NEW YORK — With Jurgen Klinsmann now firmly in place as the new head coach of the US national team, one of the biggest questions left unanswered is how he’ll fill out the rest of his coaching staff.
Klinsmann, who was introduced to the media in his new post on Monday, was understandably vague about how he’ll fill his staff, insisting that he’ll likely take a democratic approach that could include coaches from MLS and elsewhere.
Current US assistant coaches Jesse Marsch, Lobos Cubic, Mike Sorber and Zak Abdel were not released upon Bob Bradley’s dismissal as head coach last week, but their status under the new coach is unclear.
“I won’t confirm a full-time staff over the next couple of months, because I want to see what’s out there,” Klinsmann said. “There are a lot of good, highly qualified coaches in the US that I might not know. So I need to talk to people, I need to understand what’s out there.”
Klinsmann asserted that he will confer with MLS coaches for their opinions on the staff, although he was not specific about who he will approach. Klinsmann worked with Sigi Schmid during the current Seattle Sounders manager’s days with the LA Galaxy in the early 2000s, and he most recently served as a consultant for Toronto FC’s front office overhaul before the 2011 season began.
Klinsmann also floated the idea of “guest assistant coaches” going forward, giving him the chance to work with a number of different personnel before he makes a final decision.
“I won’t come in and say: ‘This is my staff,’” he said. “Because we’re not jumping into qualifying right away, we have the opportunity with exhibition games where I can try out different coaches on my side and see how they’re doing.
“I will take my time,” he added.
Klinsmann did, however, assert the importance of current US youth soccer technical director Claudio Reyna and interim U-20 national team coach Tab Ramos.
“I want Claudio very close to me,” Klinsmann said. “He will always be part of the staff. He will sit with us coaches at the table so I can tell him how I look at the game and how we can be of help to him.
“I want [Ramos’] perspective and his information about what’s coming though at the Under-20 and Under-17 level,” he added.
Klinsmann said he will announce a staff on Wednesday for the US-Mexico game on Aug. 10 in Philadelphia, but asserted whichever coaches are involved are only potential answers to a long-term question.
“I want to make sure I get to know a lot of different people and different coaches,” he said.
