Time for a soccer down here one v one. For this one, we got to Chattanooga and catch up with the new head coach at Chattanooga FC. The interim tag has been placed in a box, and the box is somewhere there at Fort Finley.
Now Chris is the man in charge.
Chris, congratulations, welcome to soccer down here in SDH, and thanks for hanging out for a one v one.
Thank you. I appreciate it. I appreciate having me as well.
So what's it like having the business card adjusted to now reflect to just head coach and that interim ward is now off the business card?
How's it feel?
Yeah, it's a good feeling. Obviously, I'm very happy at this club. So they get the opportunity to be the full time lead. I think are coaching, it's always interim. I think it's just sometimes that interim last three or four years, so hopefully that's the case here. But being in a club that I've burnt a love and say I've burnt a love and then an opportunity is huge, and I think I'm very fortunate. It doesn't always happen for coaches this way, so I'm pleased that I get to be part of it here.
What'd you learn about yourself in those two matches when you were the interim head coach at CSC at the tail end of last season.
I guess that I prefer to stand rather than sit for games. I tried to sitting, and it's a bit different as the head coach, I think. I think it's tough to know there's so much going on to really sit back and evaluate it. I think in a short term you kind of stick to who you are, and I think I did a good job of trying to be who I wanted to be in those those two games. I think continuing to adjust and adapt of how we
use staff on game day will be something. Obviously, in such a short period, being a couple of men down on the sideline, we had to make on the fly adjustments and just make decisions right there and then so going forward to have a little bit more delegation and spread out will be will definitely be key.
You mentioned you get to figure out who you are for or those that you might have only just got the chance to see you as a part of a bench, and then get to see you for those two matches as interim head coach, who are you when it comes to coaching, How are you stylistically and who are you?
Who are you? I guess holistically when it comes to being a coach.
I think my style is kind of possession based to create attacking chances I want to I would say possession becomes a byproduct of the attack, right the other way around, so trying to move the ball forward quicker. I'm big on principles of play, so giving the guys a little bit of freedom. If I can give them a structure and some ideas, they can interpret that how they want. I think that's the key thing with coaching. It really
is down to the players. The best players will win games, so if I can help put them in the best situation as possible, that's going to give them a chance to be successful. I think off the field, I really value continued education. For me as a coach and the same as a player. I think we're always trying to teach you, whether you're teaching a playing style or teaching someone to be a little bit better in such situation. So I think that that feedback, that honesty and some
clear structure I think helps with that. So that's what I've tried to do provide that that honesty and clarity to the guys, and that that's the plan to go forward.
Who are your coaching touchstones when it comes to philosophy and you know, you mentioned how you like to see things represented stylistically out there on the pitch. Who are those that you kind of would watch matches of and watch their film and watch you know, film study and things like that. Who do you model yourself after stylistically and go, yeah, I need to pull from this guy. I need to pull from this guy. I need to pull from this guy.
I don't think it's in one one person in particular. I think it's general. Attack in football is big for me. How to manipulate the opponent is big as well, So then I would say pressing would be also part of that as well. So teams that kind of fit that in it can adjust them. With a manager, obviously, everyone's going to say Guardiola, he's so good and everything. Really enjoyed watching club's team. I am a Tottenham fan or part Tottenham fan. I don't know if I could still
say a fan. It's been a tough forty years watching them, but they've always had kind of an attacking style, whether it's been successful or not. I think I've grown up watching that and I you get the impression from the fansom who's there that I'd rather watch attack in football and lose than boring football and win, as we saw for a little bit of a few years with a few coaches ago. So I think really it's watching games
and seeing how that impacts. I think it's very difficult to say I'm going to play like man City or I'm going to play like Liverpool because we don't have those players. The profile is very different. We're also in a different environment to them. So thinking that we're going to get American players from various countries to play like certain European guys who have just been brought up different
is a little bit crazy. So it might be just certain moments of the game, whether it's how they create overloads in certain areas or how they may be pressing in certain structures. I think that's where I tried to copy and still when I can.
Let's see.
So if I'm thinking of Spurs, it's probably what Redknap, AVB Sherwood, Pochettino, Maurinho, Ryan Mason, who got a cup of coffee, Nuno Conte and then Ryan Mason again with Stellini and Onge. I'm sensing just in that group that there is some attacking that is there, especially with Onge and onge Ball, if you want to use quotes. So if I was to mention that group of Spurs, who
did you grow up looking at? And then there is some attacking that was with those guys when they were in charge on the touch line.
Yeah, obviously Red Nap was very attacking, an interesting style of player. I think Pochettino probably was the biggest. I think that was the window where I really enjoyed being a Spurs fan. So obviously now I think we can see a little bit closer up coaching the national team. But him and obviously Postocoblu now being a coach, I've dropped that loyalty a bit. So obviously the other team
in North London plays some very good football. Watching Bengo growing up, and I think having that attacking style with a lot of freedom for players and kind of that structure has been big. You're doing an excellent job over there now, So I will drop loyalties to seal ideas when and where I can, But I would say Pochettino basta Coogloo even abb for a bit at Tottenham and
Rednapp as well. We're being I think there was a small counter attack and defensive selection of coaches there that wasn't quite as fun, but the others have been a little bit more free flowing and fun to watch. If I always say to the guys, if I'm gonna have to watch this six days a week, I want to enjoy it. So that is just attacking football for me.
