Michael Bradley Named Red Bull New York Head Coach
This morning, Red Bull New York (formerly the New York Red Bulls) announced Michael Bradley as their new head coach.
The Princeton, N.J. native and U.S. Men’s National Team legend will take the reins in 2026 as the 20th person to lead the team (including full-time and interim coaches).
Bradley becomes the second permanent Head Coach in franchise history to have played for the club. The only other player to lead the team as head coach was Mike Petke, who served from 2012 to 2015.
He replaces Sandro Schwarz, who departed the club in late October following two seasons and a management shift at the team. He led New York to an MLS Cup appearance in 2024, but the team failed to reach the playoffs this past season.
Coming off a Title
Bradley joins Red Bull New York after spending half of last season with New York Red Bulls II. After replacing Ibrahim Sekagya, Bradley led the reserves to a first-place finish in the Eastern Conference of MLS NEXT Pro.
That was followed by a playoff run culminating in a penalty-kick shootout win over Colorado Rapids 2 to secure the team’s first MLS NEXT Pro Cup title in 2025.
“He leads with calm confidence and has a great way of connecting with people. We are excited for Michael to bring his philosophy to our first team and continue to lead our club towards success,” said Head of Sport Julian de Guzman.
Bradley posted an 11-4-4 mark this past season, including a 3-0-1 mark in the postseason. Red Bulls II scored 15 goals in four matches during the 2025 MLSNP playoffs. That total is the most by a single team in an MLS NEXT Pro postseason. Since he joined the team, RBNY II scored 50 goals in 19 matches across all competitions.
This past summer marked Bradley’s first time coaching a senior adult soccer side. Before joining Red Bull New York, Bradley acted as the Canada Men’s National Team’s assistant coach this past June under former RBNY head coach Jesse Marsch. He began his coaching career as an assistant on his father, Bob Bradley’s, coaching staff at Norwegian side Stabæk.
Wealth of Experience
Michael Bradley is one of the most experienced men to have ever led either the MetroStars or the Red Bulls.
He played professionally for 20 seasons, beginning his career with the MetroStars. He was selected 36th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft at age 16, with his father, Bob Bradley, as the then-head coach. At the time, he was the youngest signing in club history. However, he was never able to break through much on the first team.
In 2005, after signing with Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen, he made 70 appearances, tallying 19 goals and nine assists in three seasons. He then had stints at globally-known clubs like Borussia Monchengladbach, Aston Villa, Cievo, and A.S. Roma.
Bradley returned to Major League Soccer in early 2014, signing with Toronto FC. In his 10 seasons with the Canadian club, he made 308 career appearances and won four Canadian Cups, the 2017 MLS Cup, and the 2017 Supporters’ Shield.
On a grander scale, Bradley is also one of the most accomplished USMNT players of all time. His 151 appearances is the third-most appearances by a player in USMNT history. He recorded 17 goals and 11 assists for his country. Bradley also captained the United States for 44 matches and led the squad to a fourth-place finish in the 2016 Copa America Centenario.
He made eight FIFA World Cup appearances, most notably four appearances during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he scored the game-tying goal in a 2-2 draw against Slovenia. He won two CONCACAF Gold Cups with the United States in 2007 and 2017.
Bradley Joins a Team in Flux
The move comes as Red Bull and its roster are in a transition period.
Several players have already left the team; goalkeeper Carlos Coronel is out of contract and is likely to move abroad. Defenders Kyle Duncan and Curtis Ofori both had their contract options declined.
More recently, the team is said to have traded midfielder Peter Stroud to Minnesota United FC for $475,000 in general allocation money (GAM). However, that deal is yet to be officially announced by either side. Forward Lewis Morgan is also said to be heading to San Diego FC, according to another rumor.
Tom Bogert of The Athletic was the first to publish both of the above rumors.
With that said, Bradley will be taking the lead on a team looking for a new identity. The main additions of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Emil Forsberg will still be on the roster. However, Head of Sport Julian de Guzman has mentioned how much he wants to use Red Bull talent from within their own system.
Hiring the reserve team head coach might be a sign that the plan is moving forward.
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