US Men’s National Team interim manager Anthony Hudson is set to leave the federation for another job. Assistant BJ Callaghan has been given the interim title for this summer’s CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup.
Callaghan has served as an assistant coach with the US the past four years and is currently a long-time member of the USMNT technical staff.
Hudson’s new role was not immediately clear.
The change in interim managers comes as US Soccer continues its search for a permanent head coach. Former manager Greg Berhelter’s contract expires in 2022. US Soccer hired Matt Crocker as its athletic director on April 25 and said they hope to have a coach in place by the end of August. Crocker is leading the search along with U.S. Soccer president Cindy Pallow-Cohn and CEO and general secretary JT Batson.
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The club’s wait to hire a permanent coach after the summer tournaments will be even more interesting now that they have moved on to a second interim manager in the last six months.
“BJ has been an integral part of the USMNT staff over the past four years as this young team has grown and developed,” Crocker said in a statement. Having worked with Anthony Hudson over the past five months, we are confident that he is ready and prepared to lead this team through the winter races. We thank Anthony for his great work and wish him every success in the future.
US Soccer is expected to announce the roster for the Nations League on Thursday. Camp opens June 5 in Los Angeles before a June 15 semifinal against Mexico.
Hudson After serving as the U-20 head coach in 2020 and as the USMNT’s assistant coach from 2021, he was fired before stepping down in the interim role in January of this year. With wins over Grenada and El Salvador in March, Hudson led his team to the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Nations League as well as the Gold Cup where they would defend both titles. He also helped secure the commitment of several dual nationals, including Alejandro Zendejas and Folarin Baloga.
“I want to thank US Soccer for giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a great group of players and staff,” Hudson said in a statement. “It was a great honor to represent the national team and one that I truly respect and enjoy. The team is in great shape with BJ, and I look forward to watching and supporting the team as it continues to grow and reach the level we all know.
Callaghan in 2011 He joined US Soccer from the Philadelphia Union in 2019 and initially served as a strategic analyst before being promoted to assistant coach. In the year He was part of the squad that won the 2021 Nations League and Gold Cup and reached the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“I understand the responsibility of the job and am honored to have the opportunity to build on the progress this team has made over the past four years,” Callaghan said in a statement. “Together, we’ve built a strong culture and gained a great understanding of how we want to play, and we’ll continue to build on that growth. Our goal is clear: defend both of our CONCACAF titles.”
Callaghan spent seven years with the Philadelphia Union, two years as a coach in the academy and five years as an assistant coach for Jim Curtin’s first team. Callaghan played four seasons at Ursinus College and served as an assistant at Villanova.
“He was the person I called right away,” Curtin said. The athletics in 2018. “A lot of people want to go with guys that maybe you’ve played with or done a favor for somebody. But I’ve done it in a way where I’ve picked somebody that I trust and that I know has a high football IQ and that conveys the messages that we want to get across. And he’s been a very important person in my development as a coach. It was, to be honest.
While performing routine duties as an assistant coach with the USMNT under Berhelter, Callaghan also implemented procedures for how the technical staff analyzed opponents and developed a game model for the USMNT. Callaghan managed USMNT commentators and analysts as well as scouts who watched matches involving future USMNT opponents.
“After speaking with BJ, one major step forward for this team is to make no changes,” USMT defenseman Tim Ream said in a statement. “The message, goals and ideals remain the same, a new voice is at the top. It’s a familiar sound that we’re all comfortable with and have lived with for years.
It is unclear who will join Callaghan on the USMNT staff for the two tournaments. U.S. Under-20 coach Mikey Varas has previously worked with senior teams, but is now with his team at the U-20 World Cup. The U-20s will face New Zealand in the Round of 16 on Tuesday, with U.S. Under-19 coach Marko Mitrovic on staff at times. US Soccer currently does not have a full-time goalkeeping coach. Rob Vartugian of NYCFC served as the goalkeeper coach for the camp earlier this year.
Callaghan will now serve as a bridgehead for the two CONCACAF tournaments before a new manager is named.
“I learned a lot from navigating these tournaments with the team last cycle as well as the three-game World Cup qualifying window,” Callaghan said in a statement. “The Nations League has two high-profile matches and when you’re approaching the gold medal in a 30-day period, you have to change your approach almost immediately with a different roster. I have strong experience in both races and understand both unique challenges. We strongly rely on his good relationship with the players to help us defend both trophies.
(Photo: Mike Janosz/USSF/Getty Images)
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