No doubt about it. And there's nothing wrong with saying that.
The other team involving the the NLD, the North London Dark, Yeah, I completely and totally understand where that's coming from. How is it for you as a as a coach to manage all of the different personalities that are there at CFC, all the different nationalities. What's it been like for you to have that as a part of your education and your learning base, to navigate all the different personalities and all the different nationalities that come there.
Yeah, I think it could. Obviously, soccer is a world global game, so it's always been great for me obviously, as you told my accent to meet people from different places, different backgrounds, different upbringings, and I've been fortunate enough to travel around a little bit in the States and back
home to meet new people. So I think it's great to have We're in a position now where we have these international guys coming in with different backgrounds, different ideas, and it's just fun getting to know them as well who they are as people, things they've done with previous pro coaches or as a youth, or how they played growing up. So I do enjoy that get to know the guys a little bit.
What's it been like for you to learn about that particular section of Tennessee and how rabid they have become when it comes to Chattanooga FC, because there are times in previous leagues where when they were in the NPSL, you're selling out Fort Finley and you're playing Cosmo be for titles. What's it been like for you from an educational standpoint to experience what Chattanooga appreciates when it comes to the sport of football.
It's been amazing, really, like being My first experience of Chattanooga was playing against them when I was with Stumptown a few years back, and that was also my first experience of the league, and I thought, wow, this is awesome, Like even though you're on the receiving end of some things, like the environment it creates for both sets of players, even potential rivalries with other fans as well. That's kind
of what football is. It's a passion to people. So seeing that firsthand and being part of that, that's really cool experience. And then bleeding into the community. It's the same thing the city. It's not just on game days you'll see people walking around in the CFC gear. There's coffee mugs, there's beers. It's the guy in the uba that recognizes players. So that's cool to be a part of something that's maybe bigger than just what happens on Saturday.
And then in the return how the club is off the field and you can kind of see why that relationship is there.
How would you describe MLS next pro to someone who might be just kind of buzzing past it and going, okay, you know, I know that it's a part of the landscape, But how would you describe the quality of play and what you got to experience as a part of Chattanooga FC in this past season. How would you break down MLS next pro to someone who hasn't had the chance to be as embedded as you are.
Obviously it's a young league, and I think people say that and then stop there. But the quality of the player is it's not a youth league or go off our youth league. It's young players that can play. It's an attacking kind of open league. I think it's entertainment to watch. You'll see both teams trying to win and both teams trying to make things happen consistently. That's probably why the league is quite open in terms of scores
and goals. The level of play, I think is it's quite clear now even after two years of where potential guys playing in the first team teams, whether they're reaching national teams or even international transfers. So I think it's starting to speak for itself that quality. And then I think just it's the level of coaching as well. It's not just a second team. It's good coaches that have got good support and a real good understanding of the game and ideas of how they want to play within
the club style. And you can see that the academies have fed into the second team, which is feeding into the first team. And is that I guess unity between them, which is really really good to watch as well, and that's I think why players are developing through the league.
The regular season for twenty twenty four is over. Twenty twenty five will be here before we know it, because everyone says, oh, yeah, twenty twenty five. Yeah, the seasons on the other end of the calendar, Yeah, it's over there. No, it'll be here a lot sooner than a lot of folks think, what do you see as your larger challenges when it comes to MLS next Pro and Chatt NEUGEFCI, what are your big challenges as the season is going to be here before we know it.
The challenge is always building the roster. There's in Division three, there's always going to be bigger teams, so no matter who you are, you're going to compete with that. Sometimes it'd be nice to get the business done early and have the full squad in, but it's just where we are in the landscape of soccer that there's going to be other teams that you're kind of waiting for that
field of effect. I think a positive is having the pull of being independent, but that can be a negative too because maybe you don't have the resources or that hey, we'll throw you them with the first team X amount of times to lean on. So that's a good thing and a bad thing. I think overall it's more of a positive thing because of the fan base we have, the city is a really cool place to be. Everything the guys get off the field is good. That you're
also playing for an independent team. I think that outweighs it. So you just have to be a little bit creative sometimes with trying to convince players maybe not to wait for something else and get them in here.
Chris Nugent new head coach Atchattanooga FC and MLS Next Pro dropping by SDH for a one v one here As the regular season's over, Chris is getting ready for the twenty twenty five season, which definitely will be.
Here in short order.
