We jumped the gun on this story twice potentially! When Andres Lillini was sacked as Pumas head coach we mentioned that Tuca Ferreti was going to be the preferred option as his replacement. That was true by all accounts, but the two sides were unable to reach a deal to get the experienced coach to go to Pumas. The second option was Jaime Lozano, and that deal was potentially sealed, but at the last moment something fell through. There was talk about money, but that may not have been the full story. We’ll get to that in a bit! Ultimately, Rafa Puente Jr. former coach at Atlas, Queretaro, and Lobos Buap is going to take over at Pumas.
The fans were certainly not thrilled that he got the call to take the job. His last gig in Liga MX was a dreadful season as the assistant coach for Tuca Ferreti, of all people, in Juarez. Before that he had been the head man in Atlas, and his numbers were abysmal! Can Pumas really expect anything positive from Rafa Puenete Jr?
Is Rafa Puente Jr. As Bad A Coach As The Numbers Seem to Show?
Unlike some of the other coaches out there Rafa Puente Jr. has had some success as a coach. For example, back when it was possible for a team from the “Ascenso” division in Liga MX to make it to the top league he led a Lobos Buap team without too many great players to the title, and a subsequent promotion to Liga MX. From there he would have a “decent” first season in Liga MX. Until his team would eventually crumble.
He would go on to live through a similar scenario in Queretaro. He had a good first season in which he was able to take the team to the playoffs. This was back when only the top 8 teams in Liga MX made the tournament. In his second season though the team got rid of most of its key players, and he ultimately left the team at the bottom of the table. Perhaps the worst thing though for Rafa Puente Jr. is that those seemingly terrible rosters he had played well under someone else. In Queretaro he was replaced by Victor Manuel Vucetich who revitalized the squad, and got them out of the pit that Puente had put them in. At Atlas where he had no good seasons he was followed up by Diego Cocca who would go on to win the title a season after taking over for him!
The Team Is Actually Not Bad If He Keeps The Core They Can Be Ok
One of the benefits that Puente has this time around is that this Pumas team is not a bad roster. We said many times that they were the team that no one wanted to face in the playoffs. They fell off a cliff though in the last month of the season. As long as he puts his players in the right spots he could have a chance of picking up some points. He may need to go out and find a more reliable goalkeeper though!
Why Jaime Lozano Potentially Turned Down The Job
Money may just be half the story of why Jaime Lozano turned down the job. It turns out that Rafa Puente accepted only a 6-month contract offer. Lozano was potentially looking for a longer term deal with the club. He may have been right to turn down the offer seeing where his career is at this point. As for Puente he probably would’ve jumped on any chance to coach in Liga MX. As we mentioned this Pumas team is not that bad, but there is some pressure. He’s being tasked with making sure that the team avoids paying the fine that comes with a bottom 3 spot on the relegation table. If things go south for Puente this could be his last gig in Liga MX!
