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Who is Leeds manager Jesse Marsch? U.S. coach's tactics, trophies & clubs managed

GOAL has all you need to know about the new Leeds manager

It's now official: Jesse Marsch is the manager of Leeds United.

The American boss was officially hired on Monday, named as Marcelo Bielsa's replacement at Elland Road following the Argentine manager's departure over the weekend.

Marsch takes over a club that sits 16th in the Premier League, just two points out of the relegation zone.

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But who exactly is Marsch and how did he earn the Leeds job, becoming just the third American to manage a Premier League club in the process?

GOAL is here with everything you need to know about Leeds' new manager.

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What clubs has Jesse Marsch managed?

Marsch began his managerial career in charge of CF Montreal, then the Montreal Impact, after a stint as an assistant with the U.S. men's national team.

The former midfielder was the club's first-ever manager, but lasted just one season in charge before departing, with the club making it known that they were happy with Marsch's tenure.

His style of play and demeanor during his time with the Impact were enough to catch the eye of the New York Red Bulls, who hired Marsch to replace club legend Mike Petke in 2015.

Although the hiring was initially controversial among the club's fanbase, Marsch ended up turning the Red Bulls into one of the top teams in MLS, adapting the Red Bull vision seen in Europe to American soccer.

He had so much success with the Red Bulls that he was eventually hired away by sister club RB Leipzig, who named him an assistant under Ralf Rangnick in an effort to help him adapt to the European game.

Marsch then moved to RB Salzburg, winning two doubles in a row while becoming the first American to manage in the Champions League before being named Julian Nagelsmann's successor at RB Leipzig.

His tenure lasted just months, though, as Marsch departed in December with a record of seven wins, four draws, and six losses.

What trophies has Jesse Marsch won?

Marsch won eight trophies as an MLS player, and he's gotten his hands on five as a manager thus far.

His first game in 2015 as he led the Red Bulls to the Supporters' Shield, which is awarded to the team with the best record in MLS.

Upon moving to Austria, he helped RB Salzburg to two consecutive doubles, winning the Austrian Bundesliga and Austrian Cup ins successive seasons.

Individually, Marsch was recognized as the MLS Coach of the Year in 2015.

What are Jesse Marsch’s tactics?

Marsch's tactics have long been based on the Red Bull ideology, which has its foundations in Rangnick's values.

Under Marsch, the New York Red Bulls high-press system allowed them to push right to the top of MLS, smothering teams with an aggressive defensive system that forced mistakes from the opposition.

Those mistakes would, ultimately, lead to rapid counter-attacks, helping the Red Bulls to play a style similar to the ones played in Red Bull clubs all over the world.

Marsch brought that style with him to Austria and found success with it, but he struggled to implement it properly in Leipzig at the organisation's premier club.

Under Julian Nagelsmann, RB Leipzig had moved towards a more possession-based style that was less reliant on a smothering press, with Marsch's hiring coming partly due to the club leadership's hopes to revert to the more traditional style.

However, Leipzig's players struggled to readapt to Marsch's style, leading to his dismisal.

Still, his former RB Leipzig players spoke highly of Marsch, with Mohamed Simakan saying the coach was "really there" for the whole squad and has a "lot of drive", while veteran defender Willi Orban was also quick to praise Marsch's man-management.

“I haven’t had a coach so far who has been this close to us,” Orban told Sportbuzzer in August. “He says to us: ‘Boys, your problems are my problems.’ That gives you a tremendous feeling; for a coach like that, you walk through fire.”

American coaches who have managed in the Premier League

With his appointment, Marsch becomes the third American manager to take charge of a Premier League club.

Marsch's mentor Bob Bradley was the first as the former USMNT boss had an ill-fated tenure in charge of Swansea in October 2016.

Bradley lasted just 11 games before being sacked, never even getting a transfer window in charge of the Welsh side.

David Wagner was the other American manager to take charge in the Premier League, although the former USMNT regular was born in Germany.

He lasted longer than Bradley after leading Huddersfield to promotion from the Championship, managing 71 games.

He left his post in January 2019 with Huddersfield bottom of the league with only two wins from 22 games, with the club earning only five more points the rest of the way.