Look, you know what’s happening. Mauricio Pochettino is leaving the U.S. men’s national team for Manchester United. While I’ve argued that the USMNT’s improving talent pool, led by a crop of rising stars, should give fans more reason for optimism than any individual managerial hire, the reality is that U.S. Soccer will need to find Pochettino’s successor.
Just who could be on the table? Behold, a set of options to replace Pochettino complete with nearly arbitrary “Appeal” and “Likelihood” rankings.
BJ Callaghan, Nashville SC
In the rare position of having already coached the United States in multiple tournaments, BJ Callaghan’s experience at the national team’s helm and his impressive work as Nashville SC manager make him an intriguing candidate.
Callaghan served as an assistant under Gregg Berhalter before taking over the USMNT on an interim basis for the Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup in 2023. His USMNT ties are real, but it’s the 45-year-old’s MLS tenure that makes him stand out. With Nashville, Callaghan leads a clever, possession-heavy outfit that just set the league’s single-season points record. He’s shown tactical flexibility, too, shifting to a two-forward front to maximize the players at his disposal and altering his defensive shape against star-studded outfits like Inter Miami. Add in a budding track record of playing and developing young players and Callaghan’s pedigree is certainly noteworthy.
Appeal: 6/10
Likelihood (based on nothing but vibes): 4/10
Steve Cherundolo, U.S. men’s U-23s
Appointed the coach of the U.S. men’s 2028 Olympic team over the summer, Steve Cherundolo is, in some ways, a natural candidate for the senior job. A former USMNT player who won trophies as LAFC manager, Cherundolo took in part of the U.S.’s fall camp alongside Pochettino. He’s been around the program in recent months in a way that no other candidate has.
