US Soccer may miss out on Marsch due to baffling hiring process
Jesse Marsch is available, but US Soccer’s complicated hiring process could see him miss out on becoming the next USMNT head coach.
Earlier this week, Leeds sacked Mars after a poor run that has Leeds back in the relegation battle this season. While American soccer fans may be disappointed to see the American team get hit at Leeds, the sacking opened up a huge opportunity for US soccer. The USMNT remains without a head coach. In fact, it is without a sports director, general manager And head coach. In other words, the USMNT seemingly rides with no direction.
Jesse Marsch seems like a logical fit for this role. He has gained coaching experience in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Champions League in his last two jobs. He comes from the Red Bull coaching philosophy school, which means he has a plan. However, the effectiveness of this plan has come under scrutiny at Leeds and RB Leipzig.
Worse, US Soccer could delay hiring Jesse Marsch, a trend for the federation to hire a new head coach. If US Soccer doesn’t come up with a plan, one of America’s more promising managers may be coaching the game.
Do not pull the trigger
When US Soccer parted ways with Brian McBride and Earnie Stewart, it was said its priority was finding a sporting director to replace Stewart. The new athletic director would then play a role in selecting the next head coach.
However, US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said she only hopes to appoint a new athletic director before this summer’s Women’s World Cup. That alone five months away. The search for a head coach would then probably go beyond that.
Unfortunately, the tedious hiring process of appointing a technical director who then hires a general manager who then decides on a men’s national head coach is tedious. Going at a snail’s pace to make hiring decisions is out of place. This is especially true in the turbulent world of club management, where head coaches can be available for a short window of time before moving on to their next job.
This isn’t the first time US Soccer has waited until the eleventh hour to bring in a head coach. After the 2006 World Cup, Sunil Gulati began his first search for a head coach for the USMNT as President of US Soccer. The federation had no remaining coaches from the previous staff as Gulati and his crew scoured the world for coaches. Neither candidate bit, and Bob Bradley got the job on an interim basis. Bradley also took charge of the U-23 squad as there was no one to oversee it. A win against Mexico and other results secured a steady role.
During that period, without a coach from the end of the 2006 World Cup through the end of the year, the USMNT did not play any games. World Soccer Talk’s Kartik Krishnaiyer says the time it takes is unacceptable for other countries. In addition, 2023 brings further challenges.
“The whole process took longer than would be acceptable in other nations,” Krishnaiyer said. “And the US faces a similar dilemma in 2023. A key difference, however, is that unlike 2006, the USMNT maintains a full game schedule throughout the process.”
Interim head coach Anthony Hudson coaches the side through friendlies and potentially into the CONCACAF Nations League.
A worthwhile game for US Soccer on Jesse Marsch
This is arguably the most important three-year period in the history of the USMNT. Talent and potential are not only prevalent throughout the squad, they are also primed for a number of important competitions. The CONCACAF Nations League and the Gold Cup are nothing new. However, the United States is set to host the World Cup in 2026.
Anthony Hudson is highly unlikely to become head coach then. Of course, if some results go his way and he can make the USMNT a success, he could get the Bob Bradley treatment in 2006. Even then, Jesse Marsch sits there trying to win it.
Not only does he have European experience, he also understands the system of American football. Marsch played in MLS throughout his 13-year playing career. Then Marsch managed Montreal before coaching the New York Red Bulls for four seasons. Even then he had a stint as an assistant coach at the USMNT under Bob Bradley.
Marsch joins the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho when it comes to the USMNT coach rumor mill. These are elite names, yes, but maybe not them To the right names.
Former USMNT goaltender Brad Friedel wrote in his column for the Daily Mail how important it is to hire an American for these positions.
“Pep is great, he is phenomenal, as is Zinedine Zidane. But the system over here, and I don’t mean the game system, is different and it has to be someone who knows it inside and out and can come in, make the team competitive and make the players available to them better,” says Friedel wrote.
“Our soccer system in the United States is different, very different, and it takes the best of the best at least two years to get used to it,” added Friedel. “Then they’ll want to bring their own differences into the system and we’re supposed to put together a team that will compete at a high level in 2026.”
Time flies
Jesse Marsch could be that person for US Soccer. However, if US Soccer sticks to that belief and waits until a sports director is in place, Marsch will almost certainly not be available.
There are examples of top coaches remaining unemployed after being fired. Mauricio Pochettino has been unemployed at PSG since the end of last season. Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel quite early this year. None of these names are swirling around.
In all likelihood, however, these two managers, as well as Jesse Marsch, could have jobs before next season. It could be anywhere in the world, but clubs and nations are drawn to those names with experience at top clubs and in top competitions.
If US Soccer continues to hold back on recruitment, it could lose its chance for an American coach of the caliber of Jesse Marsch.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Action Plus