Joseph Nane never wanted to become a coach.

Throughout a career that spanned two continents and saw the Cameroon native compete at the top of the club game in North America in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the idea of stepping onto the sidelines wasn’t the post-career pathway the central midfielder envisioned.

And then, last year, as he played his final season with Oakland Roots SC in the USL Championship and started working with players in the club’s Academy, he gained a new perspective.

“My first week, I realized, actually, I wanted to give,” Nane told USLChampionship.com this week. “I was slowly falling in love with it, in terms of telling a player what’s wrong, what’s right, and seeing them apply it and it working. The joy I saw from the players applying [my advice] boosted my love for the game.”

In the 11 months since he last saw action for Roots, the 37-year-old has jumped fully into his new vocation. Following his retirement from playing at the end of the season, he was appointed as second assistant on Oakland’s coaching staff.

Since April, after the club’s decision to part ways with Noah Delgado after two wins from its opening nine games, Nane has effectively become the No. 2 to current interim Head Coach Gavin Glinton. During Glinton’s tenure, the club has seen a resurgence in form to put it in second place entering Sunday’s network television showdown with NorCal rival Sacramento Republic FC (4 p.m. ET | CBS).

In addition to earning his USSF “B” Coaching License, this preseason Nane was selected as one of the five inaugural participants in the USL Forward program. Established in January, USL Forward is aimed at addressing the lack of diversity among technical staff and executive positions. In addition to Roots, the Championship’s Sacramento Republic FC and League One’s Greenville Triumph SC, Forward Madison FC and Richmond Kickers welcomed local and traveling residents as part of the Pro Preseason Residency initiative with the aim of accelerating the participants’ coaching experience and progression.

As part of the PPR, Nane was not only immersed in his new duties as an assistant coach for Roots, but part of a broader program that included seminars from individuals including U.S. Soccer Federation Vice President of Sporting and former Men’s National Team player Oguchi Onyewu.

“Listening to them talk and giving you feedback was the breakthrough,” said Nane. “Me personally, I was trying to deal with the ego, and when Onyewu is telling me ‘you already played, so why the ego as of late?’ [What’s important is] just come do your work and be open ears, basically.

“Some of the big takeaways were the opportunity we’re receiving, the assets we have, but most of all learning about the experience of everybody that came before us – that had a bigger career – telling us the how hard it was to manage going from retirement to where they are right now, and that it wasn’t easy. The fact that some of the biggest names in the U.S. National Team experienced that, and they’re telling us to keep going because there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, that’s a good experience.”

It is fitting Roots was among the five clubs to participate in USL Forward’s first program. Since its launch in 2018, the club’s purpose beyond the playing field and within the Oakland community – and emphasis on diversity within its staff – has been a defining trait for one of the most culturally important sporting organizations in North America.

That culture is reflected in the work Roots has done locally in creating new pathways into the sport. In March, the organization – which also includes the USL W League’s Oakland Soul SC – introduced the Oakland Coach Academy, a new program aimed at breaking down barriers that prevent young boys and girls the chance to play soccer.

“The club itself has always made a commitment to the city and the community and people who don't necessarily always get the chance,” said Glinton. “I think their focus on being a force for social good has been huge, and you can see that, obviously in the Roots Recognize initiative and 51O, but also in terms of the coaching courses that the club is developing in order for coaches who wouldn’t normally get that exposure and experience to come and develop and hopefully have a pathway on to bigger jobs.”

“They’ve got to want to open the door and give chances to everybody else,” said Nane of the clubs. “It’s up to the teams. You can make it as an incentive for the team, but how will that look if it fails? I think they have to be willing themselves to open the doors for every race to be able to take the lead.”

And make no mistake, a head coaching position is where Nane is aiming.

Given the Championship’s history of providing opportunities for young coaches to take the helm – and the success current coaches such as Louisville City FC’s Danny Cruz, the Charleston Battery’s Ben Pirmann and Sacramento Republic FC’s Mark Briggs have achieved – it’s a goal that should be within reach sooner rather than later when you look at his overall resume and the trend within the league.

“You’ve seen the level of quality of the coaches that have come through here,” said Glinton. “Coaches have had their first opportunities and done really well. I think the USL has done a good job in finding those coaches and being able to scout them, promote them and give them a platform.”

As he builds his new pathway, Nane believes he’ll be ready when opportunity knocks.

“My vision, the next five years, I want to be a Head Coach somewhere,” said Nane. “Is it in the Championship, is it in MLS, or something else, I don't know. But I’m gunning for the top.”