ALTHOUGH unsure of their individual futures, Rudolph Speid and Miguel Coley say the latest national team technical staff is the right group to move forward, with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) set to decide in the coming weeks.

Former Head Coach Speid and former Assistant Coach Coley saw their contracts expire following the completion of the FIFA World Cup Play-offs last week, when the Reggae Boyz lost to DR Congo in the final and missed out on this summer’s tournament.

The duo, along with Arsenal youth coach Michael Donaldson and former national goalkeeper Aaron Lawrence, were given the responsibility to help Jamaica qualify for the World Cup after the departure of Steve McClaren and his staff last November.

The Jamaica Observer reported on Monday that JFF President Michael Ricketts wants Speid and Coley to stay on as he prioritises having Jamaican coaching staff.

However, Speid says he would need time to reflect, given his personal and professional objectives.

“I don’t know, because one of my issues is that I have lots of talent to do lots of things,” Speid said. “I can change the direction of my life tomorrow by doing something completely different from football so there’s always a lot of considerations that I have to think about before I make decisions — talk to my family, et cetera. So, it’s not going to be such an easy decision. I’ll have some time off and then I’ll make a decision.”

Coley, who serves as caretaker manager of Zakho SC in Iraq’s top division, told the Observer that it’s too soon to decide.

“Supporting and contributing to my country is always something that I take pride in and it’s something that I would love to do one day, but in terms of to make any decision right now, I’m not in that state of mind at this moment. I would love to speak to my team in terms of the way forward,” he said.

Speid is expected to see out the club season with reigning Jamaica Premier League champions Cavalier FC. He returned to the sidelines in their 2-0 win over Molynes United on Sunday.

Speid has announced he will step aside as JFF’s Technical Committee chairman, although many supporters are calling for him to be overlooked for a coaching role.

However, Speid says he’s in demand internationally, though he isn’t yet ready to make any commitments.

“It’s not just people from Jamaica asking me to take up roles, there’s a lot of people coming and saying, ‘We want you to do this for us’ — people from all over the world,” he said. “I’m not worried about what people think, I’ll make a decision as soon as I sit down and talk to my family and then we’ll see what happens.”

Despite his own uncertainty internationally, Speid says the current staff deserve the opportunity to build on its recent work.

“Michael has a lot of experience,” Speid said. “He was an assistant coach at Tottenham Hotspur and he’s at Arsenal now. Coley has gotten a lot of experience overseas, [physical trainer] Lamar [Morgan] is better than any other physical trainer that I would have seen. And [Andrew] Peart [director of football] is one of the people who crams knowledge.”

“What was satisfying about it was that they were all Jamaicans — every single one of them was Jamaican. I don’t think if we had gone and gotten anybody else, they would have gotten better results. I think if this staff was probably together from the Gold Cup we probably would have just walked into the World Cup.”

Coley has now had two stints with the national team, having served as assistant from 2014 to 2016 under then Head Coach Winfried Schaefer.

He insists he can play a key role in the Reggae Boyz’s progress if he opts to join the technical staff in the future.

“I am a Jamaican success story — my heart beats Jamaica — and over the years, whichever country I’m in, I see myself as a Jamaican ambassador,” Coley said. “I would love the opportunity to because I know I can get the job done. I definitely know, but it’s not a decision for me to make right now.

“I know over the years I would have equipped myself in the best way possible. I know what’s best in terms of how we want to play as a country; I understand the people, I understand the emotions, I understand how difficult it is for them to miss out on another World Cup. Having this passion and having this big pressure is something that I am strengthened by; it’s something that pushes me to the limit to know that my country needs this — and as a warrior for my country and as an ambassador for my country, I have to get it done.”

The Reggae Boyz are set to return to action at the end of May in the Unity Cup — an exhibition tournament in England which will feature Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and India.

They are also expected to start their 2026-27 Concacaf Nations League A campaign in September.

From left: Reggae Boyz Damion Lowe, Ian Fray, Amari’i Bell, and Jamal Lowe warm up ahead of their FIFA World Cup play-off against DR Congo at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Tuesday, March 31. (Photo: AFP)

Jamaica’s Head Coach Rudolph Speid gestures during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers semi-final play-off football match between New Caledonia and Jamaica at Akron Stadium in Mexico on March 26, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Reggae Boyz Assistant Coach Miguel Coley during training at Verde Valle in Guadalaja, Mexico, on March 29, 2026, ahead of their FIFA World Cup play-off final against DR Congo. (Ph0to: JFF)