Five Stripes Alumni Report: Former Coaches edition June 2025
It’s updates on all the former coaches we’ve seen in the Benz technical area.
Where are these former Atlanta United coaches and what have they accomplished in a different technical area since leaving the 404?
Coach, Atlanta United Record (W-T-L), 404 silverware, new club after Atlanta
Tata Martino (42-16-20), MLS Cup 2018, Inter Miami FC (MLS)
Tata moved from Atlanta to the Mexican National team in January of 2019 where he lead El Tri to a 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup trophy with a 1-0 win over the US. After pandemic, the 2021 team lost both the CONCACAF Nations League final and Gold Cup final as well as a World Cup qualifier to the US which foreshadowed the worst performance by Mexico in a World Cup in 44 years as they failed to exit the group stage. Tata completed his contract obligations and moved back to MLS taking over Inter Miami in June of 2023 where he led them to the 2023 Leagues Cup title with Messi stealing the headlines. In November of 2024, Tata stepped down as Inter Miami manager for “Personal reasons.” He went out as a champion winning MLS Cup 2018 and left a great collection of players behind that won two more trophies with de Boer. He was key in getting all the South American talent to commit to the expansion team and without him at the helm the beginnings of the club could have looked much differently…definitely the right man for the job at the right place and time.
Frank de Boer (31-5-19), Lamar Hunt US Open Cup 2019, Campeones Cup 2019, Al Jazira Club (UAE)
Frank de Boer left Atlanta just after the dreadful performance at the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament during the height of the pandemic. He left the 404 to be named manager of The Netherland’s men’s national team. His first game was a 1-1 draw at Spain in November of 2020. He left the KNVB in June of 2021 after the team was bounced out of the Euro 2020 competition in the Round of 16. In June of 2023 he moved to the UAE to coach Al Jazira Club but was sacked in December 2023 after the team poorly performed in the first half of the season and was sitting in 7th place in the league table. What could have been in 2019 if Nick DeLeon had not hit that shot in the Eastern Finals after Josef had failed to convert the penalty kick versus Toronto…if Atlanta had hosted Seattle and won MLS Cup 2019, Frank would have a statue outside the Benz for winning the Open Cup, Campeones Cup and MLS Cup 2019.
Stephen Glass (5-4-10), none, Memphis 901 (USL Championship)
Glass was an Academy coach for Atlanta United in 2018 and moved up the ranks to coach the USL Atlanta United 2 team in 2019. He was named interim Head Coach of the Five Stripes First Team in 2020 after the swift departure of de Boer and filled the gap before Heinze took the helm in January of 2021. Returning to the 2’s, Glass jumped at the chance to move back home to coach Aberdeen in March 2021 but he couldn’t get the team out of the lower spots of the table and was sacked in February 2022 as the team languished in 9th place in the Scottish Premiership. Glass moved back to the States and took over at USL Championship side Memphis 901 and led them in 75 games with a 31-24-20 record before the franchise folded in November of 2024. The man served well in some of the toughest and uncertain times in 2020 for the club.
Gabriel Heinze (4-8-5), none, Newell’s Old Boys (Argentine Primera Division)
Heinze broke into coaching in his native Argentina in 2015 and coached Godoy Cruz, Argentinos Juniors, and Velez Sarsfield over the next five years seeing his teams be promoted and qualify for Copa Sudamericana placements over that span. In December of 2020 he filled the opening with Atlanta United and won his debut match over Alajuelense in the CONCACAF Champions League. Turmoil and trouble erupted in the Atlanta camp that spring and clashes with the players as well as just two wins in 13 games led to his sacking in July 2021. Newell’s Old Boys hired Heinze in October 2022 and he coached just one year with Newell’s leading them to a mediocre mid-table finish before stepping down.
Rob Valentino (1-2-2) (9-6-11), none, Atlanta United
Valentino is another faithful servant in Five Stripes history. He started with the 2’s in 2018 as an assistant and later was elevated to being a First Team assistant where he was twice named interim manager in both 2021 and 2024 with the departures of Heinze (2021) and Pineda (2024). The teams didn’t do poorly under his leadership and he had one of the most unexpected and overachieving playoff runs in 2024 where the team advanced past Inter Miami into the Conference Semifinals to fall to Orlando by a 0-1 score line. Thank you for your service to the Five Stripes sir.
Gonzalo Pineda (38-29-41), none, Atlas FC (Liga MX)
Pineda was going to be the answer to the Atlanta United coaching questions but the former Seattle Sounder player and assistant had a long run but didn’t produce the silverware in the 404. Pineda was named Atlanta Head Coach in August of 2021 and he was at the helm until his dismissal in June of 2024. The team just never found a sharp, competitive edge under Pineda and ultimately the mediocre results just weren’t good enough. Pineda was named Atlas FC head coach in December of 2024 marking his first job in Liga MX and he has since led the club to a 4-7-6 record (18 points in 14th place) in the Liga MX Clausura.
That’s all for this month…next month we’ll check in on some retired Atlanta United players and what they’ve done after hanging up their cleats.