In most professional sports, transparency is commonplace. Signings and trades are leaked by internet-famous scoopsters days before they’re announced. Salaries are public, and rosters are hemmed in by stringent, public regulations. Fans know what to expect because the process is familiar.
That isn’t the case in the USL. Squad–building decisions can feel like a black box, especially in the way that news is disseminated to supporters. Some clubs are highly proactive, sharing contract lengths and announcing most of their offseason business before New Year’s Day. Other clubs are tight-lipped, keeping their moves close to the chest until the weeks before opening day.
Still, appearances can obscure the fact that, like in every other sport, USL offseasons are dictated by a common logic. Clubs set a philosophy, scout for new talent, decide on cuts and retentions, and do it all in the face of a tight budget. Teams can make vastly different decisions, but there’s a shared framework.
After speaking with key figures across the league, here’s Backheeled’s look at how USL Championship teams build their squads.
“The job is probably too big for one person to really do”
The first step to roster construction? Understanding your club’s priorities and deciding who on the staff can execute on it. For Ben Pirmann, the 2022 USL Championship Coach of the Year in Memphis and current head man in Charleston, it’s a collaborative process.
“I'm the coach. Technically, my title is technical director, but I'm not a sporting director. I'm not the general manager. I'm not the president,” explained Pirmann. “I'm the coach, and I set the technical foundation, but in Charleston – and it’s the same at Manchester United, South Georgia Tormenta, or the University of South Carolina – you have to figure out who you are as a club. What’s your identity?”
