The United States men’s national team have cycled through several different managers since 2010, to varying levels of success, and could soon be on the hunt for another new head coach.
While the USWNT have managed to establish themselves as one of the strongest and most dominant teams in the women’s game during the 21st Century, the men’s side still leaves plenty to be desired and is struggling to kick on despite an increasingly rich pool of young, high potential talent at their disposal.
There is still work to be done for the US to make good on the progress they have made in recent times, and the way their list of managerial appointments over the last 14 years reflects that struggle.
We’ve taken a look at the seven managers to have worked the job since 2010 and what they’re up to now, starting with a man whose job could be on the line if the 2024 Copa America doesn’t go their way…
Gregg Berhalter
Capped 44 times for the Stars and Stripes as a player, Berhalter took charge of the USMNT for the first time in 2018 after leaving the Columbus Crew, starting strong with a positive win rate and winning the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League in 2021, a positive step forward after not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
Playing a more dominant brand of football and making use of several talented and more technical players that had begun to break through, more was expected of the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup, and while a last-16 exit certainly wasn’t bad, it felt like we never saw the side at its best.
That, coupled with a very public row with youngster Gio Reyna and his family, saw things fizzle out as he left his post after the tournament.
Somewhat surprisingly, he returned to the role for a second spell in the summer of 2023, signing a deal through their 2026 home World Cup. They currently face the prospect of being eliminated from the Copa America without even reaching the knockout stages, however, which could put his job on the line already.
B.J. Callaghan
Taking charge of seven games before Berhalter returned to the role, Callaghan’s debut as interim manager came in the form of an impressive 2-0 win over Mexico in the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League semi-final, before going all the way and beating Canada in the final.
He stepped aside having won four games and drawn three, which is a short but mightily sweet stint for a young coach whose career thus far has been mostly at the collegiate level.
Callaghan now serves as Berhalter’s assistant once again, having done so during his first spell in charge.
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Anthony Hudson
Becoming one of the youngest coaches in the game to earn a UEFA Pro Licence back in 2012, Englishman Hudson first headed across the pond in 2017 to take charge of the Colorado Rapids, before joining the United States national setup in 2020.
He was actually appointed as the initial interim manager following Berhalter’s departure after the 2022 World Cup, but left after just five games in charge to take up an offer from Qatari side Al-Markiyah ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Hudson lasted just three matches as manager before moving into a technical, advisory role, and left the club altogether in April of this year after the club narrowly avoided relegation.
Dave Sarachan
An experienced coach in the American game with a beautifully bizarre playing career in indoor football during the 1970s and 80s, Sarachan stepped up from assistant to interim in 2017 in his second spell with the national team.
Rather amazingly, Sarachan was interim manager for 12 months, being appointed in November 2017 and not actually being replaced by Berhalter until the following November. They don’t attach much urgency to the role, do they?
Sarachan took charge of 12 games, winning just three and losing five in a rather forgettable and dismal year that followed their failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
After leaving his post, he took charge of USL Championship side North Carolina FC and later took charge of Puerto Rico, but currently serves as an assistant at Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Bruce Arena
Perhaps the most infamous in the list, Arena returned to the USMNT for his second spell as manager in 2016, but after a strong start involving a 14-game unbeaten streak came the dismal World Cup qualifying campaign.
A shock 2-1 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago in October 2017 ultimately proved their undoing and confirmed that they’d miss the tournament in Russia, missing a World Cup for the first time since 1986.
He resigned after the defeat and returned to Major League Soccer after a two-year break, replacing Brad Friedel as head coach and sporting director of the New England Revolution.
Arena resigned in September 2023, a month after a suspension due to allegations of “insensitive and inappropriate remarks”.
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Jurgen Klinsmann
Klinsmann’s United States were polarising and he wasn’t without criticism, but he did well at a challenging 2014 World Cup, being drawn in a group of death alongside eventual winners Germany, Portugal and Ghana, before narrowly being knocked out by Belgium’s golden generation in extra time of the round of 16.
Taking the job in 2011, he kept his job after the World Cup in Brazil, but they finished fourth in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup and made a mess of the second round of 2018 World Cup qualifying, which ultimately cost him his job in 2016.
He returned to Germany to manage Hertha Berlin in 2019 and later took charge of the South Korea national team in February 2023 on a contract that would see him manage at the 2026 World Cup.
But Klinsmann was dismissed after a year following poor results and questions over his commitment to the cause. He hasn’t managed since.
Bob Bradley
Before his unfortunate spell in charge of Swansea in 2016, Bradley had the honour of managing his country’s national team for four years from 2007 to 2011, after having previously worked in the under-23 setup.
Bradley’s USMNT were responsible for ending Spain’s 35-game unbeaten streak at the 2009 Confederations Cup – you know, the Spain side that many regard as the greatest international side of all time? Yeah, that one.
They also topped Group C at the 2010 World Cup, but were eliminated by Ghana at the first hurdle. He left his post in 2011 after squandering that year’s Gold Cup final.
Many will remember him best for that spell at Swansea as we mentioned earlier, lasting just 85 days in charge before being sacked, but he’s since built up some stock once again.
Bradley helped establish Los Angeles FC as a dominant force in the Western Conference upon their formation, winning the 2019 Supporters’ Shield and the 2019 MLS Coach of the Year award. He’s currently without a job, having left Toronto FC in 2023.
Gregory Daniels is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, he explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture. Gregory enjoys staying ahead of the curve and sharing emerging trends with his readers.
