Former North Carolina men's soccer player Gregg Berhalter, who was named head coach of the U.S. men’s national team on Sunday, will oversee the newest chapter of American men’s soccer.
Berhalter will officially be introduced as head coach on Dec. 4 after the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors confirmed his selection in a unanimous vote Saturday.
The USMNT failed to make it to the 2018 World Cup, leading to the resignation of former head coach Bruce Arena after the qualifying round in 2017. Berhalter will be tasked with rebuilding a faltering national program.
"We are excited to announce Gregg as the next head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team," said U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro in a press release. "As an experienced former National Team player and highly regarded professional coach, we are confident he is the best person to guide our program forward.
Berhalter was a two-time All-America selection during his time in Chapel Hill, and in 2002 was named one of the ACC’s 50 all-time best men’s soccer players. He left Chapel Hill for a professional career after his junior season in 1993, finishing with 13 goals and 10 assists in his career for North Carolina. He was also the U.S. captain at the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship.
After leaving Chapel Hill, Berhalter first stopped in the Netherlands, playing for PEC Zwolle. He finished his club career with the LA Galaxy, where he also got a taste for coaching while serving as an assistant coach en route to an MLS Cup title in his final season. He worked and played under Bruce Arena in Los Angeles.
Berhalter earned 44 caps for the USMNT as a player, helping the team to two trips to the FIFA World Cup including an appearance in the quarterfinals in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
"This is a tremendous honor," Berhalter said in the press release. "Having played for the National Team I know what it means to represent our country. I believe in our players and our program, and together we will work to build something special and develop a team that will make our supporters proud."
Berhalter represents the first head coach of the U.S. team who played for the team in a World Cup. At 45 years old, he has eight years of coaching experience, most recently for Columbus Crew SC as the head coach and sporting director. He led the team to the MLS playoffs four times in five seasons, including the 2015 MLS Cup Final.
