"I would be open to it" - San Diego Wave's Landon Donovan expresses interest in coaching USMNT or USWNT

The U.S. Soccer legend has shared that he loves coaching, and would love to be on the touchline for his nation one day.

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  American soccer legend Landon Donovan has expressed desire to manage the U.S. men's or women's national team. The 42-year-old is just beginning his managerial career, but he has bold ambitions.

  He was recently appointed interim manager of NWSL side San Diego Wave, in a surprise move on the touchline. The U.S. men's national team legend had not coached in nearly two years, and his only experience on the touchline was at the USL Championship level with the now-collapsed San Diego Loyal.

  Sitting down with fellow ex-USMNT player Alexi Lalas, the 42-year-old opened up on what it would mean to represent his nation from the touchline, and what the opportunity with the Wave means to him.

• WHAT DONOVAN SAID TO LALAS

  “I would [like to coach the USMNT or USWNT]. That’s a long ways down the road, but I really do enjoy coaching,” Donovan said on the "State of the Union" podcast with Lalas. “The challenge with coaching is you’re hired to be fired and you have to move every year, two years, three years, four years and right now, in my life, I don’t want to do that to my family.

  “If that opportunity comes, I would very much be open to it. If a different opportunity came at some point a few years down the road and I'm in a different place with my family life, [that's] also something I would consider.

  "But right now I’m happy to be [at San Diego Wave], Wave is right in my backyard, it’s a community that I love and love representing and so it’s a perfect fit for me right now."

• Getty Images

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Criticism of Donovan's appointment with the NWSL side has come in waves, with USWNT legend Becky Sauerbrunn being one of the many to ask why and how he was handed the prestigious job of a budding franchise. The Wave won the NWSL shield in 2023. Donovan himself, though, has admitted that the learning curve of the job will be "steep" but that he's ready to embrace the challenge.

  In three matches across all competitions, the Wave are 1-1-1 under the 42-year-old.

• USA Today Images

  WHAT NEXT FOR DONOVAN?

  The Wave are back in action on Sunday, Sept. 8 against the North Carolina Courage. They'll be searching for their first NWSL regular season victory under Donovan.