Galaxy’s Arena named best coach in MLS

MLS: Bruce Arena wins coach of the year; Sounders’ Sigi Schmid a finalist for the award

DON RUIZ; The News Tribune | • Published November 12, 2009

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Bruce Arena of the Los Angeles Galaxy was named MLS coach of the year Wednesday.

Arena was chosen over other finalists Sigi Schmid of Seattle Sounders FC and Robert Warzycha of the Columbus Crew.

Arena is a former reserve goalkeeper with the Tacoma Tides of the American Soccer League, and his first head-coaching job was at the University of Puget Sound.

He went on to coach at the University of Virginia, the United States under-23 national team and, in 1998, was named head coach of the U.S. men’s national team. He stayed with the national team for eight years , highlighted by advancing to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup.

In MLS, he previously coached D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls. He joined the Galaxy last season, when the club finished 8-13-9 and tied with expansion San Jose for the worst record in the league. Los Angeles climbed to 12-6-12 this season, finishing atop the Western Conference, and will meet Houston in the conference final Friday for the right to play in the MLS Cup final at Qwest Field on Nov. 22.

Arena also won the MLS coaching award in 1997 with D.C. United. He joins Schmid (’99 Los Angeles and ’08 Columbus) and current U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley (’06 Chivas USA and ’98 Chicago) as two-time winners.

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