Gregg Berhalter was hired Sunday to coach the U.S. men’s national soccer team, making him the first person to lead the Americans after playing for them in a World Cup.
Berhalter, who spent the past five seasons as the head coach of Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew SC, represents a generational change for an American team staggered by its failure to reach this year’s World Cup in Russia after seven straight appearances at soccer’s quadrennial showcase.
A native of Englewood, New Jersey, Berhalter grew up in nearby Tenafly and played alongside future U.S. captain Claudio Reyna at Saint Benedict’s Prep in Newark.
Berhalter’s Columbus teams succeeded despite one of the league’s lowest payrolls.
“They try to keep the ball. He’s got ideas and a style of play that they stick to,” U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan said. “That guidance will be important going forward.”