And when you got the the interim taken away and head coach became your business card. I assume you have either international minutes on your phone or you've got plenty of WhatsApp groups that you're in constant contact with. Was your phone blowing up? Was your WhatsApp blowing up? From both friends and perspective players sitting there going hey, I see what's going on here? A congratulations? B Can I talk to you about Chattanooga FC. What was the response like when you were named head coach.
Yeah, because I think we announced it Tuesday morning at ten and I left my phone on my desk and when I went back, it was every app you can think of people that reached out to me through social media, through WhatsApp, through text. I had some calls. Yeah, there was a lot of it from everywhere. So it's good. It's a nice feeling of people being pleased for you
and being supportive. And then it's good now that people want to share players because there's going to be some whether it's themselves or the agents that are called and they've got some good plays, so to get on their radar that's important as well. So yeah, it's been busy. That's just part of the job.
So without naming names, what was the furthest reaching professional contact that was had, and if you want to drop names, what was the furthest friend that reached out from you geographically to sit there and give you congratulations.
I had an ex player in Italy reach out to me, a lot of friends from England, and then in the professional aspect, it would be I guess in terms of distance would be someone in Colorado, Okay, with a major league team there and then pretty much everything in between.
To be honest, hey, and that's what I figured. I just wanted to say.
I wanted to get the farthest reaching contacts because of all of the elements that are in play here. So then if I was to if I have not if I if I am a perspective player and I have not reached out to you yet, and I see on the wires or social media that Chris NuGen is the new head coach at Chattanooga FC, if I was interested in being a part of what you have planned there in the future and what Chattanooga FC has planned. I guess that in the Southeastern United States, we always have
coaches who always go on recruiting visits. They want to go into the recruits house. They want to talk to the parents, they want to sit down, they want to sample the food. They want to try and recruit the individual to come and play for Chattanooga FC. If we were sitting in a living room, or if we were sitting in a business office someplace, and you were at one end of the table and I was at the other, how would you break down to me why I should come for you and be a part of chattanew GEVC.
What would be your recruiting pitch for anybody who hasn't reached out to you yet.
I would say, with the style of play, will be fun to be part of, I think fun to I think we're going to try and create a learning the environment and give some freedom to the guys, but help teach them. I hope that when guys leave here they've they've learned something, whether they've played all the minutes or another minutes. It's going to be an honest and open environment. We're going to be clear with who we are. I think guys will know where they stand. That will help
them make their own decisions. I think you can show them maybe one clip of the Chattahooligans and I think that's enough to convince people. And I would even say have them drive through the city and see how cool is it? Like Chad movie is definitely a hit and gem out here. So that's a positive for now that we don't want too many people here. It's nice to be going to drive through downtown in seven minutes, but you.
Got to tell them to fix what's going on on, you know, past north of town. Plast that twenty four split as they're head into the mountains.
I don't go that way, So that's okay for me. Now, yeah, they could do with fixing that, I think for sure. But having the river here, having the mountains, all the growth in and around the city, I think that's a huge selling point. And then the supports, Like I think driving around the city you're going to see the identity of the club here. You can go out to any of the community foundation programs and see the identity of the club like we are a community club and there's
evidence of that when you go out and look. I think that's really important to have. And I mean, the guys are going to play two hours a day. That's going to be fun to do. But I think living here and being part of the growth of this club that we're we might be at the end of it now, but it's in another ten years. We'll be a part of it in twenty years and thirty years and however
long this club goes on for. So I think that's a cool thing that we've all the work that's been done before us, all the work that we're doing now, that bigger picture of where the growth is.
Going and if there was one match you mentioned seeing a clip of the Chattahooligans and what they are as a part of the fabric. If there was a match that you could you know, sit there and point to YouTube and go okay, prospective player or individual watch this match. This would be the microcosm of what you would expect walking in the door. Is there is there a particular match that sticks in your mind or a particular goal from activity from this past season that would go, yeah,
that's what we want to do. If you want to be a part of it, come on in.
Yeah.
I mean, I think the last two games was a good opinion. Obviously, the second half against Toronto, where we scored four goals is would be entertaining to share. I think in terms of obviously watching the fans, the fans are very supportive the matter of the game, the matter of the weather, So you could watch any any moment
with them, the good and the bad results. But I think in terms of start of play it will be similar to what we saw in maybe the last two games we didn't quite get the result against New York will be a little bit more controlled and a little bit better defensively. I think we went with the Flossia just trying to outscore. It seems we have to get win the games the last two, so a little bit more control on the back half the field. But yeah,
that attacking football. I think it was fun to watch, regardless of the result and the chances we created I think would be We'll continue to work on that and then maybe just the other end shut it down a little bit.
Absolutely well Chris, first off, congratulations on becoming the new head coach up there a CHATMANFC. Thanks for dropping by for a one v one. You know we're gonna be knocking on your door here as we get ready for the holiday season twenty twenty five, and you know we're gonna come up and visit and hang out with you up there in Chattanooga. Congratulations, thanks for dropping by for a one v one. We'll catch up with you soon, my friend.
Thank you.
I appreciate it. Have a good one.