JFF seeking ‘modern’ head coach for Boyz

Chairman of the Jamaica Football Federation’s (JFF) technical committee, Rudolph Speid, says the federation will be looking to appoint a “modern” coach to take the helm of the Reggae Boyz squad following Heimir Hallgrimsson’s resignation.

Speid explained that the JFF is hoping to employ a new head coach suited for modern football philosophies.

He also said with such an appointment, the team could see major changes in player selection and team tactics compared to the last two years under Hallgrimsson.

“The new coach might not necessarily want to use the players or the data that Hallgrimsson had used. If it is one of those modern coaches like we hope to employ, he will make his own decisions and decide what he wants to do. He won’t necessarily be going off Hallgrimsson’s blueprint,” Speid said.

Merron Gordon, assistant coach for the Reggae Boyz, gave his opinion on what it means to be a modern coach in football.

Gordon said such a personality will be able to manage this generation of footballers and raise the standards in the national programme.

“A modern coach for me is one who has a first-world way of doing things in terms of how they prepare, in terms of how they execute and in terms of how they manage players. I think the things we used to do in the past, we can’t do it anymore.

“How you deal with athletes today is not the same way you deal with athletes before, so you have to be well prepared for that,” the Reggae Boyz assistant coach said.

Gordon worked alongside Hallgrimsson during his two-year stint with Jamaica. He described the former head coach as a good example of a modern coach.

GREAT JOB

He hopes the next appointment will bring further improvement on the work done by Hallgrimsson.

“I think coach Hallgrimsson is a modern coach and a person who did a great job over the past two years in terms of moving us from where we were in terms of how we planned and how we executed,” Gordon said.

He added, “I think the technical committee just wants to continue on that same path and to see more improvement for the team.”

While Speid declined to comment on whether the JFF had any specific coach in mind for the post, he said a decision should be made in time for the next FIFA men’s international window in September.

The international window will also serve as the match dates for the opening games of the Concacaf Nations League. Jamaica will face Cuba at home on September 6 before an away fixture against Honduras on September 10. This will give the new coach only a short time to prepare before heading into competitive fixtures.