Article Index 2001
March 23, 2001
Brandi Chastain's husband Jerry Smith named as the new head coach of the U.S. Under-21 National Team.
Smith takes over
from Jillian Ellis, who resigned last week due to personal reasons after
just over a year in charge of the oldest of the USA's three youth national
teams.
Coming in after the high standard of success set by the original Head
Coach Lauren Gregg and followed last year by Ellis presents a difficult
challenge for Smith. This year's Nordic Cup will be contested in Norway
at the beginning of August. Smith will begin his duties with the U-21s
this week with a pool of players in San Diego that will compete against
WUSA teams during their Spring Training at the ARCO U.S. Olympic Training
Center.
Smith is the head coach at Santa Clara University and will enter his 15th
year at the helm of the Santa Clara program this fall, where he has compiled
a record of 219-58-15 (.775) in 14 seasons. For 12 consecutive seasons,
the Broncos have reached the NCAA Tournament, making seven NCAA Final
Four appearances, including four in a row from 1996-'99. Smith has been
heavily involved in the Olympic Development Program in the West Region,
coaching various regional teams as well as serving as the head coach for
the Western Regional coaching staff, a position he holds currently. Smith,
40, has coached numerous players who have made an impact on the U.S. Under
21 Women's National Team including defender Anna Kraus, midfielder Aly
Wagner, and 2000 Olympic Team member Danielle Slaton. Smith is married
to U.S. Women's National Team defender Brandi Chastain, who is also an
assistant coach at Santa Clara.
"I'm looking forward to working with our country's future World Cup and
Olympic Team players," said Smith. "The U-21 team exists to bridge the
gap between youth soccer and the full National Team. Our purpose is to
provide the necessary environment to insure continued evaluation, selection,
training, and preparation for our nation's elite so they are ready for
the moment when the torch is passed onto them and they will represent
our country in world championship events. I will enjoy the opportunity
and challenge of helping these young, talented players take major strides
toward their potential as future full National Team players. This is a
critical time for the U.S. Women's National Teams Program," added Smith.
"While we have enjoyed tremendous success, many of the veteran players
have retired from international soccer or will be retiring within a few
years. The current U-21 player pool will need to be prepared to help the
full team maintain our status as one of the elite teams in the world."
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