The San Jose Earthquakes are in advanced discussions with former LA Galaxy and United States men’s national team coach Bruce Arena to make him the team’s next head coach, sources told ESPN on Friday.
Arena, 73, has long operated as both head coach and general manager in his previous MLS stops, but it is unclear if his potential role with San Jose would involve similar responsibilities, and what this might mean for current GM Chris Leitch.
Arena was first linked with the San Jose job last month, as was another former United States men’s national team coach, Gregg Berhalter, as well as former Portland Timbers boss Gio Savarese and Robin Fraser, the former coach of the Colorado Rapids. Berhalter has since been hired by the Chicago Fire.
The Earthquakes declined to comment.
Arena has been out of work since he resigned as head coach and sporting director of the New England Revolution in September 2023.
His resignation came after he was put on administrative leave and later investigated by MLS for making “insensitive and inappropriate remarks.” At the time of his resignation, Arena acknowledged he “made some mistakes” but didn’t elaborate.
MLS announced that “certain” allegations were confirmed and that Arena would have to petition MLS commissioner Don Garber if he wanted to work in the league again. Arena eventually met those conditions, and was declared eligible to resume working in MLS in December 2023.
Appearing on CBS Sports Golazo Network’s “Kickin’ it” in June, Arena said he took responsibility for his actions but also said he had to be “reserved” in what he could say about why he resigned. He called what he went through “hurtful.”
Though no deal has yet been reached, if completed, Arena would take over a San Jose team that is a long away from its heyday in the early 2000s, when it won two MLS Cups and a Supporters’ Shield, and is now in need of a complete rebuild.
The Quakes just finished the 2024 MLS regular season with the fewest points (21 from 34 games) and a record of 6-25-3. The second-worst point total was Chicago’s 30. San Jose also set a dubious league record by conceding 78 goals.
The Quakes started the season with Luchi Gonzalez as head coach, but he was dismissed in late June, with assistant coach Ian Russell leading the team on an interim basis for the rest of the year.
Arena has proven himself adept at rebuilding jobs, having resurrected the LA Galaxy when he took over in 2008 and doing the same with New England starting in 2021.
Arena’s on-field success in MLS is unmatched. He is the winningest coach in MLS history with 262 regular season victories, and has won 12 trophies.
With D.C. United he won two MLS Cups, a Supporters’ Shield, a U.S. Open Cup, the 1998 Concacaf Champions Cup and the Interamerican Cup. Later, with the Galaxy, Arena won three MLS Cups and two Supporters’ Shields. He won his last title with the Revs in 2021. He also managed the New York Red Bulls.
Arena has enjoyed similar highs at the international level but also experienced some crushing lows.
He led the USMNT to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, including a round-of-16 triumph over bitter rival Mexico. During two spells in charge, he guided the USMNT to three Gold Cup crowns in 2002, 2005 and 2017.
But he was also in charge when the USMNT failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, thanks in part to a shocking 2-1 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago on the final day of qualifying. He resigned days after that defeat.