With speculation mounting that the US men's national team will hire a new head coach in the coming weeks, a familiar face around MLS will be joining the USMNT – on a temporary basis, anyway.
ESPN's Jeff Carlisle reported on Twitter on Thursday that Columbus Crew SC assistant coach Josh Wolff will be brought in as a guest coach for the upcoming friendlies in October against Colombia and Peru.
Wolff, 41, has been an assistant coach in Columbus since 2013, after working as an assistant with D.C. United in 2012-13. The former forward was a US international, notching nine goals in 52 caps from 1999-2008. Wolff scored 80 goals in 267 MLS regular season appearances for the Chicago Fire, Kansas City and D.C. United in his career.
Crew SC sporting director and head coach Gregg Berhalter shared his thoughts on the move with MLSsoccer.com.
“We are happy to support Josh in what will be an exciting learning opportunity for him in the upcoming U.S. friendlies against Colombia and Peru,” said Berhalter. “Josh is a talented member of our coaching staff who also certainly had a storied playing career with the US national team and so we know it is an honor for him.”
Carlisle noted in a subsequent tweet that Wolff's invitation as a guest coach was intended to provide young assistants a chance to see the coaching set-up around the USMNT by interim head coach Dave Sarachan. On top of that, John Hackworth's departure to Louisville City's head coaching position left an opening in the current USMNT coaching staff for an assistant coach.
