Arena makes MLS return as San Jose coach, GM

The San Jose Earthquakes have signed Bruce Arena to be the team’s sporting director and manager, the former LA Galaxy and United States manager told ESPN.

Arena’s dual role is similar to his previous stops with the Galaxy and New England Revolution, with GM Chris Leitch retaining his position, but now reporting directly to Arena, a club source added. The extent to which current staff will be retained is to be determined.

An official announcement is expected on Thursday morning.

“I think it’s an interesting job. It’s certainly going to be challenging,” Arena told ESPN in an exclusive interview. He added that he was impressed by the proposed level of commitment from owner John Fisher, as well as the rest of the club’s front office staff.

“They were very impressive and they’re committed to making this club better,” Arena said. “I think there’s potential there to develop the club into a team that can certainly be better than they’ve demonstrated over the last couple of years.”

Arena, 73, will take over a San Jose side that went through a brutal 2024 campaign, finishing dead last in the league with just 21 points from 34 games and a record of 6-25-3. The second-worst point total was 30 by Chicago Fire FC.

San Jose also set a dubious MLS record by conceding 78 goals. The Quakes started the season with Luchi Gonzalez as manager, but he was dismissed in late June, with assistant coach Ian Russell managing the team on an interim basis for the remainder of the campaign. As such, the team is now in need of a complete rebuild.

Arena has proven himself adept at rebuilding jobs, having resurrected the Galaxy when he took over in 2008, and ultimately leading them to three MLS Cup titles. He did the same with the Revs starting in 2019, and leading them to a Supporters’ Shield title in 2021.

San Jose fans will be hoping that Arena can provide a similar boost to the Quakes.

“I already know that we want to bring in anywhere from, three to five new players, at a minimum,” Arena said. “We’re gonna target some guys and try to attract them to San Jose.

“You can’t change a dozen players in one year, so I think we need to have some patience. I think the roster’s a heck of a lot better than they demonstrated this past year. It’s not a 21 point roster. Is it a 30 point roster? Is it 40 points? Is it 50 points? I don’t know, but the roster is certainly more capable than they showed in 2024.”

The Earthquakes organization and Fisher are prepared to make an additional investment in the complex at PayPal Park, the team’s home venue. The upgrades include improved locker rooms, a player meeting room, a team dining room, an additional practice field and other amenities that will improve “the everyday environment for the players.”

Arena said the team is also committed to spending more on player salaries. In the latest release of salary data from the MLS Players Association, the Quakes ranked 26th out of 29 teams, with a payroll of $14.63 million. Arena said that Fisher hadn’t put an exact number on the amount of any spending increase.

“The commitment [Fisher] has made to help improve the roster is the one that I think is very positive,” he said.

Arena has been out of work since he resigned as manager of the Revs in September of 2023. His resignation came after he was placed on administrative leave and later investigated by MLS for making “inappropriate and insensitive remarks.”

At the time of his resignation, Arena admitted he “made some mistakes” but didn’t elaborate further. 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 of 2023.

Appearing on CBS Sports Golazo Network’s “Kickin’ it,” last 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.”

When asked to comment on his departure from New England, Arena once again declined to go into specifics. He said he was “extremely proud” of what he had accomplished with the Revs, and added he had engaged in some restorative practice work in a bid to move on from the episode. When pressed on what exactly he said, Arena indicated: “It was just staff joking around with each other in private. I accept any of the criticism and I’m moving forward.”

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 crown, the 1998 Concacaf Champions Cup and the Interamerican Cup. Later, with the Galaxy, Arena won three MLS Cups and two Supporters’ Shields. The aforementioned Supporters’ Shield with the Revs marked the last time he won a trophy. He also managed the New York Red Bulls.

Arena also enjoyed success at international level, but also experienced some crushing lows. He led the United States to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, including a round-of-16 triumph over bitter rivals Mexico. He also led the USMNT to three Gold Cup crowns in 2002, 2005 and 2017. However, he was manager during the 2018 cycle when the U.S. failed to qualify for the World Cup thanks in part to a shocking 2-1 defeat to Trinidad & Tobago on the final day of qualifying. He resigned days after that defeat.

Now Arena finds himself back in MLS, attempting to restore San Jose to the heights that have seen it claim two MLS Cups and two Supporters’ Shields, the last of which came in 2012. He’ll also be managing on the other side of the Quakes/Galaxy rivalry, sometimes referred to as the California Clasico.

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