The current MLS season hasn’t ended, but Los Angeles Galaxy don’t want to waste any time in their pursuit of a new head coach.
Bruce Arena left to coach the USMNT and several staff members are likely to go along with him. That leaves the door open for a coaching vacancy, one the Galaxy needs to fill as quickly as possible. Let’s not forget they also have a roster to assemble and two DP spots open ahead of the 2017 season. With Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard gone, they could easily sign some of the top players interested in joining the league.
With that in mind, the newly-appointed GM Peter Vagenas and club’s president Chris Klein began their search for potential candidates. The latter talked about the subject in-depth during a conference call this past Monday. After that meeting, seemingly everyone has a chance to become the team’s next head coach.
It’s not going to be easy, though. Klein said they will try to get someone with MLS experience, but they’re not ruling out a foreign coach. It seems experience in MLS is a plus, but it won’t be a deciding factor.
“The domestic coaches have certainly had more success in our league than those from without,” he said. “Not saying that a foreign coach couldn’t be successful with us. We are definitely looking at candidates. We’ve had people contacting us from all over the world — names that everyone would know, and some that you wouldn’t.”
Ok, that leaves the door open for anyone. Klein didn’t stop there, however, and was quick to remind the reporters that they are already searching the market. “It’s likely that we will interview at least one coach who is not from our country. Our search is primarily on domestic coaches, but we would like to interview at least one foreign candidate.”
The final statement seems pretty interesting, although we would have to start analysing who could be good enough. After all, the Galaxy are one of the best teams in the league and they have a tradition to protect.
LA Galaxy II coach Curt Onalfo is reportedly a candidate. Onalfo previously spent time as Bruce Arena’s assistant manager, but also has experience as coach with DC United and the extinct Kansas City Wizards.
Another potential option could be Sigi Schmid who left the Seattle Sounders midway through the current season, but Klein downplayed the rumors rather quickly.
“I’m not going to comment on some candidates,” Klein said. “Certainly, Sigi’s history — not only in this club, but with Seattle, and his standing as a coach in our league, would make anyone think of him as a candidate. We have not spoken yet, though.”
Schmid would certainly be a very good choice. He has experience with the Seattle Sounders, so he knows the pressure of expectations. He’s a proven winner with a lot of silverware. And most importantly, he knows what it takes to win an MLS Cup. That should be the deciding factor over the other candidates.
There are several options to fill the head coaching vacancy in one of the best teams in the league. But the management needs to know what they’re doing. After all, the Galaxy needs to start winning pretty soon. And finding a good head coach would be ideal to start rebuilding after the Gerrard-Arena-Keane era came to an end.