuffed U.S. attempts to take over the men’s national team job, it’s now time for U.S. Soccer to consider its “Plan B” options.
With the recent firing of Gregg Berhalter as head coach of the USMNT, rampant speculation has begun as to who will replace him.
U.S. Soccer head coach Matt Crocker told reporters he is looking for a “serial winning coach” in hopes of having a full-time replacement in place by the September international window.
Klopp may have been the ‘player that got away’ from the federations, but there are plenty of other options on the market, both American and non-American, that could fit the USMNT’s needs perfectly.
Here, DailyMail.com looks at seven potential replacements for the top spot within the US men’s national team.
With the dismissal of American coach Gregg Berhalter, speculation has been rife about his replacement.
Jürgen Klopp has rejected a proposal from US Soccer to take over the national team job
Jesse Marsch, 50, Canadian men’s national team
After leading Canada to the Copa America semifinals, many wondered how Berhalter was chosen over Jesse Marsch.
Marsch was able to work with a talented collective and guide them to success, something he could have done with the U.S. after interviewing for the job with Matt Crocker.
Crocker could always decide to open his chequebook and spend more money than Canada on the signing of the former Leeds United manager, but there are doubts that that will bear fruit. After all, it’s only been two months since Marsch took over and there’s no indication he’s ready to leave just yet.
After coaching Canada for just two months, could Jesse Marsch make the jump to the U.S. national team?
Hervé Renard, 55, French women’s national team player
Renard is an experienced international coach and has proven in the past that he can take talented groups to levels beyond his imagination.
He won the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia on his second attempt, led Morocco at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and at the 2022 World Cup he guided Saudi Arabia to a famous victory over eventual champions Argentina.
Renard is currently with the French women’s national team, where she led her home nation to the quarter-finals before losing on penalties to host country Australia.
The only possible drawback is that he has no experience coaching in the United States and is not an American. Normally, that wouldn’t be a big deal, but keep in mind that the U.S. national team hasn’t had a non-American coach as a full-time coach since Jurgen Klinsmann in 2016.
Hervé Renard could be perfect for the United States if they want to break their American streak
Steve Cherundolo, 45, Los Angeles FC
Cherundolo, the first of two MLS coaches on this list, has enjoyed plenty of success since taking over at LAFC.
In his three years as a coach in Major League Soccer, he has twice reached the MLS Cup final and won the 2022 title as well as the Supporters Shield.
He also has extensive experience as a coach at the lower levels. After retiring after playing more than 400 games for Bundesliga side Hannover 96, he joined the club’s youth team as an assistant coach. He later became an assistant coach at VfB Stuttgart.
What may be holding Cherundolo back from landing this job is his lack of head coaching experience. In addition to his three years in Los Angeles, he has just one season under his belt as head coach of Las Vegas Lights FC in the second division of the USL Championship.
Furthermore, Cherundolo appears to be happy to coach one of the best teams in MLS and might not be so willing to abandon a project mid-season as he attempts to win the Western Conference for a third straight time.
Steve Cherundolo is in the midst of trying to win his third straight Western Conference title.
Pellegrino Matarazzo, 46 years old, Hoffenheim
One of the most underrated American coaches in soccer, Pellegrino Matarazzo has coached in Germany for several years and learned from one of the greatest coaches in the sport, Julian Nagelsmann.
He took up his first coaching job at Stuttgart before returning to Hoffenheim and guiding a team that finished 12th in the Bundesliga last season back to playing European football for the 2024-25 season.
And that’s why he might not take the job with the U.S. national team if asked. It would be difficult for Matarazzo to leave the project he started at the club where he had his formative years.
But the New Jersey native coaches a very attractive style of football and deserves to be considered for the job.
Pellegrino Matarazzo could be the best American coaching prospect in world soccer
Wilfried Nancy, 47, Columbus Crew
In his first season with Columbus, Wilfried Nancy led the Crew to a title and reached the final of the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup this season.
The only setback that could completely derail his bid for the job is his lack of coaching experience outside of North America. He ran the Montreal Impact academy, which he later became coach of when it changed its name to CF Montreal.
But aside from his time with Columbus, that’s all he has in the way of top-level coaching experience, which could hurt his chances.
Nancy plays beautiful soccer, but even Berhalter spent time in Sweden before coaching the U.S. national team.
Could a lack of international experience derail Wilfried Nancy’s chances of coaching the United States?
Mauricio Pochettino, 52 years old, single
Outside of Klopp, Pochettino is arguably the most high-profile manager on the free agent market, which is why he appears on this list.
His coaching CV speaks for itself. He reached the Champions League final in 2019 and has coached at the highest level of European football, having won more than 300 caps for teams in Spain, England and France.
Pochettino’s name is also very prominent and well-known, which could breathe life back into the USMNT fanbase after such a divisive decision to re-hire Berhalter before his eventual firing yesterday.
There is only one question worth asking: does Pochettino want to go into international management?
If he does, there are few jobs more suited to him than the United States. But it is also likely that he could return to coaching in the club’s ranks in January or February if he wants to stay. Either way, it is worth asking him the question.
Mauricio Pochettino is arguably the most important free agent manager on the market right now
Gareth Southgate, 53, England men’s national team
Arguably the most controversial pick on this list, Gareth Southgate is in the midst of leading England to their second successive European Championship final.
He has been criticised for his tactics, his substitutions and his style of play, almost a reflection of what Berhalter has been through during his time in charge.
But what cannot be denied is Southgate’s level of success in leading his England team to the semi-finals of two World Cups and the finals of two European Championships, with the chance to give the Three Lions their first title since 1966.
Of course, there are plenty of reasons why Southgate wouldn’t take this job. Maybe a title would finally make him happy with England and he’d want to continue coaching there. Maybe the U.S. Soccer Federation wouldn’t be willing to shell out the multiple millions of dollars they’d have to pay the FA to terminate his contract (and then millions more to pay Southgate a handsome salary).
But Southgate has also been in charge of England for eight years. Perhaps it is time for a change of scenery and a trip to the United States to team up with Matt Crocker again.
Gareth Southgate’s time in charge of England has seen two semi-finals and two finals.
