U.S. Soccer announced on Wednesday the technical staff that will work under new US men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter, a group featuring several members of his previous staff at Columbus Crew SC and ample playing and coaching experience in Major League Soccer and beyond.
“In putting together the staff, we looked for coaches with considerable backgrounds in four different areas: World Cups, Concacaf, MLS and Europe,” Berhalter said in a statement. “This group checks those boxes, and we are confident their wealth of experiences will be beneficial to the players and for the development of our program.”
Former Chicago Fire, Kansas City Wizards and D.C. United forward Josh Wolff will serve as Berhalter’s first assistant, just as he did in Columbus, while sports scientist Steve Tashjian also makes the transition from Crew SC to fill the role of head performance expert. A decorated USMNT standout in his playing days, Wolff also carries a stint as an assistant coach with D.C. United on his resume, and Tashjian spent five years with English Premier League club Everton FC as a performance specialist.
Similarly, former Crew SC assistant coach and academy director Nico Estevez is slated to join the USMNT staff, pending approval of his US work permit. The Spaniard joined Columbus in 2014 after years of service at La Liga side Valencia CF in his homeland.
B.J. Callaghan arrives from the Philadelphia Union to assume the title of strategy analyst/assistant coach, reflecting his specialties in “team defending, opponent analysis, set-piece design, player development and scouting,” according to U.S. Soccer’s release. Prior to his work with the Union’s first team under Jim Curtin, Callaghan worked at YSC Academy, Philly’s youth program, and Villanova University.
Darcy Norman has been named the USMNT’s movement and conditioning coach, bringing two decades of experience at the game’s highest levels, including stints at AS Roma, Bayern Munich and the German national team.
“From the outset, we searched for coaches that have complimentary skillsets and varied career paths,” USMNT general manager Earnie Stewart said. “Starting with Gregg and with these additions to the staff, we have assembled a strong group that can now begin to implement the culture, style of play and identity we envision for the national team moving forward.”
The USMNT’s annual January camp of primarily domestic-based players is currently underway in Chula Vista, California, and the squad open their 2019 match slate with a friendly vs. Panama at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Jan. 27 (8 pm ET | ESPN2, UniMás, UDN).
