Welcome to the first episode of Verde and Black, the official Austin FC podcast that aims to give listeners an insider perspective on both our team and the vibrant city of Austin. We start the show by speaking to the man leading our club onto the pitch — famed soccer player and Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff. We open our conversation with Josh by discussing his career as a player. He shares his insights on playing with hardened eastern European legends including Lubos Kubik, along with his take on why so many Chicago Fire veterans ended up in coaching. After reflecting on his experience on the US national team and the vital role that their 2002 World Cup performance played in energizing the sport in America, we dive into Josh’s coaching career. We chat about how working with icons like Ben Olsen and Gregg Berhalter has impacted him and how his peers have upped his coaching game. He then unpacks his move to Austin FC and what they’ve been doing to build the team during the pandemic. Later, Josh talks about his love of living in and representing Austin, despite the dangers that come from its exceptional food scene. Join us for our momentous first episode and to hear about Austin FC’s progress directly from head coach Josh Wolff. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Host Adrian Healey unpacks what the podcast aims to cover.
• Hear about Josh Wolff’s career as a player.
• Why so many Chicago Fire veterans ended up coaching.
• Josh reflects on his experience on the US national team and his iconic 2001 goal against Mexico.
• How the 2002 FIFA World Cup impacted American soccer.
• The games that cemented America’s place in the world of soccer. 
• Josh compares today’s US team with the 2002 lineup.
• At what point Josh decided to transition from playing to coaching.
• Exploring the evolution of Josh’s coaching mindset. 
• Josh discusses his excitement about becoming Austin FC’s head coach.
• Insights on how Josh has been building up Austin FC during the pandemic.  
• How Austin’s incredible lifestyle options have helped Josh sign players to Austin FC.
• Find out what Josh thinks about the Austin FC squad.
• From drawing board to reality; what it’s been like for Josh to see his plans come together.  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Austin FC

Adrian Healey

Josh Wolff

Chicago Fire FC

Generation Adidas

Bob Bradley

Piotr Nowak

Lubos Kubik

Jerzy Podbrożny

Bundesliga 

Chris Armas

C.J. Brown

Frank Klopas

Diego Gutierrez

Jesse Marsch

Ante Razov

Tom Soehn

Brian McBride