Gregg Berhalter out as USMNT head coach

Gregg Berhalter has been fired as United States men's national team head coach, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced Wednesday.

"Gregg has earned the respect of everyone within our organization and has played a pivotal role in bringing together a young team and moving the program forward. We wish Gregg all the best in his future endeavors, and we know he will find success in his next coaching position," Sporting Director Matt Crocker said in the announcement.

Most USMNT fans called for Berhalter's firing after the team was unceremoniously bounced from the Copa America 2024 group stage with losses to Panama and Uruguay. The team's only win came against Bolivia, the lowest ranked team in the tournament. After making it out of the group stage at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, this was a massive setback for the next World Cup host.

Berhalter was first hired back in 2018 after USA failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia. The team won three consecutive Concacaf Nations League titles, but Copa America was supposed to be a show of progression and improvement. Instead, it seems the U.S. Soccer Federation is opting for a new approach with 2026 rapidly approaching.

What went wrong for Berhalter and USA this summer?

From the team's first friendly against Colombia, something wasn't right this summer. Many complaints from fans was a distinct lack of a style of play for the Stars and Stripes. A better showing against a star-studded Brazil built some hope in the eyes of the fans, but things started to quickly unravel in the group stage.

USA lost 2-1 to Panama after Juventus forward Tim Weah received a red card. Folarin Balogun opened the scoring, but Panama equalized quickly and won the game in the second half. Then, in USA's final game against Uruguay the team never looked like it stood a chance. The team could've gotten by with some help from Bolivia, but in the end it was shock and failure for USMNT this summer.

Fox Sports analysts Carli Lloyd, Clint Dempsey and Alexi Lalas all shared their disdain for the head coach after losing to Uruguay. At the minimum, having a new face leading the group will bring some sort of bounce.

USMNT begins a new coaching search

Berhalter departs USMNT with a 44-17-13 record, the highest winning percentage of any tenured USMNT coach. The team will likely want to name a new head coach with friendlies coming up in September.

The next manager must come in and install a style of play with intent of making a mark in two summers. 2026, on home soil, with a golden generation of players, is the biggest opportunity for USA to do something special in a World Cup.

Check out our five candidates that could replace Berhalter this summer.