Jose Mourinho reportedly on the list of coaches US Soccer is considering for USMNT manager

As the USMNT once again faces a January camp without a full-time manager, a new name in the list of potential candidates being considered for the job has emerged. World Soccer Talk posted a report that US Soccer wants Jose Mourinho for the role. This, presumably, would entail him leaving his job at Roma early to take the role.

The article notes that Mourinho has stated an ambition to manage in an international tournament like the European Championship and World Cup. It’s possible he could be enticed by the prospect of leading the USA in the Gold Cup, potentially a Copa America, and the 2026 World Cup.

Bringing in a coach of Mourinho’s reputation would also considerably raise the profile of US Soccer as he would easily be the most notable manager to lead the USMNT program. The Special One would also bring a new leadership style to the squad. A hallmark of US Men’s coaches has been focused on adopting an approach that emphasizes team cohesion to play to the side’s more typical underdog status on the world’s stage. This also brings a touch of arrogance with a healthy dose of American optimism to build belief in the team’s ability to overcome the odds.

Jose Mourinho does not do that. His style is at times more confrontational, using more critical tactics to get the best out of players and setting high standards. In this way, he would be more similar to Jurgen Klinsmann but with a much better record of success than the German manager.

In any case, his name being linked to the job shows that US Soccer is considering coaches with a track record of success at the highest level. Hopefully, it also indicates that the federation is looking to bring in an outside voice with a new perspective to challenge some of the insular actions that were a large part a reaction to Klinsmann’s time as manager.

Get in the comments and let us know what you think about Jose getting a crack at the USMNT job.