Atlanta United: Five names to consider for head coach

Atlanta United a coveted job

With the firing of the disastrous Gabriel Heinze on Sunday, Atlanta United is looking for a new heard coach. And for a club as big as this one, an ordinary hire just won’t due.

This is a club that loves to talk about how big they are, from transfer budgets to crowds. When you talk that big, then surely the names linked for head coach will be just as splashy.

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So that rules out a number of current MLS assistants who, despite a connection to sporting director Carlos Bocanegra, likely won’t check off the glitz factor that Atlanta United has gone for in their three head coaching hires to date.

So a look at five possible names that make sense for Atlanta United as they look to rebuild the club…

The Favorite for Atlanta United

Everything about Dome Torrent is impressive, the former New York City FC head coach who has a long track record alongside Pep Guardiola. He did a good job with NYCFC, where he had to manage star players but also did the important work of bringing along young Homegrown players; that should be intriguing for Atlanta United.

Torrent’s background in coaching academies and reserves is a tremendous fit for Atlanta United as they begin to reap rewards from their own academy system. But his ability to manage big names and talents, as he did under Guardiola’s watch as an assistant at Manchester City and Bayern Munich, makes his resume an almost perfect fit for this club.

There’s just enough splash here to make waves for Atlanta United. And more than enough substance to make it work. Torrent is a tremendous coach.

A Name to Watch

This one is a bit off the radar but Hugo Perez has earned plenty of buzz following his work with El Salvador in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The former United States international never played in MLS but has been around the league working with the youth national teams.

Like Torrent, his work with young players is a plus. He’s also known as a strong player’s coach who can manage difficult situations and personalities. What he’s done with El Salvador, a team without top talent, is impressive. Atlanta United, a side with big names and big transfer budgets, could surely use someone who wants to play attractive soccer but is willing to add some bite to a soft squad.

The Longshot

So, this might just be for entertainment value but Jurgen Klinsmann.

There’s no overlap from when Klinsmann coached the United States national team and Bocanegra’s tenure as a standout defender. But Klinsmann wants to play a certain way (possession based with some pressing) and has worked at big clubs (Bayern Munich) and big moments (Germany in the 2006 World Cup, the United States in 2014). Klinsmann has never coached in MLS but he checks off the big name and is a convincing salesman.

Maybe there’s some appeal here.

Even longer longshot

Lothar Matthaus.

Won’t say too much about this but Matthaus has experience coaching at the international level (Hungary, Bulgaria) as well as at the club level including a stint with Red Bull Salzburg as an assistant.

He’s controversial, but he’s one of the most respected players in the history of the game. He also played a season in MLS, giving a slight connection to the league here (although his season with the MetroStars was no day at the beach).

One Atlanta United Should Consider

He won’t get the run he should but outside of Torrent, Dom Kinnear is likely the best candidate for this job. He’s coached in MLS with success, his Houston Dynamo sides were fluid in their attack and he’s just pragmatic enough that he can get a troubled side to buckle down and begin churning out results.

Kinnear may not be a big name, but he knows MLS inside and out. Atlanta United has never hired a head coach with MLS experience. It worked out more than fine with Tata Martino but this lack of understanding of the league showed itself in the last two hires.

Time to rethink that strategy and Kinnear could be a fit.

Follow Kristian Dyer of ‘MLS Multiplex’ on Twitter @KristianRDyer