Adams: Next USMNT coach needs to be 'ruthless'

United States midfielder Tyler Adams said the men’s national team’s next coach must be “ruthless” and have a proven track record of getting results.

The U.S. Soccer Federation is in the process of searching for a new head coach after Gregg Berhalter was dismissed from the role following the USMNT’s group-stage exit from the Copa América on home soil this summer.

“For myself and the young team and kind of where we’re at, I think we need someone that’s almost a little bit ruthless coming in and putting everyone in their place and understanding that ‘listen, this is what needs to be done and this is the way that we’re gonna do it,'” he told Men in Blazers.

“And there’s no really ifs, ands or buts, it’s not really a conversation, it has to be more of a decision that’s made and this is the way we’re gonna play.”

Whoever replaces Berhalter will be tasked with leading the team into the World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico, in less than two years’ time. And Adams says that limited window means it’s crucial to get a coach who’s a proven commodity.

“I think that’s always the best way when you have a short period of time,” he added. “You see it in the Premier League all the time when managers gets sacked after three games, four games, the best way to get results is bringing someone in and having someone that you know what they’re going to do before they even come in.

“I don’t think we have a huge amount of time if everyone wants to focus on the goal is 2026 World Cup and we want the best result possible then you have to get someone who’s gotten results.”

U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker has said that he wants to appoint the best possible coach “whether they’re from the U.S. or elsewhere,” and has targeted having someone in place in time for the USMNT’s friendlies against Canada and New Zealand next month.

So far, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and U.S.-born Hoffenheim coach Pellegrino Matarazzo have both ruled themselves out of the running.

Adams is highly unlikely to feature when the U.S. returns to the field against Canada on Sept. 7 after undergoing recent back surgery, which has ruled him out of the start of the Premier League season with Bournemouth.