Anthony Hudson to stay with USMNT through summer as sporting director Matt Crocker prepares to begin interviewing coaches in June

• Crocker details coaching search
• Interviews to begin in June
• Hudson to remain on for tournaments

WHAT HAPPENED? Crocker offered an update on his plans for the coaching search, which he says will continue on through the summer. The U.S. has been playing under interim boss Anthony Hudson since Gregg Berhalter's contract expired after the World Cup, with the U.S. left in a bit of limbo due to further departures from sporting director Earnie Stewart and USMNT general manager Brian McBride.

Crocker was recently appointed as the new sporting director and, although he doesn't officially start until August, he says the coaching search is well underway.

WHAT THEY SAID: "What we have is a list of candidates who based on our initial research we think will fit the profile," he told U.S. Soccer. "We already have had a number of conversations with some of the candidates. In some instances a candidate may hold a current position, in which case we must be very respectful to their clubs and always make sure any communication begins with them. Our next steps will be to conduct more thorough interviews and continue what we have outlined as a robust evaluation process."

He continued: "As I have said, we think this decision is critical not only for the next three years but also for the legacy that this coach will leave on the future of the program. We intend to be thoughtful and thorough in our evaluation and our selection. The plan is to conduct a series of interviews in June and narrow down the list of candidates. From there, we will engage the finalists in another evaluation activity. Our aim is to have our new coach in place by the end of summer, although it’s possible that club circumstances could impact the timeline."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: As Crocker conducts his process of finding a new coach, Hudson will remain on through the summer, taking charge at both the Nations League and Gold Cup. Hudson's tenure as interim boss has been widely successful, featuring a pair of Nations League wins and a friendly win over Mexico, as well as the recruitment of Folarin Balogun, Alejandro Zendejas and Timmy Tillman.

"I think Anthony Hudson, B.J. Callaghan and the rest of the staff have done a fantastic job keeping the program moving forward," Crocker said. "There has been no drop in standard, and as you’ve seen several players who had a choice to represent more than one country have chosen the United States during their tenure and Anthony and his staff deserve tremendous credit for that. That speaks to the work they have done, and we are confident in their ability to lead this group in the tournaments this summer.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? The U.S. will face Mexico in the Nations League semifinals in June before then facing either Canada or Panama in the final or third-place game. After that, the U.S. will immediately begin preparations for the Gold Cup shortly after.