United States

Alexi Lalas' top-5 candidates for USMNT coaching job

Published Mar. 24, 2023 3:50 p.m. ET

The United States men's national team will begin its 2023 CONCACAF Nations League campaign on Friday with interim head coach Anthony Hudson leading the way.

Whether Hudson will coach the USMNT beyond this window remains unclear, considering factors like how the team performs, who else is available for hire and their qualifications for the position. On this week's episode of the "State of the Union" podcast, former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas ranked his top-five candidates to take over as head coach of the U.S.

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5. Jesse Marsch, free agent

Nationality: United States
Most recent job: Leeds United (2022-23)
National team jobs: None

Marsch, 49, is a name that has intrigued USMNT fans for years due to his success in Europe with Red Bull Salzburg, where he won two Austrian Bundesliga titles and two Austrian cups. While he wasn't able to replicate that success with RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga or Leeds United in the English Premier League, there's a lot to like about him.

"His soccer trajectory as a coach has been fast and furious and — it has to be said — up and down, which isn't necessarily a problem," Lalas said. "And I think there are a lot of people that say this guy, Jesse Marsch, checks a lot of boxes in terms of the person he is, the coach he is, his background and what the United States needs specifically for 2026."

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4. Hervé Renard, Saudi Arabia

Nationality: France
Most recent job: Saudia Arabia men's national team (2019-Present)
National team jobs: Angola, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Saudi Arabia

After leading Saudi Arabia to an unlikely group stage win over eventual World Cup champions Argentina at the 2022 World Cup, Renard is the rumored favorite to take over as the coach of the France women's national team. However, if that deal falls through, Renard would be an interesting candidate for the U.S. job.

"He's had success with teams of lesser quality and lesser note, I think he has done more with less, and in the U.S. situation, while he might be doing more with less when it comes to the actual amount of talent, the resources that will be at his disposal and the opportunity will be great than anything he's ever had and I think he would relish something like that," Lalas said.

3. Patrick Vieira, free agent

Nationality: France
Most recent job: Crystal Palace (2021-2023)
National team jobs: None

Similar to Marsch, Vieira's first crack at managing in the Premier League didn't exactly go to plan, but the former Arsenal star and World Cup winner has a wealth of soccer experience, particularly in the United States where he coached MLS side New York City FC.

"This is somebody who has historic knowledge and important history when it comes to the U.S. — Renard doesn't, it should be said, so that's a knock against him," Lalas said. "But Vieira, from his really successful time at NYCFC, I think lends himself to understanding the challenges of coaching a U.S. team and understand the history and respect the history of what comes before you and what it can be going forward."

2. Jim Curtin, Philadelphia Union

Nationality: United States
Most recent job: Philadelphia Union (2014-Present)
National team jobs: None

Philadelphia has been a powerhouse in MLS over the last five years in large part due to Curtin, and in 2022 he led the club to its first-ever Supporters' Shield. As bittersweet as it would be him to leave the Union before he got the chance to win an MLS Cup with them, the opportunity to coach the USMNT and be a global ambassador for the sport might be too good for him to pass up.

"We have to have somebody that not only the players gravitate to and respect and enjoy, but that the general public — not just the soccer population in the U.S. — can look at and relate to and can grasp on to," Lalas said. "The way that Jim Curtin speaks about soccer, it's inclusive in that he brings everybody in. When I hear him talk about soccer, I can hear people that might not know anything about soccer saying, ‘This guy is somebody that I would follow.’"

1. Gregg Berhalter, free agent

Nationality: United States
Most recent job: U.S. men's national team (2018-2022)
National team jobs: U.S. men's national team

Berhalter hasn't coached the USMNT since they lost 3-1 to the Netherlands in World Cup round of 16 in December, but that doesn't necessarily mean his time with the U.S. is over. Earlier this month, following an investigation of a 1992 instance of domestic violence between Berhalter and his now wife, Rosalind, U.S. Soccer released a statement saying Berhalter is still a candidate for his old job.

"Players support this guy. Now, I'm not going to say they're going to come out and say this guy sucks, but we're now seeing multiple players that are backing Gregg Berhalter," Lalas said. "I'm not saying that all of them do, but there obviously has been an affinity that's been created over the last four years that Gregg Berhalter's been in charge with this group of players, and that's a good thing.