Former US international star Tab Ramos was named as the new head coach of the Houston Dynamo on Friday.

Ramos, 53, joins the Major League Soccer outfit after stepping down from his roles as head coach of the US under-20 team and youth technical diretor.

The Uruguayan-born former midfielder was also an assistant to former US coach Jurgen Klinsmann at the 2014 World Cup, where the Americans reached the round of 16.

"I'm excited to join the Houston Dynamo organization and I'm looking forward to the challenge of leading this group of players," Ramos said in a statement.

"This is a club that has winning in its DNA, a club with a clear vision for the future centered around development and a team-first mentality, and Houston is a city that has tremendous untapped potential as a soccer market, both on and off the field.

"This is a fantastic opportunity, and I can't wait to get started."

Ramos was a pillar of US soccer's renaissance in the 1990s, playing in three consecutive World Cups in 1990, 1994 and 1998. He also featured in the 1995 Copa America and 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Ramos, who won 81 caps for the United States, was inducted in the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005.

He will be saddled with the task of revitalising Houston, who have failed to reach the playoffs for the past two seasons after losing in the Western Conference finals in 2017.