Born on August 26, 1968, Thomas Letsch, the new head coach of the first youth football team in Stuttgart, southern Germany, grew up in a family environment that shaped his discipline and later career. His father worked as a mechanical engineer at a German industrial company, and his mother was a primary school teacher. He had a quiet childhood in Baden-Württemberg, combining a love of science and sports encouraged by his parents. Letsch, who stands 1.90 meters tall and weighs around 84 kilograms, started playing football at an early age as a player for local amateur clubs in his area, learning the basics in the youth teams of SV W. Esslingen. He did not have a notable professional playing career, with his appearances limited to amateur and lower-division clubs such as Bonlanden in the Oberliga. His coaching talent and leadership abilities were discovered by officials at VfB Obersulingen, who gave him the opportunity to work as both a player and coach between 1997 and 2000. He then pursued academic studies in mathematics and sports science, earning a teaching diploma that qualified him to teach. Letsch worked as a certified teacher for mathematics and sports in German schools, moving to Lisbon, Portugal in 2009 to teach at the German school there for several years. He joined the Red Bull Salzburg system in Austria in 2012, initially coaching the U16 team, and was appointed academy sports director on the recommendation of then-system sporting director Ralf Rangnick. He progressed through roles, coaching the U18 team and serving as assistant coach for the first team. He led system club FC Liefering in the Austrian second division between 2015 and 2017, overseeing the development of many young talents. He temporarily coached Red Bull Salzburg's first team for two matches in 2015 and led the team in the UEFA Youth League. His coaching career includes stints with German club Erzgebirge Aue in 2017 and Austrian club Austria Wien between 2018 and 2019. His most notable coaching success came with Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem, which he coached from 2020 to 2022, leading them to the KNVB Cup final in 2021 and the Conference League round of 16 in their first European appearance. He then moved to the German Bundesliga to coach VfL Bochum from 2022 to 2024, successfully keeping the club in the top flight in his first season. He returned to coach Red Bull Salzburg in December 2024 on a contract until summer 2027, leading the team in the Austrian Bundesliga and European competitions until last February before being appointed as the new youth coach on Friday.