Bruce Arena to be named San Jose Earthquakes head coach: Sources

The San Jose Earthquakes will name Bruce Arena their next manager and sporting director, sources tell GIVEMESPORT.

ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle first reported the news.

The agreement came about a week and a half after Arena flew into San Jose on Oct. 25 to potentially reach a deal, as revealed by GIVEMESPORT, but nothing got done by the time he left. Now, both sides are ready to move forward.

Arena is the winningest head coach in MLS history. The 73-year-old has the most wins (250), the most MLS Cups (five), the most Coach of the Year awards (four) and most Supporters’ Shields (four) in league history.

This is Arena’s first job since resigning from his role with the New England Revolution last September after he was placed on administrative leave and placed under an MLS-commissioned investigation for alleged “inappropriate and insensitive remarks”. Arena told ESPN’s Carlisle in an exclusive interview: “It was just staff joking around with each other in private. I accept any of the criticism and I’m moving forward.”

Gregg Berhalter, Gio Savarese, Robin Fraser and interim head coach Ian Russell were among the candidates San Jose considered, as revealed by GIVEMESPORT last month.

San Jose finished bottom in MLS this year with just 21 points, nine points worse than any other club. They also set a new league-record for most goals conceded in a single-season (78).

The club has several key talents that could lead to an improved 2025, namely designated players Cristian Espinoza and Hernan Lopez. Lopez joined as the club-record signing in April.

San Jose also have a bevy of talented academy graduates breaking through in the first team, including the likes of Niko Tsakiris, Cruz Medina, Emi Ochoa, Oscar Verhoeven, Edwyn Mendoza and more coming through the pipeline. That has been an area of focus for the club in recent years.

Arena’s history in MLS dates back to the league’s launch, when he was the first-ever DC United coach in the inaugural MLS 1996 season, winning the first two MLS Cups and one Open Cup with the club. Before that, he won five NCAA College Cups and six ACC championships over 18 years as coach of the University of Virginia.

Arena may be best known for his time with U.S. men’s national team, with his first stint coming in 1998. At Arena’s first World Cup, 2002, the United States had their best finish in the tournament since 1930, making a run to the quarterfinals. He remained in charge through the 2006 World Cup cycle.

His other most high-profile job was at the helm of the LA Galaxy, taking over in 2008, mere months after David Beckham arrived. He won three MLS Cups in a four-year span with a Galaxy squad built around Beckham, USMNT legend Landon Donovan and Irish international Robbie Keane.