Advertisement

Former U.S. striker Josh Wolff and four others round out USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter's staff

Former World Cup forward Josh Wolff and four others were named to Gregg Berhalter’s United States men’s national team coaching staff on Wednesday, U.S. Soccer announced.

Wolff will serve as an assistant coach, the same role he held under Berhalter for the last five years with MLS club Columbus Crew. Yahoo Sports reported that Wolff’s hiring was imminent earlier this month.

Along with Wolff, two other Crew alums follow Berhalter from Columbus. Steve Tashjian becomes head performance expert for the USMNT, while Nico Estevez, a Spanish national, will join the staff pending approval of his U.S. work permit. Darcy Norman was named movement and conditioning coach, while former Philadelphia Union deputy B.J. Callaghan was also named an assistant and strategy analyst. The Athletic reported last week that Callaghan would leave the Union for the USMNT. With the exception of Estevez, the staff had been working with the 28 MLS players currently in training camp in Chula Vista, California, while their contracts were finalized.

Josh Wolff will follow Gregg Berhalter from the Columbus Crew to the USMNT. (Getty Images)
Josh Wolff will follow Gregg Berhalter from the Columbus Crew to the USMNT. (Getty Images)

“In putting together the staff, we looked for coaches with considerable backgrounds in four different areas: World Cups, CONCACAF, MLS and Europe,” Berhalter, who became the USMNT boss last month, said in a press release. “This group checks those boxes, and we are confident their wealth of experiences will be beneficial to the players and for the development of our program.”

“We searched for coaches that have complementary skillsets and varied career paths,” added general manager Earnie Stewart. “Starting with Gregg and with these additions to the staff, we have assembled a strong group that can now begin to implement the culture, style of play and identity we envision for the national team moving forward.”

The first match for the new staff comes Jan. 27, a friendly against regional foe Panama in Glendale, Arizona.

Doug McIntyre covers soccer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

More from Yahoo Sports:
Report: Tourney nixes Ball’s team after $10K request
Bob Costas announces his NBC career is over
Deion Sanders has some advice for Heisman winner
’96 World Series MVP charged with child sex abuse