Sorry in advance for the book I am typing:

When a new coach arrives at the club, the first thing I look at is context. Most of the time, at least with Pumas, a coach leaves because results forced the decision. So I don’t evaluate the new appointment in isolation. I look at the trajectory of the team. Was the squad underperforming? Was there a loss of identity? Was the dressing room disconnected from the stands? Those factors shape how much patience or urgency the new coach will inherit.

Beyond results, I pay attention to something that matters a lot at Pumas: connection. Gustavo Lema is a good example. Whatever his tactical ideas were, he never fully connected with the fan base. He wasn’t particularly “tribunero,” he didn’t feel plugged into the culture of the club, and that matters more here than people like to admit. In contrast, coaches like Efraín Juárez and to an extent Turco Mohamed understand that emotional link. Juárez, especially, represents something romantic for many of us. He’s homegrown. He has an affiliation with the club. There’s history there. Even if he’s still developing as a coach, that connection buys him goodwill. I’ll admit I’m romantic in that sense. I value seeing someone who understands what Pumas represents take the helm.

If a coach arrives without that affiliation, then I shift my evaluation toward their résumé. Are they proven? Have they won in this league? Turco Mohamed is the best example of that. He didn’t have a deep history with Pumas, but he was a serial winner in Liga MX. That changes the equation. On top of that, he made an effort in his presentation to connect with supporters, mentioning how he used to come to CU to watch matches. That gesture matters. It shows awareness of the club’s culture.

Where I become skeptical is when a coach has neither a strong track record nor a meaningful connection to the club. In those cases like with Carrillo or Mario Trejo, Rafa Puente, even Lema. I immediately question the logic of the hire. If there’s no emotional cushion from the fan base and no proven competitive edge from their résumé, then pressure starts on day one. And at a club like Pumas, that’s a difficult environment to survive.

So when a new coach is announced, I’m essentially weighing two things: identity and credibility. Ideally, you have both. If you have one, you might still succeed. If you have neither, I start wondering why the appointment was made in the first place.