Ex-Union assistant B.J. Callaghan to serve as interim USMNT coach this summer

U.S. men’s soccer team interim manager Anthony Hudson is leaving a few months before the end of his contract to take a job elsewhere. Top assistant B.J. Callaghan, a Ventnor native with many years of experience with the national team and the Union, will lead the program through this summer’s Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup tournaments.

It’s not a surprise that Hudson is leaving, only that he’s leaving early. His contract was to expire Aug. 1, and new sporting director Matt Crocker is in the process of picking the new full-time boss.

“I would like to thank U.S. Soccer for the opportunity to be part of such a great team of players and staff,” Hudson said in a statement. “It’s been an honor to represent the national team and one that I have truly valued and enjoyed. The group is in good hands with B.J., and I’m excited to watch and support the team as it continues to grow and reach the heights we all know they are capable of.”

Hudson ended up in charge for five games, with a 2-1-2 record. The two wins were the games that really mattered, in the Nations League group stage, and the rest were friendlies.

His bigger wins came in landing commitments from multinational attacking talents Alejandro Zendejas (over Mexico) and Folarin Balogun (over England and Nigeria).

U.S. Soccer didn’t say where Hudson is going. The Athletic reported it’s to a club team in the Middle East. No further details are available yet.

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Callaghan has been with the national team program since 2019, as an assistant to former manager Gregg Berhalter and then Hudson’s top assistant during this year’s interim period.

Before then, Callaghan spent seven years in the Union’s coaching ranks, two in the youth academy, then five as an assistant to Jim Curtin. Along the way, he coached major academy prospects and young pros, including current national team players Zack Steffen, Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty, and Brenden Aaronson.

“I think something that we have built over the last four years is this real personal connection to all of these players,” Callaghan told The Inquirer earlier this year, speaking not just of the local natives but the entire team.

The 41-year-old ex-goalkeeper played high school soccer at Holy Spirit, college ball at Ursinus, and worked on the coaching staffs at Ursinus, St. Joseph’s, and Villanova. He has deep family connections on Lancaster Avenue, as one of his grandfathers was legendary Wildcats men’s basketball coach Jack Kraft.

“I understand the responsibility of the job and am honored to have the opportunity to build upon the progress this group has made the last four years,” Callaghan said in a statement Tuesday. “Together, we have built a strong culture and a great understanding of how we want to play, and we expect to continue to build on that progress. Our goal is clear: Defend both of our Concacaf titles.”

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The Nations League final four will take place June 15-18 in Las Vegas, and is expected to feature the top U.S. squad. That roster is scheduled to be announced Thursday.

The Gold Cup will be held from June 16-July 16 at venues across the country (not Philadelphia this time), and is expected to have the United States’ B squad — potentially including many candidates for next year’s Olympic team.

Veteran U.S. centerback Tim Ream gave Callaghan a strong endorsement.

“The messaging, goals, and ideas stay the same, with a new voice at the top,” Ream said. “His is a familiar voice that we are all comfortable with and have been around for years.”

Curtin also sent his best wishes.

“I’m really proud,” he said. “A guy that has seen it now at every level, [and] I think has an incredible understanding of the United States player pool. … Anybody that works with B.J., the people in the know, realize just how good he is on the field with players, tactically, in the video/film room.”

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Crocker said in an interview with U.S. Soccer’s website last week that he has “already had a number of conversations with some of the candidates” to get the full-time U.S. men’s job later this year.

Few names have been widely circulated as candidates, but Jesse Marsch remains atop just about all the speculation.

There was a plot twist on Monday, though, as CBS Sports reported that Monaco, which plays in France’s top division, is considering Marsch to be its next manager.

If Marsch goes there, the chatter could go in many directions. Curtin’s name has been mentioned often, as has Patrick Vieira. The former star player for France and clubs including England’s Arsenal started his top-level coaching career at New York City FC before going to France’s Nice, then England’s Crystal Palace.

» READ MORE: New U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker shows what he knows — and what he doesn’t yet

In that U.S. Soccer interview, Crocker said: “The plan is to conduct a series of interviews in June and narrow down the list of candidates. From there, we will engage the finalists in another evaluation activity in the middle of July. Our aim is to have our new coach in place by August, although it’s possible that club circumstances could impact the timeline.”

Whoever becomes the full-time manager will have a full plate in the fall. In October, the U.S. will host marquee friendlies against Germany (Oct. 14 in East Hartford, Conn.) and Ghana (Oct. 17 in Nashville).

November will bring the first serious games of the new manager’s tenure: the U.S. team’s entry into the 2023-24 Nations League campaign at the quarterfinal stage. The tournament serves as qualifying for the 2024 Copa América, with the U.S. and this year’s other quarterfinalists (Canada, Mexico, and Panama) getting byes past the edition’s group stage.

Though the U.S. is hosting the Copa América, it will have to qualify like all the other Concacaf teams as part of the deal to bring South America’s national team championship here.

There’s also a FIFA window from Sept. 4-12. The team’s plans for that period aren’t known yet.

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