CARSON, Calif. -- Curt Onalfo's connections to the LA Galaxy's player development pyramid run deep for the Galaxy's new head coach.
The LA Galaxy original became the eighth coach in the club's history on Tuesday, replacing former boss Bruce Arena. Onalfo has a long history with the club, having been a member of the original squad, in 1996, an assistant coach from 2011 to 2013, and the head coach of Galaxy II since the team's inception in 2014.
When asked during his introductory press conference on Tuesday about his vision to signing players, Onalfo stressed the importance of not only bringing in big name stars, but also his bonds with the Galaxy Academy that will remain important as he shapes the first team roster.
"We have a great structure with an amazing Academy. We have great players who are part of our academy," Onalfo said. "My son Christian graduated high school from the LA Galaxy High School; he was part of the first class ever to do that. Then we have a Galaxy II program that Chris had the vision to start and tasked me to create it with Jovan Kirovski. We have this great system in place."
That system showed it's support for Onalfo immediately following the press conference after several members of the Galaxy's high school program chanted the new Galaxy head coach's name as he walked off the dais.
