New York Red Bulls II appoint Michael Bradley as head coach | OneFootball

By MLSsoccer staff

New York Red Bulls II have appointed iconic US men's national team and MLS midfielder Michael Bradley as head coach, the MLS NEXT Pro affiliate of the New York Red Bulls announced Thursday.

This is the first professional head coaching position for the 37-year-old New Jersey native, who started his playing career with the then-MetroStars in 2004.

Bradley retired in October 2023 following an illustrious 20-year playing career. He then started his coaching path as an assistant under his father, former MLS and USMNT manager Bob Bradley, at Norwegian side Stabæk.

“I couldn’t be more excited to come back to where my professional playing career began,” said Bradley.

“This is a dream opportunity as a young coach. I’m looking forward to working every day with this talented group of players, and I’ll give everything to help them take the next step in their careers. I’m thankful to the club for the opportunity and can’t wait to get started.”

Bradley was the youngest signing in MetroStars history after being selected in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft at 16 years old, eventually moving to Europe after two seasons with the club. Across the pond, Bradley spent time with clubs in the Netherlands, Germany, England and Italy to great success before eventually returning to MLS with Toronto FC in 2014.

In 308 appearances for TFC, Bradley lifted four Canadian Championships in addition to completing the 2017 MLS Cup-Supporters' Shield double during his trophy-laden tenure.

On the international stage, Bradley is the third-most capped USMNT player with 151 appearances and captained his country 44 times. He is a two-time Concacaf Gold Cup winner, plus featured at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.

“We are excited to welcome Michael to the club,” said sporting director Julian de Guzman.

“He had an incredible playing career and is one of the greatest American soccer players ever. We see him as a promising coaching talent and look forward to supporting his development as he transitions to a career behind the touchline.”

Bradley replaced Ibrahim Sekagya as NYRB II head coach following his promotion to first-team assistant. His first match at the helm will be on June 21 at Carolina Core FC (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).