Caleb Porter Named U.S. Men’s National Team U-23 Coach; Tab Ramos U-20 Coach
U.S. Soccer announced today the naming of University of Akron coach Caleb Porter as the new U-23 Men’s National Team coach. Porter’s appointment is effective immediately. US Soccer said he will continue his job as head coach at Akron.
“I am honored and feel extremely privileged to be given this once in a lifetime opportunity to lead the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team,” said Porter. “I’m eager to start the process of putting the pieces together in preparation for Olympic qualifying in March.”
“We are excited to have Caleb join our youth National Team staff,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “Still early in his career, Caleb has been extremely successful and has demonstrated the ability to mentor and develop young players. A proven winner, we believe he will do a great job of leading our Under-23 Men’s National Team as they look to qualify for the Olympic Games next summer.”
U.S. Soccer also announced the hiring of former U.S. international and three-time World Cup veteran Tab Ramos to coach the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team. Ramos had taken over the job of U-20 coach on an interim basis this past year when Thomas Rongen was relieved of his duties in May. The U-20s failed to qualify for their U-20 World Cup for the first time since 1995.
“Tab Ramos has been one of the pioneers of the sport in this country and will bring a wealth of experience in his role as the Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach. His addition to our national team program will be a benefit as we continue to concentrate on the development of our youth players at the international level.”
“It is an honor for me to once again be representing the United States,” said Ramos. “After ending my playing career, I’ve been working extremely hard to develop as a coach. I have had the opportunity to work with the youth national teams with some great coaches, and now I look forward to contributing in a much bigger way.”
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Ok. I’m going to get in first: I gotta think that some of Porters colleagues are going to be seriously SALTY over the fact that he gets to keep his Akron gig while being at the helm of the US U-23′s. I realize that similar things have happened in basketball, field hockey, ice hockey and other sports–I just got a feeling that someone is going to complain about him now having an unfair recruiting advantadge.
As far as Tab goes: Replacing Rongen was overdue. Likeable guy, charming personality (unless your name is Ned Subotic). But we needed to make that change a while ago. Maybe we should have started Tab off with the U-17′s first. U-20 is almost more important in my book than the U-23′s because so many of the guys are in transition bewteen student status and professional status.
I realize that is changing but I would have felt better if we gave him some guys a bit younger. Maybe he could help them better understand what awaits them in the professional ranks.
Juct my 2cents.
Yeah, he may now have what is believed to be an “unfair” recruiting advantage, but the fact is that he already had that advantage by being the best college outfit in the nation.
Caleb does not need the national team to recruit, he has the majority of the top talents in the country wanting to come on board.
Caleb made an interesting statement to a friend of mine who was with his son on a recruiting trip in Akron. His position was that an Akron player who was not a starter benefited more being in Akron as a bench player and got better through practices than most starters got with the top tier college teams in playing positions.
If one ever goes tours Akron and their facilities, and the commitment that the University makes to soccer (they don’t have football), it will be abundantly clear why this is a program that works.
And let’s not forget their fans, the Zips. Most of their gatherings are larger than a D2 league game. They have the passion of a lion.
Bart, the Akron Zips most certainly do have a football program, just not a good one.
That is what I meant, I wrote it poorly. Most of the college is far more active in the support of their soccer team than any other sport.
I went to watch them in a blizzard element a couple of years ago and the pure emotional excitement of the Zips melted the snow on the pitch!!