Jesse Marsh's roots are in Racine, Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Chicago.
Thanks to a pilot project, the city's public schools were organized to ensure an even distribution of children from different socio-economic and racial backgrounds.
“What that means is growing up with all kinds of friends from different places and different backgrounds,” said Marsh, Canada's newly appointed men's soccer coach.
“We played all kinds of sports, and soccer was one of them,” he added. “And even when I went to tell my parents I wanted to play soccer when I was five years old, they were like, 'What?'
“It's an incredible thing to think that chasing that ball led to my life.”
Marsh's father worked on the assembly line at a tractor factory for 32 years and hasn't stopped since.
After attending Princeton University, he played 14 seasons in MLS with DC United, Chicago Fire, and Chivas USA, earning two caps for the United States.
He played on the Chicago team under Bob Bradley, which won the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in 1998.
That team's coaching tree is impressive. Bradley's matchday squad for the 1998 MLS Cup Final included Marsh, Chris Armas, Frank Klopas, Tom Thorne, Josh Wolfe, Zach Thornton, CJ Brown, Lubos Kubik, Francis O'Caro and Piotr. Includes Nowak and Ante Razov, all of whom later became coaches. .
“Bob's intensity kind of catches everyone off guard a little bit,” Marsh said with a laugh. “But it's also contagious. You can't help but be driven by his desire to be your best. And in turn, he's driven by his desire to be your best.” And I learned that and I made it my own, I guess more than anything else.
“We have different ideas about football. We have different personalities. But our drive to get the most out of the players and the team is what I learned from him. I think.”
Marsh has coached club soccer at the highest level in England (Leeds United), Austria (Red Bull Salzburg), Germany (RB Leipzig) and North America (Montreal, New York Red Bulls). He served as Bradley's assistant on the U.S. team that reached the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Marsh has coached the likes of Diego Simeone, Hansi Flick, Jurgen Klopp, Antonio Conte and Pep Guardiola. He was the successor to influential managers such as Julian Nagelsmann (RB Leipzig), Marcelo Bielsa (Leeds) and John Hardman.
As a child, his favorite soccer players were Diego Maradona, Paolo Maldini, and Rudi Ferrer. Gardening is one of his pastimes.
The 50-year-old has now visited 80 countries and is looking forward to hitting the 100 mark.
“My life's explorations are about people, culture, travel, and experiences,” he said.
After leaving the Montreal Impact (currently CF Montreal) after the opening game of MLS in 2012, he took his family on a trip around the world.
The Marsh family remains world-class. His wife, Kim, and their three children are now Italian citizens, and the family has made their home in Tuscany.
His eldest daughter has just graduated from Glasgow University. One of his sons attends school in Edinburgh and another attends boarding school in Leeds.
His daughter learned French during the family's stay in Montreal. His two sons are fluent in German.
“They have been on this journey and adventure with me,” Marsh said. “It hasn't always been easy for my family, but they've given it their all, and I think we've been incredibly rewarded.”
Marsh himself is fluent in German, is learning Italian, and also speaks some Spanish and French.
Marsh will continue to spend time in Europe when he's not in Canada, tracking Canadian players wherever they are. “That way, we can get a clear picture of where they are physically and mentally each time we get together.”
He says his strengths include “the ability to engage with people and challenge them to be their best.”
“You can say a lot of things about me as a coach and as a person, but the one thing I think I can take my hat off to is that my team plays hard. They have each other. I give everything and I know the value of the team.'' It. “
“I think (Canadian men) already have that at a high level,” he added. “It depends on my ability to challenge them to do more.”
Marsh knows Canadian Soccer has its challenges, from weak revenue to a long-running labor dispute with the national team. He says he did his due diligence.
“It was as much an interview for them as it was for me,” he said. “That's the reality.”
He has confidence in Kevin Blue, the governing body's new CEO and general secretary.
Marsh has also been linked with other high-profile jobs in England, including Leicester City and Southampton.
“It's known that I've said no to some big opportunities, even publicly, but it's all because I didn't feel a complete connection and wasn't inspired enough to take on the role. And this was different. This caught my attention, mostly because of Kevin. ”
Blue “believes he has the power to change,” Marsh said. “His intellectual capacity and expertise exceed that of any business sports professional I have ever seen.”
“So he made it very clear to me that there's a lot of work to do, but we're making great progress,” Marsh added. “And as a result of all the homework I did, I started hearing and seeing it too.”
Marsh's first Canadian camp will take place in Europe ahead of friendlies against seventh-place Netherlands and second-place France on June 6 and 9, respectively. The Copa America will begin on June 20th, with Canada, ranked 49th in the rankings, facing Argentina, ranked No. 1.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2024.
Neil Davidson, Canadian Press