We've been asking for it for years and it looks like US Soccer has gotten the message. It's a relief to see the announcement that, starting next year, the U-17 and U-20 youth national teams will be coached by full time coaches. This is a potential win-win for both the girls in the youth national team pipelines and for us college soccer fans. However, nothing seems to be in the mill for the U-15s and U-23s, so those teams remain an unanswered question. The announcement says that the search is on for three full time coaches. One each for the U-17 and U-20 teams, and one for running the USSF National Training Centers, scouting, and coaching education. I still haven't figured out the relationship between Ellis and Hendricks, so it is not clear as to whom these new coaches will be reporting. Any inside information as to who will be applying and who Hendricks and Ellis would want to recruit?
Relationship? Well, April is a protégé of Jill's dad and has spent many Christmases at the Ellis home. http://www.socceramerica.com/article/13600/us-soccer-ellis-is-zagallo-to-heinrichs-parrei.html Does that help?
April was mediocre coach for WNT, Maryland and UVA. Yet she kept getting coaching jobs because she was a good player at UNC. Her and Jill are running youth teams now. That's kinda scary.
Well, the article you post is great and it is nice to know all of that history. Thanks for that. But what I am asking is what is the structural employment relationship (if any) at USSF between Hendrichs and Ellis? Or to put it more bluntly, what are the lines of reporting in the Women's division of USSF? To whom will these three new-hire coaches report and be responsible?
This could be really good news . . . Ellis can coach the U17's or U20's or whatever, Ape can "supervise," and there's still room for a decent WNT coach . . . Or this could mean that post-Pia, Ellis becomes the WNT coach, Ape gets to be technical director or whatever, and they can add 3 friends to their full-time staff coaching the youth nats. Yikes.
I think it means "no more college coaches ALSO coaching USYNT's" Many of these coaches aren't taking the risk of just doing US coaching (i.e. Waldrum and Swanson). These jobs just don't last that long. You're going to get college or WPS folks in transition taking these gigs for one cycle at a time (2 years or so). If the perceived conflict of interested is removed for the equation, I guess that helps - as long as you still get good coaches to take these jobs!!! Is Waldrum on a part-time or per-event basis better or worse than Heinrichs full-time?? What's that saying.... be careful what you wish for....
This is a great move. I'm of the opinion that it's a huge conflict of interest for college coaches to be coaching national level teams. It seems to unbalance the playing field at the collegiate level as far as recruiting. Now it may take a few years to sort out the kinks, so the best coaches are running the show. I don't have an opinion as t0 whether the current indicated staff is appropriate, but understand that many think Hendrick's underperformed with the national team when she was with them. It would be good to see some of the better college coaches move up to the national level. Does anyone know what kind of salary they would be able to offer?
This option has been my concern from the moment Ellis left UCLA and she & Heinrichs were named to whatever you want to call their current jobs. I get the concerns of those who don't want college coaches w/ nat'l team power over recruits but does anyone really think certain top (or potential top) coaches like Swanson, Waldrum, Cromwell, [insert other fav up & coming coach] will really eschew the relative security of NCAA jobs for 1 or 2 (at most) cycles in the international youth soccer scene (remember U20 & U17 cycles are 2 yrs).
I get the concerns of those who don't want college coaches w/ nat'l team power over recruits but does anyone really think certain top (or potential top) coaches like Swanson, Waldrum, Cromwell, [insert other fav up & coming coach] will really eschew the relative security of NCAA jobs for 1 or 2 (at most) cycles in the international youth soccer scene (remember U20 & U17 cycles are 2 yrs).[/quote] Does the national cycle have to be only 2 years, or has it been that because of the need to use college coaches? I think if the compensation is adequate and the ability to have careers doing it you would find very qualified coaches pursuing the opportunity, and with the turnover at the college game there would always be opportunities to get back into coaching college. That would be a much better option than keeping the two year cycle and I would think would be required in order to get the right people interested. I have followed the womens college game since my daughters babysitters who happened to be soccer players played in college and it has always bothered me that certain coaches use their position as an opportunity to recruit national level players into their programs much more easily and readily than the very vast majority that don't have that opportunity. I won't argue that in some cases one might argue that it is the benefit of working hard at your profession to be the best and be recognized that gets them to that position. But it also seems, as evidenced by the article linked in the thread, that there may be some favoritism going on too.
A cycle is defined as two years b/c the U20 and U17 cups are held every two years. I agree and understand concerns about the potential for (and reality of) a U20 coach holding Uxx camp spots as leverage for college recruiting. But, I do not think a quality coach will give up a quality job for a 2 or so year run as a Uxx nat'l team coach. I don't think quality coaches w/ high quality jobs (eg Waldrum at ND or Swanson at UVA) would give up their day jobs. USSF isn't going to pay enough to make that choice make any sort of sense. Maybe I'm wrong and USSF will pony up more than $140k per for Uxx women coaches but I doubt it.
I think there are really two big questions here: 1. Is SocFed going to pay a "pro" coaching rate that makes leaving college coaching a no-brainer (or at least a "brainer" where you have to think about it?). 2. Can SocFed make a credible career path? You get, say Waldrum (not that it matters), gives up Notre Dame, takes the U17's & does well, is he kind of automatically the next WNT coach (so it's kind of an 8-year cycle, assuming results go well)? That could be pretty attractive . . .
College coaches find a loop hole in everything. Watch who pops up as an Assistant Coach under the non-college, full-time coaches. It will happen.
You make good points by dividing the two pieces. As for 2--Not sure you'd (theoretically) want to lock in your future WNT coach so early even if the U17 or U20 coach won their WWC in convincing style. I mean, yeah, often successful Uxx coaches make their way up to the full nat team (here and elsewhere). But maybe I just have trust issues w/ USSF w/ respect to the coaching selection on women's side of things.
This is a great and welcome step. I honestly don't know why it took this long. The conflicts of interest are pretty open and obvious and it has been exploited for years. I am with you Germans4, however. There definitely will be college coaches continuing on as assistants. Look at Amy Griffin and Kat Mertz now. The assistant coach/college coach ties will continue which is unfortunate.