Faithful servants and global superstars: Who's on deck for USMNT after Mauricio Pochettino's departure?

That lack of surprise—coupled with Pochettino's buyout clause, worth a reported $10 million—means the U.S. Soccer Federation has what it needs to start an earnest search for his successor. But who are the federation's top candidates? What could make them sink or swim with the USMNT? And what's the likelihood of them accepting an offer?

Steve Cherundolo - USMNT U23

For a short-term fix, the USMNT really can't do better than current U23 coach Steve Cherundolo. He's been around the team for months (he was present for the USMNT's 4-1 win over Peru in Orlando in September) and has worked closely with Pochettino's staff in preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. (The Olympic men's soccer tournament is a U23 affair, with each nation allowed to bring just three senior players into its roster.) When it comes to federation familiarity and closeness with Pochettino's vision, there's no candidate that knocks it out of the park quite like Cherundolo.

Tactically, though, Cherundolo could be something of a miss. His famed LAFC teams of yore were far more timid than their goalscoring stats suggest—thank Carlos Vela and Denis Bouanga for that dissonance—and they played a style of soccer that was, in a word, mundane. Cherundolo's LAFC was never a pressing team or a possession team: it played like it wanted to win every game thanks to a sliced daisy-cutter in the 20th minute. Casual fans will not respond well to a USMNT that does the same.

BJ Callaghan - Nashville SC

Current Nashville coach BJ Callaghan might split the difference on Cherundolo's strengths and weaknesses. He's also familiar with the USMNT—he was Gregg Berhalter's assistant for five years and served as the USMNT's interim coach between Berhalter's stints, winning the 2023 Nations League along the way—but his MLS soccer is famously exuberant. His Nashville side just won the MLS Supporters' Shield while setting an all-time points record, and it's the clear favorite to win the MLS Cup this winter, too.

Callaghan is one of the fastest-rising American coaching talents in the world, and he's made no secret about his love for the USMNT. The only thing keeping him from being a slam-dunk appointment is the genuine momentum he has with Nashville. Everything about the club is set up to help him achieve his wildest dreams—would he walk away from that for another shot with the national team?

Pep Guardiola - formerly Manchester City

Former Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has been on sabbatical since leaving the Premier League last May, and his absence has loomed large over global soccer. Guardiola has been clear that he's not interested in club jobs anytime soon, but international sides like Italy and Brazil have already contacted him about coaching positions within their federations.

U.S. Soccer could be next. It already has an established relationship with Guardiola after pursuing him in 2024. 

"The USA is fascinating to try to build a project for many years and being able to get the national team to the next step," Guardiola previously said, via The Athletic . "The potential with the USA is there for the amount of people and sports and so on."

Familiar with the USMNT, dedicated to beautiful soccer and a known global name: Guardiola is the obvious top candidate for the USMNT to pursue in the wake of Pochettino's reign. But is he ready to go back to work, and is the USMNT still an interesting option for him? Guardiola could have any job in world soccer—it'll be up to U.S. Soccer to convince him that he should take this one.

Julian Nagelsmann - formerly Germany

If the USMNT wants a known global name but cannot sway Guardiola, it could do far worse than consider former Germany leader Julian Nagelsmann. Unlike Guardiola, Nagelsmann has international coaching experience—and unlike Guardiola, he's not on the shortlist for every position in the sport.

Nagelsmann is still just 39 years old and has plenty of room to develop with the team. His Bayern Munich side of the early 2020s was brilliant and he successfully earned the respect of a dressing room featuring players older than he was. Yes, his Germany stint was less than stellar, but beloved ex-Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp is struggling with that roster just as much as Nagelsmann did. He'd be a fascinating choice for the USMNT.