What Mike Jacobs said about interviewing for U.S. Soccer sporting director job

Nashville SC general manager Mike Jacobs said the most intriguing job to him is the one he has, not the sporting director role the U.S. Soccer Federation interviewed him for this month.

MLSsoccer.com reported on March 10 that the USSF considered Jacobs for its top soccer job left vacant by Earnie Stewart, who departed for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven on Feb. 15. Jacobs withdrew from consideration to remain with Nashville.

"It was a tremendous honor to be selected, to be considered or talk about that opportunity. I think for me very quickly, I just came to appreciate that the ideal job for me, the one I wanted, was the one I had," Jacobs told The Tennessean. "I always kind of felt like it'd be the uniqueness of circumstances for me to leave Nashville and representing your country, where the idea that it is certainly humbling, the reality is that the job that most appeals to me, intrigues me and most excites me is the one that I have."

Jacobs' contract with Nashville goes through the 2026 MLS season.

Since February, the federation has tapped consulting firm Sportsology to locate its future sporting director, which will be in charge of appointing the next U.S. men's national team coach. Gregg Berhalter's contract in that role expired in December.

However, USSF said on March 13 that Berhalter remains a candidate for the USMNT job, despite confirming through an independent investigation a physical abuse incident in 1992, when Berhalter pushed and kicked his then-girlfriend, now wife Rosalind Berhalter, outside of a bar in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Jacobs has been Nashville's general manager since 2018, just months after MLS awarded Nashville an expansion franchise. Jacobs oversaw Nashville's operations during the club's two years playing in the second-tier USL Championship. Prior to Nashville, Jacobs was the assistant technical director at Sporting Kansas City (2015-17).

For stories about Nashville SC or Soccer in Tennessee, contact Drake Hills at DHills@gannett.com. Follow Drake on Twitter at @LiveLifeDrake. Connect with Drake on Instagram at @drakehillssoccer and on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Mike Jacobs said about interviewing for U.S. Soccer job