FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution have named Brad Friedel as the club's head coach. Friedel, the seventh head coach in club history, brings 25 years of professional and international experience to New England, most recently serving as head coach of the United States Under-19 Men's National Team.
Friedel, 46, will assume coaching duties immediately and will be introduced to the media in a press conference, streamed live on Revolutionsoccer.net, with Revolution President Brian Bilello and General Manager Michael Burns in the Gillette Stadium media workroom on Monday, Nov. 13 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
"Brad has been a leader throughout his illustrious career and is regarded as one of the most successful players in U.S. history with experiences spanning multiple continents, leagues, and levels of competition,” said Revolution Investor/Operators Robert and Jonathan Kraft. “We believe his playing and coaching experiences along with his commitment to compete at the highest level will allow him to be very successful in our league. His knowledge of the game, passion for winning, and experience working with players whose talents range from aspiring young players to the game’s most successful professionals will be great assets for the Revolution."
"My staff and I are delighted and honored to have been hired by the New England Revolution," Friedel said. "I can guarantee that we, the staff and players, will give 100 percent commitment to the club and our fans while looking forward to all the challenges ahead. We can't wait to get started right away building this club for the 2018 season."
The Lakewood, Ohio native has been at the helm of the U.S. U-19 Men's National Team since January 2016. During that time, he also helped the U.S. Under-20 squad win the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship as an assistant coach under Tab Ramos. Friedel holds a UEFA "Pro" coaching license, the organization's highest certification available, and began accruing coaching experience during his final years as a player by assisting at all levels of Tottenham's Academy and serving as an assistant with various U.S. Youth National Teams.
"While Brad's professional playing pedigree speaks for itself, it is his competitive character and commitment to winning that make me confident his incredible career as a player will translate to success here in New England," Revolution General Manager Michael Burns said. "He demands the best out of himself and his players and has a strong presence both in the locker room and on the sidelines, which is why we believe he is the best choice to lead the Revolution."
In addition, the Revolution and Friedel have hired two new assistant coaches to the club's technical staff: Mike Lapper and Marcelo Neveleff. Assistant coaches Tom Soehn, Carlos Llamosa, and Head of Fitness Aidan Byrne will not return to the club in 2018.
Lapper, 47, is an accomplished former American international who spent nine seasons (2005-13) as an assistant coach with the Columbus Crew before joining West Virginia University's men's soccer team as an assistant in 2013. Neveleff, 54, hails from Argentina and was most recently a Technical Advisor in the U.S. Soccer Boys' Development Academy after brief managerial stints at clubs in the North American Soccer League (NASL) and Bolivia.
Before entering the coaching ranks, Friedel enjoyed one of the most accomplished playing careers in U.S. soccer history. In his 13-year international career, Friedel earned 82 career caps for the United States, the fourth most ever among American goalkeepers. He was instrumental in leading the USA to the 2002 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals, making all five starts in the tournament, and was on the U.S. roster for all three FIFA World Cups from 1994 to 2002.
Friedel's club career saw him excel at the highest levels of the game for more than two decades. His club career featured over 600 total appearances across all competitions, highlighted by 17 Premier League seasons with Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Tottenham Hotspur. His 450 league appearances in the Premier League are the most ever by an American and third most among all goalkeepers. Among other notable achievements, Friedel also holds the Premier League record for most consecutive appearances with 310, and his 132 clean sheets rank among the top 10 in league history.
Prior to his time in England, Friedel also started 45 matches in Major League Soccer with the Columbus Crew from 1996-97. In 1997, he was selected to the MLS Best XI and named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. Before joining MLS during its inaugural season, Friedel saw his first professional club action with Turkish power Galatasaray in 1995.
In his collegiate career, Friedel played for the UCLA Bruins from 1990-92 and helped the school win the NCAA Championship in his first campaign. He went on to win the Hermann Trophy as the top collegiate soccer player in 1992. A two-time first-team All-American selection, Friedel was named to Soccer America's College Team of the Century.
Friedel has also spent time as a member of the sports media, most recently serving as a studio and in-game analyst for FOX Sports. He also previously worked with various outlets across Europe including BBC and Sky Sports.
