Former US international and current US U-20 national team head coach Tab Ramos will take over as the U.S. Soccer Federation's youth technical director, the USSF announced on Tuesday.
Ramos, who will continue in his role with the U-20s, will be responsible for overseeing long-term development strategies for both coaches and players at the youth level in the United. He takes over from Claudio Reyna, who left the USSF in May to become the director of football at MLS expansion side New York City FC.
"Tab's combined knowledge and experience with youth players and the national team program made him an ideal candidate for this position," U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said in a release. "Along with an impressive playing career, Tab has built a notable reputation as a coach, starting at the youth club level and now with the Under-20 men's national team."
Ramos' playing career saw him make stops in Spain and Mexico before finishing out his years in MLS, and the three-time World Cup veteran has been at the helm of the US U-20s since 2011, his first and only professional coaching job to date. He guided the US to a runner-up finish in the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship and a berth in the 2013 U-20 World Cup, where the team finished last in a group containg Spain, France and Ghana.
"I'm excited and honored for the opportunity to guide the development of our youth players and coaches as we continue to strive to improve our national team program," said Ramos in a release.
"We've already seen a more connected program as the philosophies that Jurgen [Klinsmann, USMNT head coach] is implementing with the senior team are being shared across all the youth teams. I'm looking forward to continuing that process, and implementing other elements as well to help our players and coaches improve as much as possible."
Part of Ramos' portfolio will incude working closely with Klinsmann and the senior national team to create a stronger link between the youth and senior levels of the national team program.
"Tab is the ideal person to fulfill this very important role," Klinsmann said in the same release. "He's been with the senior national team on a regular basis in order to understand our holistic approach and be able to spread the messages through our youth national teams as well the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
"Bringing Tab on as youth technical director is an important step to continue connecting the dots between all areas of player development, including coaching education, parent education, the college game and our grass roots."
