Longtime US men's national team stalwart Steve Cherundolo says that he's spoken with multiple MLS teams about their vacant head coach openings, Steven Goff of The Washington Post relayed in a Sunday report.
Cherundolo, 41, has been honing his coaching credentials since retiring from playing in 2014 after a standout run in Germany with Hannover 96, where the defender played his entire professional career from 1999-2014. Cherundolo is currently an assistant for the German national team's U-15 side, and has worked as an assistant for Hannover 96 at various levels, including their U-15s, U-17s and senior team. He was also an assistant for the USMNT and VfB Stuttgart in 2018.
While he has yet to assume a head coaching role at the club level, Cherundolo says he feels as though his extensive time as an assistant has prepared him for the opportunity.
“I feel I am very prepared to make that next step,” Cherundolo told Goff. “I know some people, the first thing that comes to mind is, 'Yeah, you don’t have experience as a head coach [with a first team] in the men’s game. Yeah, of course, but I’ve done pretty much everything else.”
Cherundolo is one of the most distinguished defenders in USMNT history, racking up 87 senior caps from 1999-2012 and playing in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups while carving out a very successful career at the club level with Hannover 96. He has
previously expressed interest
in moving stateside to continue his coaching career, although he declined to offer specifics just yet as to what MLS teams he's been in contact with.
D.C. United
,
Inter Miami CF
and
Toronto FC
are the current MLS teams with vacant positions.
