Robert "Bob" Bradley (born March 3, 1958 in
Montclair,
New Jersey) is the former
manager of the
United States men's national soccer team. Before taking over the national team in December 2006, he previously coached in the American
college game and later in
Major League Soccer, managing the
Chicago Fire,
MetroStars, and
Chivas USA over nine seasons.
His son,
Michael Bradley, is a professional footballer playing for
Borussia Mönchengladbach in the
Bundesliga and the U.S. national team.
Background and college career
Bradley was born and raised in
New Jersey, playing soccer at
West Essex High School and
Princeton University. Following his graduation from Princeton, Bradley briefly worked in the Procter & Gamble's executive training program before entering the
Ohio University sports management program in 1981. While there, Bradley's managing career started when he was named the manager of
Ohio University's Division 1 soccer program at the age of 22.
He was lured away by
University of Virginia manager
Bruce Arena and spent two years as his assistant, before taking the top job at his alma mater, Princeton. Bradley led the Tigers from 1984 to 1995, winning two
Ivy League titles and reaching the NCAA
Final Four in 1993.
Major League Soccer
In 1996, Bradley became Arena's assistant once again, this time with
D.C. United of the newly formed
Major League Soccer. After two seasons there, he became the first manager of the expansion
Chicago...
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