USL Championship side Hartford Athletic has named National Soccer Hall of Famer Tab Ramos to be its new manager.
Ramos, 55, was most recently the manager of MLS side the Houston Dynamo, where he spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and previously managed the U.S. U-20 national team from 2011-19.
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During his stint with the U.S., which coincided with a spell as an assistant with the senior team under Jurgen Klinsmann, Ramos successfully qualified the team for the 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, reaching the quarterfinals in the last three editions.
The 2019 tournament, when combined with his exploits as a player, marked the record-tying 11th FIFA tournament in which he had taken part.
“Tab Ramos is a giant in American soccer and among the most highly regarded coaches in the country. We are thrilled to have him as our head coach,” said Hartford Athletic chairman Bruce Mandell.
“Our goal is to bring championships to Hartford, and there is no coach better suited to get us there than Tab Ramos. He raises the bar for our technical staff and soccer operations and will provide critical direction to our expanding youth academy program.”
Ramos will take over on Sept. 1, and his first match in charge will be on Sept. 10 when Hartford hosts FC Tulsa. Technical director Ray Reid will continue to lead the team until Ramos assumes his duties.
“I am honored to be named the head coach of Hartford Athletic. I want to thank Bruce Mandell and the entire ownership group, Ray Reid, and the whole Hartford Athletic organization for partnering with me on this exciting opportunity,” Ramos said.
“Hartford Athletic is a project with endless potential, and I am so impressed by the passionate fan base we have here already. We are all hungry and motivated to see our team succeed, and the entire organization from ownership on down is determined to invest in our club and win. We have all the building blocks to be successful, and I am ready to get to work.”
Ramos also led the U.S. U-20s to two consecutive titles at the CONCACAF U20 Championships, including the country’s first CONCACAF title in 2017.
They repeated as champions in 2018, winning the final over Mexico 2-0.
The club said in a statement that his background in teaching and guiding young players aligns with the club’s expanding developmental culture through the Hartford Athletic Academy.
As a player, Ramos, was one of the most accomplished players in U.S. history.
His club career included stints in Spain with Figueres and Real Betis, and later he was the first signing in MLS history and spent seven seasons with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, the forerunner to the New York Red Bulls. He also spent a year in Mexico with UANL Tigres.
At international level, Ramos made 81 appearances with the U.S., and was part of three World Cup squads, as well as the teams that competed at the 1995 Copa América and the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Ramos was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005.
