In early 1995,
Steve Sampson, an assistant to head coach
Bora Milutinovic at the 1994 World Cup, was named interim
coach when U.S. Soccer did not keep on Milutinovic. Sampson led the USA to the 1995 U.S. Cup title and third place at the 1995 Copa America, keeping the job he would hold through the 1998 World
Cup.
In 1991,
John Kowalski went unbeaten in two games against Canada and Mexico at a three-nations tournament in Los Angeles after
Bob Gansler, the head U.S. coach at the 1990 World Cup, was not retained and before Milutinovic was hired.
The first full-time U.S. national team coach
was German
Dettmar Cramer, whose tenure consisted of two friendly games against Mexico -- both losses -- in 1974. After Cramer returned home to coach
Bayern Munich,
Al Miller (two losses) and
Manfred Schellscheidt (three losses) each took turns coaching the USA in
1975 before
Walter Chyzowych was handed the job on a full-time basis in 1976.