Head Coach: U.S. Men's National Team Hometown: Manhattan Beach, California
As the United States continues to elevate towards the elite soccer playing nations, Bob Bradley is uniquely poised to pick up the torch that has been ignited over the last two decades. Born and bred in the ranks of American soccer, he is intimately familiar with the players, coaches and structure of the sport at all levels in this country.
The 33rd head coach in U.S. Men’s National Team history, he is the first coach to win his first three games in charge with victories against Denmark and fellow World Cup finalists Mexico and Ecuador. Initially named interim head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team and head coach of the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team on December 8, 2006, Bradley led the team to a 12-5-1 record in first year while capturing the 2007 Gold Cup crown, the regional championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The title earns the U.S. a place in the 2009 Confederations Cup, a tournament featuring the champions of every region that will be held in South Africa just one year prior to that country hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Bradley joins the U.S. National Team programs after nine seasons as a head coach in Major League Soccer, having accumulated the most victories of any coach in league history. The New Jersey native has previously served as assistant coach for the U-23 National Team, holding that position during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
The only two-time Coach of the Year winner in MLS history, Bradley brought his teams to the playoffs in each of his first nine seasons as a head coach. He set a record in his first year at the helm in Major League Soccer by becoming the first coach to lead an expansion team to a league championship title in their debut season, directing the Chicago Fire to the MLS Cup in 1998. That same year, Bradley guided the Fire to their first U.S. Open Cup crown while earning the first of his coach of the year titles. Bradley won his second U.S. Open Cup title with Chicago in 2000.
After three seasons at the MetroStars, Bradley joined second-year expansion side Chivas USA in 2006, orchestrating the club's turnaround from having the league's worst record in 2005 into finishing in the top three in goals scored and qualifying for the playoffs the following year. That performance once again earned Bradley MLS Coach of the year honors. He is the only coach in MLS history to have reached the 100-win plateau, his career total currently standing at 124 regular-season victories and an all-time record of 124-94-54.
Bradley began his MLS career serving as Bruce Arena’s top assistant during D.C. United's first two title-winning campaigns (1996, 1997), capturing back-to-back MLS Cups (1996, 1997) and one U.S. Open Cup (1996) with the charter MLS club. In 1996, he served as Arena’s assistant for the U.S. Olympic Team that qualified for the Atlanta Games.
A 1980 graduate of Princeton University (where he led the Tigers in scoring his senior year while completing his B.A. in History), Bradley assumed his first head coaching job at age 22, leading the Ohio University men's soccer program (1981) while finishing his M.A. in Sports Administration at the school. Hired in 1983 by Bruce Arena to serve as his assistant at University of Virginia (1983-1984), in 1984 Bradley returned to Princeton, where in twelve seasons (1984-1995) he led his alma mater to two Ivy League titles (1988, 1993) and Princeton's only NCAA Final Four berth to date (1993).
Born on March 3, 1958, in Montclair, New Jersey, Bradley is married to Lindsay Bradley and has three children: Ryan, Kerry and Michael. In his third year as a professional soccer player, Michael currently plays for SC Heerenveen of the Dutch Eredivisie and is a member of the U.S. Under-20 National Team. Bob's brother Scott played for the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball, and is currently the Princeton baseball coach, while his brother Jeff is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.
BRADLEY FACT FILE Personal: Married to Lindsay, the couple has three children (Ryan, Kerry and Michael) and lives in Manhattan Beach, Calif. … Attended Princeton University (1976-1980) and the Ohio University (1981-1983) ... Born March 3, 1958, in Montclair, N.J. … Collegiate Soccer Coaching Career: Assistant coach, University of Virginia (1983-84); Head Coach, Princeton University (1984-1995) … Professional Coaching Career: Assistant Coach, D.C. United (1996-1997); Assistant Coach, U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team (1996); Head Coach, Chicago Fire (1998-2002); Head Coach, MetroStars (2003-2005); Head Coach, Chivas USA (2006) … Coaching Honors: MLS Coach of the Year (1998, 2006), MLS All-Star Head Coach (2003) … Championships Won: CONCACAF Gold Cup (2007), MLS Cup (1998), U.S. Open Cup (1998, 2000), Ivy League Championship (1988, 1993)
BOB BRADLEY’S U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM COACHING RECORD Full Internationals
| Year |
GP
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
Pct.
|
| 2007 |
18
|
12
|
5
|
1
|
.694
|
| 2008 |
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| 2-Years |
18
|
12
|
5
|
1
|
.694
|
As of January 1, 2008 |