Tony Meola was more than happy with the direction his life was heading in, but the former U.S. Men’s National Team star knew he had found an opportunity with the Jacksonville Armada that he just couldn’t pass up.

Working as an analyst on both TV and radio, Meola has spent the past several years establishing himself as a broadcaster while staying involved in the game as a coach at the youth level. Having spent 2015 covering more than 60 matches across a variety of age groups, Meola was fully invested in his post-playing career as a broadcaster.

That all changed towards the end of September, when Meola received a call from Armada owner Mark Frish. At the time, Meola was more than content to listen to what Frish had to say to, at the very least, find out some new information.

Fast forward two months to Tuesday, when Meola was unveiled as the Armada’s head coach and technical director, Meola’s first foray into coaching at the club level. It wasn’t always a straightforward decision, as Meola sought out the help of several close confidants like the brutally honest Bruce Arena. But at the end of the day, it was an easy choice to pursue an opportunity that proved to be the perfect fit.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge. I understand the vision,” Meola told reporters Tuesday. “I understand the responsibility that has been given to me and I think my vision aligns very well with what Mark and the rest of this organization is trying to accomplish here in Jacksonville.

“With that, I’m excited. I look forward to the challenge and can’t wait to meet the players, put the rest of this team together and eventually get on the field for what we think is going to be an exciting year.”

While the past few years of Meola’s life have been spent honing his craft in the broadcast booth, the former USMNT goalkeeper has never been too far from the coaching ranks. Upon his arrival at FOX, Meola told his employers that he views the game with a coach’s mindset, one that is forced to adapt as the minutes wear on.

That approach proved successful, as Meola called a variety of games while refining his skills in the broadcast booth. Now entering the coaching ranks, Meola expects to still make occasional appearances on air, citing Everton manager Roberto Martinez as a benchmark for the blending of coach and analyst.

In terms of on the field experience, Meola has had quite the education. Widely regarded as one of the best in a long line of American goalkeepers, Meola was a member of three World Cup rosters, allowing him to experience the game on the highest level. However, concerned with shedding the tag of merely a goalkeeping coach, Meola was initially hesitant to hop into coaching feet first.

Opportunities with U.S. Soccer soon followed as Meola eventually opted to pair with Tab Ramos before spending time as a scout and an assistant throughout the youth game.

“My style in general, I grew up in the goal, but I’m an attack-minded coach,” Meola said. “All of the teams that I’ve coached attack. I like guys that take chances. You’ll realize that I’m a pretty simple guy. I want to play in their end of the field as much as possible.

“I want guys that are willing to take some chances. We’re going to bring them here for a reason, and I don’t want to change the reasons we brought them here. If we brought a guy in to be an attacking player, then we have to let them attack. If we brought them in as a centerback and a leader, then we have to let them do that.”

Officially on the job for just a few hours, Meola has already set a series of targets regarding player acquisitions.

Due to his work in broadcasting, Meola has had the opportunity to see players from a variety of levels firsthand, giving him knowledge of a vast player pool. Meola says that the team expects to announce one or two signings within the week, while the former goalkeeper’s connections with the U.S. Soccer youth system have seen the club enter negotiations with one player that Meola has coached at two different age groups.

In total, Meola says he has a list of 30-or-so players he intends to pursue that will fit into the team’s needs.

For one, Meola says he is looking for experience in the back and youth up front. Ending 2014 as one of the league’s worst disciplined teams, Meola also says he needs players who can stay on the field, while the team’s paltry away form also remains a concern.

“We need some leaders,” Meola said. “Not to say we don’t have enough leaders in this group because you can never have enough of them, and we need some champions, guys that know how to win championships and guys who have been there before.

“Hopefully, we can accomplish that. It’s easier said than done but, if we can paint an ultimate picture for ourselves, that would be it.”

That picture may not be completed year one, and Meola will be the first one to admit it. Citing the New York Cosmos and Ottawa Fury FC, Meola knows that the NASL, as a league, is ever-changing and will present a stiff challenge going forward for a club entering just its second season.

Still, it’s that challenge that Meola desired so much, and one that makes him confident in his decision to pursue something so different than what he expected just a few short weeks ago.

“It’s clearly a good level,” Meola said. “We saw that the two teams in the final clearly deserved to be in the final because they were the two best in the end and that’s the ultimate goal: to get to a point where we’re one of the two teams standing and playing on the last day. It’s not a promise, it’s a mission, and that’s the mission of every organization.

“We know what we’re up against. There are some new teams in the league coming up, so now there are even more challenges for everybody, but the players, I’ll let them know that they all start fresh and we go from there.”