Klinsmann to remain as US coach through 2018

Even before leading the United States into next year's World Cup, Jurgen Klinsmann has been signed to stay on as the American coach for the 2018 World Cup.

Klinsmann agreed to a four-year contract extension through 2018, the U.S. Soccer Federation said on Thursday.

Coach since July 2011, his new deal gives him the additional title of USSF technical director.

"One of the reasons we hired Jurgen as our head coach was to advance the program forward, and we've seen the initial stages of that happening on the field and also off the field in various areas," USSF President Sunil Gulati said in a statement. "In the past two years he has built a strong foundation from the senior team down to the youth teams, and we want to continue to build upon that success."

The U.S. has won 27 and drawn seven of 44 games under Klinsmann, qualified for its seventh straight World Cup and won this year's CONCACAF Gold Cup.

"I am very fortunate to continue the work we started more than two and half years ago," Klinsmann said in a statement. "The role of technical director is a huge challenge and also a huge opportunity as we look to keep connecting the dots to the youth national teams, coaching education, the development academy and the grassroots efforts in this country."

After winning the 1990 World Cup with West Germany and the 1996 European Championship with Germany, Klinsmann retired as a player in 1998 and moved to California.

Now 49, Klinsmann coached Germany from 2004-06, leading the team to a third-place finish at home in the 2006 World Cup and then quit. He coached Bayern Munich in the 2008-09 season.