The godfather of MLS coaches has extended his stay with the four-time league champions.
The LA Galaxy announced on Thursday that head coach and general manager Bruce Arena has signed a contract extension with the club, continuing a fruitful tenure at the helm highlighted by MLS Cup triumphs in 2011 and 2012 and trips to three of the last four league championship finals. Specific terms of the new deal were not disclosed.
“We are very pleased to sign Bruce Arena to a multi-year contract extension,” said Dan Beckerman, president and CEO of Galaxy owners AEG, in a club statement. “Bruce is one of the finest coaches in the history of soccer in the United States. His commitment to the LA Galaxy, the club’s winning tradition and continued excellence on and off the field is unrivaled. We look forward to the team’s continued success under Bruce’s management.”
Since joining the Galaxy in 2008, Arena has guided LA to a 82-46-44 regular-season record and a first-place finish in the Western Conference in three of the past five seasons, with Supporters’ Shield-winning campaigns in 2010 and 2011.
The first coach in MLS history to win four MLS Cup titles, Arena is a three-time MLS Coach of the Year winner and a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He began his pro coaching career with D.C. United in 1996, winning two of the first three MLS Cup championships before managing the US national team from 1998 to 2006.
“I’m honored to remain in this role with the preeminent soccer club in the United States,” Arena said in a statement. “I appreciate the continued support and confidence from Mr. [Phil] Anschutz, Mr. Beckerman, Chris Klein and my staff and players as we head into the 2014 season.”
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Arena, 62, has a career regular-season record of 159-97-54 in MLS and a postseason mark of 27-9-4, including a 9-4-2 postseason record with the Galaxy. His 159 career regular season wins are the second-most in MLS history, while his 27 postseason wins are the most in league history.
LA open their 2014 campaign on March 8 with a home match against Real Salt Lake (10:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE).
