Former Revolution Head Coach and Sporting Director Bruce Arena Set to Join San Jose Earthquakes
After being out of work for over a year following controversy in New England, MLS' winningest coach is set to return to the league.
After weeks of rumblings, former Revolution Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena is returning to Major League Soccer.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, the San Jose Earthquakes have hired the legendary MLS figure as the Quakes’ new Sporting Director and Manager. An official announcement is expected to come Thursday, per Carlisle.
After discussing the current state of the Earthquakes, the conversation transitioned to Arena’s controversial exit from New England in 2023 after being placed on administrative leave for “inappropriate and insensitive remarks”.
After a lengthy investigation, it revealed “certain allegations were confirmed” and that Arena had to petition MLS Commissioner Don Garber for reinstatement. Arena resigned from his role with the Revolution on September 9th, 2023. According to Carlisle, Arena met all the requirements for a return in December of 2023.
It appeared we’d finally get some answers when Arena appeared on the popular CBS Sports Golazo show Kickin’ It. Unfortunately, Arena stayed mostly silent on the situation after declining to discuss specifics.
After being pressed, Arena finally indicated what led to everything that had transpired.
“It was just staff joking around with each other in private,” Arena told ESPN. “I accept any of the criticism and I'm moving forward."
Arena arrives in San Jose with a lot of work to do after the Earthquakes ended the 2024 season in dead last with 21 points on a 6-25-3 record.
The San Jose earthquakes and Chicago Fire. The two biggest dumpster fires in mls. Will be better than Caleb Porter’s Revs. I can not believe we kept around Onalfo and Richie and didn’t fully move on. And we will pay for it with the wooden spoon
Of course Arena is going to minimize it (now that he’s been reinstated and hired), nevertheless I think he’s not back here either because he saw what a mess Revs management made of things during his suspension, or that he was undermined by those in the organization jealous of or threatened by his level of power/control.