THE COACH WITH no TEAM
Backed by Matthew Mcconaughey, Austin’s boss is fixture- less until 2021
Josh Wolff has been the head coach of Austin FC for eight months – but he is yet to take a training session, and his first match is still a year away.
Formerly an assistant coach at DC United, Columbus Crew and the US national team, Wolff was appointed by Austin in July 2019. Normally, a head coach faces a whirlwind of activity, with a full squad of players to manage and the first fixture fast approaching. This time: no matches, no players.
The 43- year- old has been handed the reins at the newest MLS franchise – the third to be based in Texas – who count Hollywood actor Matthew Mcconaughey among their co- owners and decided to get their new coach in place early, even though they don’t enter the league until 2021. They still don’t have a single player, so how exactly does Wolff fill his days?
“It’s a bit of everything,” he tells Fourfourtwo.
“I’ve been getting acclimatised to Austin, and also started the hiring process for a number of departments. I’ve been to Spain, meeting with Villarreal, Levante and Barcelona to see how they do things. I’m taking sessions with our academy, too – it’s key that I keep myself sharp on the training pitch, so I’m ready to go when I have a team to coach.
“Another big part has been helping to design our new training centre and build the stadium, to structure it in the best way for the players. On top of all that, I’m watching players on Wyscout and speaking to agents and sporting directors, trying to build up our scouting network. We would like to start signing players in the summer, not bring in 30 guys in November.”
He’s been getting plenty of help from Texan native Mcconaughey ( below), who visited Chelsea recently on team business – even if his photo opportunity with Christian Pulisic is unlikely to lead to a shock transfer. “Matthew does a great job with player recruitment,” says Wolff, with a broad smile. “It’s great to see that he’s involved and very passionate – he’s as Austin as they get. He brings a lot energy and a level of interest that means we can grow our brand.”
Wolff played 52 times for the US, moving to Europe with 1860 Munich after being denied a work permit to join Derby County. At Austin, he’s teamed up with sporting director Claudio Reyna, who turned out for Rangers, Sunderland and Manchester City before taking a boardroom role at New York City FC. “I’ve known Claudio for a long time,” says Wolff. “Years ago, I went to England and stayed with him for a few weeks when I trained at Everton and Blackburn.” And while Austin don’t yet have any players, they do have thousands of supporters: the club received 30,000 applications for season tickets in just 24 hours. “We’re going to do our best to put on a good show,” says the boss. At least he won’t be unprepared...
Chris Sweeney