Bradley becomes the lone two-time Coach of the Year

By Sarah Gomes Nov 1, 2006, 15:30 GMT

Carson, Calif. - Major League Soccer announced Chivas USA head coach Bob Bradley as the 2006 MLS Coach of the Year on Tuesday, after the boss carried his squad to a 10-9-13 record and third place finish in the Western Conference in only his first season on the job.

'These awards are indicative when you have a good staff and good players,' Bradley said.

Bradley took over the 2005 four-win team and turned Chivas into a contender, with its first playoff appearance in the club's two-year existence.

'The most important thing was that everyone in the organization from the top to the bottom learned from the first season,' Bradley said. 'Everyone was committed to turning things around.'

The New Jersey native is no stranger to the MLS or success, as he began his MLS coaching career in 1996, when the league was conceived, and is currently the winningest coach in MLS history.

In all of his nine MLS seasons as a head coach, Bradley's teams have qualified for the playoffs every October. The Princeton graduate also won Coach of the Year honors in 1998 during his time with the Chicago Fire, making him the first two-time winner of the accolade.

In 1998, Bradley led the Fire to the MLS Cup Championship, along with the Open Cup Championship in the team's inaugural season, after his time as an assistant under head coach Bruce Arena at D.C. United. The Chivas boss guided the Metrostars from 2003-2005, before landing in California.

Bradley's time with Arena in D.C. was not his first. After a year as the head coach at Ohio University at the ripe age of 22, Bradley spent two years at the University of Virginia under the current New York Red Bulls head coach.

Bradley then took on the head coaching spot at his Alma Mater from 1984-1995, leading his squad to a pair of Ivy League titles and a Final Four appearance in 1993.

Bradley becomes the second award-winner from Chivas USA this season, as Jonathan Bornstein received Rookie of the Year honors on Tuesday, also.

'I attribute a lot of my success to him, Bob always instilled a good work ethic in everyone,' Bornstein said about Bradley in a press conference Tuesday. 'That mentality he instilled in the team, he instilled in each of us individually.'

D.C. United head coach Peter Nowak and Chicago Fire head coach Dave Sarachan were also finalists for the award.

The MLS Coach of the Year winners are voted on by the media, MLS players, MLS coaches and general managers of each club.

The following is all of the MLS Coach of the Year Winners:

2006: Bob Bradley - Chivas USA

2005: Dominic Kinnear - San Jose Earthquakes

2004: Greg Andrulis - Columbus Crew

2003: Dave Sarachan - Chicago Fire

2002: Steve Nicol - New England Revolution

2001: Frank Yallop - San Jose Earthquakes

2000: Bob Gansler - Kansas City Wizards

1999: Sigi Schmid - Los Angeles Galaxy

1998: Bob Bradley - Chicago Fire

1997: Bruce Arena - D.C. United

1996: Thomas Rongen - Tampa Bay Mutiny

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