Robert "Bob" Bradley was born on March 3, 1958, in New Jersey, USA, where his passion for soccer began at a young age. He played soccer at West Essex High School and continued his education at Princeton University, where he also played for the men’s soccer team.
Following graduation, Bradley briefly worked in the Procter & Gamble executive training program before pursuing a master's degree in Sports Management at Ohio University in 1981. At just 22 years old, Bradley was appointed head coach of the Ohio University Bobcats' NCAA Division I soccer program, making him one of the youngest head coaches in the sport at the time. After two seasons, he accepted a role as an assistant coach and scout at the University of Virginia under head coach Bruce Arena.
Bradley worked with Arena for two years before being named head coach at Princeton University, his alma mater. His tenure there was marked by consistent development and success that laid the foundation for his professional coaching career.
Bradley’s Major League Soccer (MLS) journey began in 1996, when he was hired as an assistant coach to Bruce Arena at D.C. United, one of the inaugural teams in the newly formed league. D.C. United won back-to-back MLS Cups in 1996 and 1997, showcasing Bradley’s coaching potential.
In 1998, he became the first head coach of the Chicago Fire, an MLS expansion team. Under his leadership, the Fire achieved immediate success, capturing both the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in their debut season—a historic double that earned Bradley the MLS Coach of the Year award. The team went on to secure another U.S. Open Cup title in 2000 under his guidance.
Following the 2002 season, Bradley resigned from the Chicago Fire and returned to New Jersey to manage the MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls). In his first season, the team reached the playoffs—an accomplishment they had previously struggled to achieve. He coached the team until 2005, when he was let go during the regular season after a series of losses.
In 2006, Bradley was appointed head coach of Chivas USA following the team's disappointing inaugural MLS season. He led a significant turnaround, guiding the team to a third-place finish in the Western Conference and nurturing young talents like Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Bornstein.
Later that year, in response to the U.S. Men's National Team's disappointing performance at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, U.S. Soccer named Bradley interim head coach on December 8, 2006. His tenure began positively, and on May 15, 2007, he was named permanent head coach after a strong string of results, including a 2–0 victory over Mexico.
During his first year, Bradley compiled an impressive record of 12 wins, 1 draw, and 5 losses, and led the U.S. to the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup title with a 2–1 final win over Mexico. He also guided the team through a ten-match unbeaten streak, building his credentials as an international manager.
| Birth Date: | 3 Mar, 1958 |
| Age: | 62 yrs |
| Occupations: | Association football manager |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Montclair |
| Education: | Princeton University Ohio State University |
| Gender: | Male |
| Description: | American association football player and manager |
| Net Worth 2021: | 43 million |
