All articles tagged with #matt crocker
Matt Crocker, U.S. Soccer’s sporting director and architect of a long-term player development plan, abruptly departs for a Saudi federation role, triggering an interim leadership phase as the federation reassesses its sporting department ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with COO Dan Helfrich overseeing operations and searches for a replacement.
Matt Crocker has left U.S. Soccer with immediate effect to take a role with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, just weeks before the 2026 World Cup. Crocker helped shape major hires (Berhalter, Hayes, and later Pochettino) and spearheaded the federation’s “US Way” player-development plan. COO Dan Helfrich will provide executive oversight, while Oguchi Onyewu and Tracey Kevins continue to support sporting operations. Practically, the World Cup setup remains led by Mauricio Pochettino, and the federation says planning is in place to ensure continuity despite Crocker’s departure.
Matt Crocker is leaving his post as U.S. Soccer's sporting director to assume a similar role with Saudi Arabia ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup; assistants will cover his duties as the federation searches for a successor, and Crocker’s hires of Mauricio Pochettino and Emma Hayes helped elevate the U.S. programs while officials insist World Cup preparations remain on track.
The U.S. Soccer Federation's data-driven and complex process to find a new USMNT head coach ended up renewing Gregg Berhalter's contract, which was deemed a failure after the team's early exit in the 2024 Copa América. With Berhalter now fired, Matt Crocker aims to refine the search criteria and target specific candidates more effectively.
After a six-month search, Gregg Berhalter has been reappointed as the head coach of the US Men's National Team. The search process included psychometric tests, cross-industry tools, and exercises that extended far beyond soccer tactics. The search was led by U.S. Soccer's sporting director Matt Crocker, who used data to identify candidates and scored and ranked them in eight key areas. Berhalter was the last candidate and was chosen within 48 hours of his testing. He will not coach the USMNT until September, spending nine months away from the players to focus on long-term planning.
Gregg Berhalter has been reappointed as the US men's national team coach after a rigorous interview process that evaluated more than 10 candidates. Sporting director Matt Crocker used a "data-driven model" to identify candidates, and Berhalter's passion, knowledge, leadership, and growth mindset stood out. Berhalter had led the US through its previous World Cup cycle but had also navigated off-field issues since the team returned from Qatar. The decision to reappoint Berhalter was not unanimous, but U.S. Soccer leadership insisted it was the right one. Berhalter's focus will be on preparing the team for the upcoming cycle and the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
Gregg Berhalter has been appointed as the head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Berhalter is the first person in U.S. Soccer history to participate in a World Cup as both a player and a head coach. The appointment comes after a worldwide search process led by U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker, who used a mix of data and interviews to evaluate candidates. Berhalter's vision is to continue the development of young players, grow the game for the next generation, and build a cohesive culture and style of play to win major tournaments.
Matt Crocker, the new sporting director of U.S. Soccer, has begun his role by leading the search for the next head coach of the men's national team. Crocker, who previously worked as the director of sporting operations at Southampton, has experience in developing talent and implementing a clear playing philosophy. He hopes to have a coach in place "as soon as possible" and is looking for someone who can lead an aggressive, forward-thinking team with a strong culture. Choosing an American coach is not necessarily a top priority, but Crocker wants a coach who can connect with the player pool.
The U.S. Soccer Federation has appointed Matt Crocker as the new Sporting Director. Crocker will oversee U.S. Soccer’s entire Sporting Department, focusing on the Men’s and Women’s National Team programs, Youth National Teams, and the Extended National Teams. He will start fulltime on August 2nd, but will immediately begin the process of hiring the head coach of the Men’s National Team and supporting the U.S. Women’s National Team general manager Kate Markgraf and USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski.
The U.S. Soccer Federation is set to hire Matt Crocker, the director of football operations for the Premier League's Southampton, as its next sporting director. Crocker will oversee all 27 U.S. national teams and will be responsible for finding a full-time head coach for the USMNT. He has an extensive history of identifying and developing young talent and will replace Earnie Stewart, who stepped down in January.