The 46-year-old has walked away from the national team job after an embarrassing World Cup, so who should be considered to replace him?
It was once the biggest job in the women's game, and perhaps it still is. The United States women's national team is looking for a new head coach to usher in a new era but, strangely enough, there isn't an obvious candidate out there.
Vlatko Andonovski is gone after a disastrous 2022 World Cup that saw the U.S. eliminated in the last 16. The moment the USWNT fell to Sweden, Andonovski's fate was sealed. There would be no second cycle, no Olympics; this team was onto something new.
Whichever coach comes in will face a massive task in rebuilding a fallen juggernaut. There's no debating that the USWNT regressed under Andonovski, although how much is up for debate. Did the rest of the world catch up completely or did the USWNT never quite find the level needed to be, well, the USWNT?
The answer is probably somewhere in the middle. This is a team and a player pool still loaded with talent, but also one that needs some tweaks. The USWNT's mentality and athleticism aren't enough to overwhelm teams anymore and, as several key veterans prepare for their exits from the international stage, it'll be up to a new head coach to build this team around several new stars.
With the 2024 Olympics just a year away, that new coach won't have too much time to put their stamp on things before a major tournament begins. Even with what we saw this summer, though, the USWNT will be among the favorites in Paris, especially if the new coach can make even the slightest tweaks to the factors that let the USWNT down this summer.
So who might that coach be? GOAL takes a look at some of the candidates to replace Andonovski:
GettySarina Wiegman
Probably the best coach in the women's game right now, but also a hire that is essentially a pipedream. Sarina Wiegman is set to lead England into the country's first Women's World Cup final on Sunday, having already won back-to-back European Championships and taken her native Netherlands to the 2019 World Cup final.
Her contract with England runs through 2025 and, with the Olympics just around the corner, is there really any reason for her to leave? The answer is 'probably not', but U.S. Soccer will almost certainly make the call to check just in case.
AdvertisementGettyLaura Harvey
Probably the most natural hire the USWNT could make, Laura Harvey has coached the U.S. at U20, U23 and senior level, and has worked with Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Naomi Girma during their rises to the top of the game.
Harvey, of course, is close with Andonovski, having worked with him and competed against him, so there could be concern about having too much continuity after a poor World Cup. Her time with OL Reign, though, has proved she's a fantastic coach, and she's already come out and hinted that she'd be interested in the role if offered.
"The U.S. women's national team is probably the top job in the world," she said. "If my name is anywhere near it, that's an honor. But first and foremost, my priority is the Reign."
GettyTony Gustavsson
Tony Gustavsson led hosts Australia on a magical run through the World Cup, so his stock has never been higher. And, given his USWNT history, he may be the perfect fit.
Gustavsson previously served as an assistant under Jill Ellis from 2014-19 before returning to his native Sweden when Andonovski was hired. In 2020, he took over the Matildas and led them on a fantastic run to the semi-finals of this World Cup after finishing fourth at the Olympics in 2021.
He's another one that may not want to leave a good situation with the Olympics looming and his results with Australia, until this summer, were possibly a bit too inconsistent to overlook. Ellis, though, has already backed him, telling ESPN: "He should definitely be a strong candidate for the job."
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GettyEmma Hayes
One of the top coaches at club level in the women's game, could Emma Hayes be tempted by the biggest job at international level?
Hayes has been the Women's Super League's best coach for years, winning the Manager of the Season award six times, as well as The Best FIFA Football Coach in 2021. She also has a history in the U.S., having previously coached Long Island and Iona at the college level, before managing the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL.
Prying her away from Chelsea may be impossible, but the USWNT job is one of the few in the world that may be better than coaching the Blues.