Bob Bradley won the 2019 MLS Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year award on Wednesday, the third such honor for the veteran manager who has steered the Los Angeles Football Club to historic heights this season.
Bradley led the second-year club to a record-breaking 2019, capturing the MLS Supporters’ Shield while setting a new single-season points record (72) and tying the single-season team goals record (85), averaging 2.12 points per game with a league record of 21-4-9 – three more wins and two fewer losses than the next closest teams – and a whopping +48 goal differential.
All that has earned the Black & Gold a Round 1 bye and the top seed in the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs; they host their crosstown rivals the LA Galaxy in a hotly-anticipated postseason edition of El Trafico in the Conference Semifinals on Thursday (10:30 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes in US; TSN, TVAS in Canada).
Displaying a stylish, aggressive model of possession-oriented soccer, LAFC have been led by captain Carlos Vela, who won the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi while setting a new single-season scoring record of 34 goals over 31 games, while Bradley’s backline allowed the fewest goals of any MLS club this season.
Last year LAFC also experienced tremendous first-year success under Bradley, their first and only head coach to date, qualifying for the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs while setting a new expansion team points record (57) and matching the records for expansion team goals (70) and away wins (7).
Dubbed “Bob the Builder,” Bradley has shown a knack for navigating new projects to success. His first Coach of the Year award came in 1998 when he led the Chicago Fire to an MLS Cup triumph and a U.S. Open Cup title during their inaugural campaign. He went on to win again in 2006 for guiding Chivas USA to the playoffs in their second season of existence following a disastrous expansion campaign.
Bradley coached the US men’s national team from 2006-11, winning the 2007 Concacaf Gold Cup, placing second in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and topping Group C at the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He moved on to stints at the Egypt national team, Norwegian club Stabæk and French side Le Havre before becoming the first American to manage an English Premier League club in a short, tumultuous tenure at Swansea City.
With this year’s honor, Bradley is now level with his former D.C. United and USMNT colleague, Bruce Arena, for the most Coach of the Year awards in MLS history. The award was voted on by MLS club technical staff, media, and current MLS players; below is a breakdown of the voting results.
Voting Results
Nominee |
Player
Vote |
Club
Vote |
Media
Vote |
Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bob Bradley (LAFC) |
53.79% |
39.80% |
50.58% |
48.06% |
Dome Torrent (NYC) |
10.69% |
23.47% |
13.51% |
15.89% |
Jim Curtin (PHI) |
7.59% |
19.39% |
12.36% |
13.11% |
Adrian Heath (MIN) |
3.45% |
8.16% |
8.88% |
6.83% |
Matias Almeyda (SJ) |
9.31% |
3.06% |
7.72% |
6.70% |
MLS Coach of the Year Winners
- 2019: Bob Bradley – Los Angeles Football Club
- 2018: Gerardo “Tata” Martino – Atlanta United
- 2017: Greg Vanney – Toronto FC
- 2016: Oscar Pareja – FC Dallas
- 2015: Jesse Marsch – New York Red Bulls
- 2014: Ben Olsen – D.C. United
- 2013: Caleb Porter – Portland Timbers
- 2012: Frank Yallop – San Jose Earthquakes
- 2011: Bruce Arena – LA Galaxy
- 2010: Schellas Hyndman – FC Dallas
- 2009: Bruce Arena – LA Galaxy
- 2008: Sigi Schmid – Columbus Crew SC
- 2007: Preki – Chivas USA
- 2006: Bob Bradley – Chivas USA
- 2005: Dominic Kinnear – San Jose Earthquakes
- 2004: Greg Andrulis – Columbus Crew SC
- 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 – LA Galaxy
- 1998: Bob Bradley – Chicago Fire
- 1997: Bruce Arena – D.C. United
- 1996: Thomas Rongen – Tampa Bay Mutiny
