If anyone knows what it takes to perform under a new head coach, it's USMNT legend Clint Dempsey.
The joint-top goal scorer of any American man in international history, Dempsey enjoyed a long and prolific career for both club and country despite multiple coaching changes at his various teams.
"When I started the season out with every manager I was always on the bench, and I had to show that I was a starter and could be a main contributor for that team," he said.
Speaking exclusively to The Sporting News, the 41-year-old Nacogdoches, TX native detailed his experiences amidst coaching changes and what he hopes to see in the new USMNT man in charge now that Gregg Berhalter has been dismissed and the search is open.
"[The World Cup in] 2026 is a huge opportunity to do something great," Dempsey said. "Having a World Cup on home soil... I think back to 1994 with MLS and the professional league, and kids being able to believe it was a possibility to make a living doing what you love. So, I'm curious to what 2026 can bring, if we have a good World Cup and all the buzz around it, how the game can grow in the States and how we can take it to the next level."
With that "huge opportunity" in mind, nailing this coaching hire is vitally important for U.S. Soccer.
MORE: Top candidates for next USMNT head coach after Gregg Berhalter fired
Clint Dempsey's desired traits for next USMNT head coach
When asked to give his recipe for cooking up the next USMNT head coach, Dempsey's ideal boss boiled down to one trait: experience.
But for Dempsey, experience wasn't just a buzz word. It manifests in many different ways, the most important being respect — from players, staff, and fans.
"I think it's important that you command respect from what you've been able to do in your career as a manager, and players that you've been around, and you know how to deal with big personalities and big egos," Dempsey said.
There aren't too many individuals mentioned amongst the current potential candidates who have the experience that Dempsey is describing, but he asks for more than just a winning pedigree at the highest level.
"You're not afraid to shake up lineups," Dempsey said of the boldness he wants from a manager. "If someone's playing better it doesn't matter who the name is, they're able to break into that team and create that kind of culture from your performances in games or in training, which is how you figure out the best XI.
"You get respect through performances, right? So, as long as you have a team that respects each other and isn't afraid to demand the most from each other to win, then that's the type of team you want. You have a culture from training sessions and performances — that's how you break into the lineup, not just because of your name. I think everybody can be on the chopping block, and when you have it like that, everybody is always fighting for positions, and it's not just every time you come into camp you know what the lineup will be."
Ultimately, though, Dempsey wants someone who's been in the trenches before, "and someone who knows how to get the job done because they've been successful and had their backs against the wall in major competitions and been able to get to the other side."
Finally, the former U.S. star threw in one more characteristic he hopes to see — something that can lead to a positive future beyond just the 2026 World Cup.
"Development," he said. "Someone that can help with the development of the games in the United States and have that new set of eyes to find different talent."
How does Clint Dempsey want USMNT to play?
Having been a player under multiple coaches utilizing multiple systems, it's no surprise that Dempsey, a goal-scoring forward during his playing career, hopes the U.S. can seize a more attacking mindset under the next head coach.
"I want someone who's not going to sit back," Dempsey said, "someone who will attack the opposition and let players have a little bit of freedom, but also have a structure which everybody knows how they'll play and what they're trying to accomplish."
In his illustrious and swagger-filled career, Dempsey scored 129 goals at club level and 57 more for the international team, the latter of which is the joint-most of any male player in American history alongside Landon Donovan. Thus, it tracks that he hopes to see a more attacking mindset moving forward — although not all of that is on the coaching. Sometimes, they need the right players to do the job as well.
"I think it's important to allow players to be creative to take players on and mix things up in the final third. I think sometimes we create players who are too similar here in the United States. I think you need to have players willing to get on the half turn and get forward, not just play side-to-side or back."
What coaches got the most out of Clint Dempsey in his career?
Most former players and coaches draw from their own experiences on the pitch when evaluating current situations after the end of their careers.
The same is true for Dempsey, who raised an interesting dilemma that U.S. Soccer will have to sort through when hiring their next head coach.
Dempsey said that as an attacking player, he played his best at club level under a coach that gave him the most freedom, but that didn't necessarily translate to consistent winning. Instead, the coach under whom he felt the team performed the best on the whole reigned in his attackers a bit, restricting someone like Dempsey but giving the team a chance to remain in games longer.
"The best that I probably... at the height of what I was playing for club, I would say under Martin Jol was the year that I had my best year at Fulham. In terms of the most organized team I would say was probably under Roy Hodgson because of the tactics and how we were difficult to break down. We were a team that didn't concede a lot of goals — we also didn't score a lot of goals, but we could play against any team and be in the game and cause upsets.
"So I think that's a balance of structure and balance of freedom to go and express yourself. I feel like I had a little more freedom under Martin Jol, but I had to earn it."
For the national team, though, there was little debate about who Dempsey felt like he played his best under.
"In terms of national team, I probably played the best under Jurgen Klinsmann because he had a lot of confidence in me, he told me 'just go out there and score,'" Dempsey said. "And he's the only manager that gave me the captain's armband, which I didn't really want. I'm not that guy that's like, 'please let me be the captain of this team.' I had enough on my plate. I just wanted to focus on helping the team win, score goals, get assists, and that's all I wanted at the national team."
So how does that translate to the next USMNT head coach? At the end of the day, Dempsey just wants the team to perform well, because he feels a strong connection to the squad.
"It's not my job to pick the coach, so whoever's in charge I hope they make the right decision because I'm a fan of the U.S. team, my kids are fans, we watch the games, and we want them to do well."
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