Sigi Schmid among candidates for Atlanta United manager

In a twist to the recent Tata Martino coaching rumors, ESPNFC.com is reporting Sigi Schmid has also interviewed for the vacate Atlanta United manager position. The former Seattle Sounders head coach is reported to have interviewed with the club last week.

Schmid left the Sounders after the club struggled to perform throughout the first half of the MLS season. The club was near the bottom of the league with only six wins and 12 losses. The long-time MLS coach has been a staple of the league and within US Soccer for about 17 years.

Schmid would be in a similar situation in Atlanta to when he was first hired in Seattle. The Sounders chose him as the first coach to lead the new expansion franchise moving from USL to MLS for the 2009 season. According to the report, the 63-year-old has connections with Atlanta United technical director, Carlos Bocanegra, from their time at UCLA.

Schmid has 228 regular season wins in MLS, the most for any coach in MLS history, and is second in MLS playoff wins. He’s won trophies with LA Galaxy, Columbus Crew and the Seattle Sounders, including two MLS Cups and three Supporters’ Shield trophies.