Red Bulls hire USMNT great Michael Bradley as new coach: Born winner

When Red Bulls head of sport Julan de Guzman went out to look for a new head coach, he had certain boxes that he wanted candidates to check off.And when all was said and done, there was one name that just made sense for the club.Michael Bradley.The U.S.

Men’s National Team great and New Jersey native will take the reins of the Red Bulls as their new head coach after leading the club’s development team to an MLS Next Pro championship in October.“I could not be more excited for the opportunity to be head coach of this club,” Bradley told The Post.“It’s a club that means a lot to me.

It’s home.I started my playing career here.

… It’s something really special, and I’m honored and couldn’t be more excited to get started.”Bradley was among five coaches that de Guzman spoke with about the vacant position following the decision to part ways with Sandro Schwarz at the end of the 2025 season.The Red Bulls’ head of sport whittled the list down to three before Bradley was the last person standing.Part of what de Guzman wanted in his first coaching hire as the man in charge was someone who truly understood the ins and outs of Major League Soccer.“I think it was really important to really identify a coach who has strong ties with the league,” de Guzman told The Post.

“Who understands how MLS works with league rules and player movement, and this takes me back to seeing the most successful coaches in the past had a really strong understanding of MLS as a culture.Michael Bradley, for me, he’s played in this league.

He’s been successful, won trophies.He’s led his country as well as the captain.

I think that those were two very strong starts based on his career as a player.”Bradley also fits into the on-field vision that de Guzman seems to have for the first team.Bradley took over as Red Bulls II coach in the middle of the summer – the American star’s first-ever head coaching job – and led the club to a championship.When de Guzman a...