U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati announced on Friday that Bruce Arena's term as the head coach of the men's national team will conclude at the end of the year as his contract will not be renewed. Arena will remain the U.S. coach through the end of 2006 and the search for a new coach is set to begin immediately.
"Bruce Arena's success on the field for the United States is unprecedented," said Gulati. "But it is more than just the results he has achieved on the field. Simply said, no one has done more to lift the stature and respect of our men's national team programs worldwide. We appreciate Bruce's years of service to U.S. Soccer, and as we move forward we will be looking for someone to build on the success he has established for our men's program and our organization."
The decision was made after a lengthy meeting between Gulati, Arena and U.S. Soccer secretary general Dan Flynn on Thursday at New York's LaGuardia Airport.
"I would like to thank the players, coaches and staff who have been with the program over the last eight years," said Arena. "Their tireless effort has helped transform the national team program into something we can all be proud of, and I am extremely grateful for their commitment. I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience, and I would like to thank U.S. Soccer for the opportunity and their support throughout my tenure. I am proud of how far the organization has come over the last eight years, and I am extremely optimistic about the future of the sport in our country. As for me, I am planning to take some time off to weigh my future opportunities."
Arena's tenure closes on a disappointing note as the U.S. failed to emerge from Group E at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. The side earned only one point in three games, thanks to a 1-1 tie with eventual Cup champions Italy. But losses to the Czech Republic and Ghana sealed the USA's - and likely Arena's - fate.
Gulati, though, said there was more to the decision than just the World Cup disappointment.
"I think perhaps having a fresh approach after eight years - it's a very, very long time to be with a national team - is the strongest factor," he said. "Obviously, we didn't get the results we wanted in the World Cup, but as I've said repeatedly, Bruce Arena didn't become a bad coach in three games or with a bad bounce of the ball. It's got much more to do with eight years and us thinking that it's time for a fresh look."
Arena's record for the U.S. team is unparalleled, though, as he helped propel the program to a point of worldwide respect, particularly following the U.S. team's impressive quarterfinal run in the 2002 World Cup. Arena compiled a 71-30-29 record during his eight years at the helm.
Gulati stated that the search for a new coach will begin now, but that to this point no contact has been made with any potential candidates, including California resident Jurgen Klinsmann, who recently resigned from his role as Germany's head coach after leading the host country to a third-place finish at the World Cup.
"We have not talked to any potential coaches," Gulati said. "We will start that process now, but the first decision we needed to make was the status of Bruce. We've reached that and now we'll start the second part of the process.
"The search will be worldwide. We're not restricting ourselves to anyone with an American passport, certainly, or anyone who currently resides in the U.S., so we will look for the best possible person for our program."
While Gulati would not comment on any specific coaches, he did state that there are certain factors that would make some candidates more desirable than others.
"I think there is a big advantage to knowing something about the American setup, and that's the soccer set-up as well as the cultural setup," Gulati said. "Is it a prerequisite? No. But we've got some unique institutions in the U.S., whether it's our league setup, the NCAA setup, whether it's youth soccer or whether it's the geographic challenges. All of those things make this a different sort of place to try to learn quickly."
There is no set timetable for when a new coach will be named.
Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
