Top American managers ranked: Marsch, Berhalter, Matarazzo, Arena

American managers feature

Trailblazing Americans have made their coaching marks not only in MLS and with the USMNT, but in England, Germany and France

While it might not be as pronounced as it is on the playing side, the footprint of American managers in the global soccer scene is growing. Americans have graced the touchline not only in MLS, but also in England, Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway and even Egypt.

With each trailblazing move, more doors open, as they did when Bob Bradley, for example, coached his way through Europe before reaching the Premier League. Pellegrino Matarazzo recently kicked a door wide open himself, helping guide Real Sociedad to a major trophy while making history for the American game. There could be more groundbreaking moments as American soccer gains more visibility in the coming months leading up to the 2026 World Cup, and more history could be made over the next few years.

GOAL takes a look at the top 10 American managers in global soccer.

Norwich City v Leeds United - Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Semi-Final 1st Leg

David Wagner

Teams managed: Dortmund II, Huddersfield Town, Schalke 04, Young Boys, Norwich City

Initial year as manager: 2011

Impact: Due to his German roots, David Wagner isn't often thought of as an American manager, but he was a U.S. international, earning eight caps in the late 1990s. Wagner entered the coaching ranks as a highly regarded prospect, serving as a reserve coach under Jurgen Klopp between 2011 and 2015 at BVB.

He worked relative miracles with a low-budget Huddersfield Town side, helping them earn promotion in 2017. However, with the club struggling to maintain its Premier League status in 2019, he left by mutual consent.

Fortune has not been on Wagner's side since. He led Schalke to a record winless streak of 16 matches between January and June 2020. He then took over Young Boys, where his side saw its consecutive run of league titles end following his arrival. His final stop came at Norwich, where he led American Josh Sargent and Co. to a sixth-place finish but ultimately lost in the 2024 promotion playoffs in the semifinals.

He was sacked after the loss. Wagner, 53, was previously linked with MLS jobs and was named RB Leipzig's head of youth development last summer.

Charlotte FC v Philadelphia Union

Jim Curtin

Teams managed: Philadelphia Union

Initial year as manager: 2014

Impact: Despite all of their success in a Supporters' Shield-winning season, it is still a bit surprising that the Union decided to move on from their long-serving manager ahead of the 2025 season. Similar to Peter Vermes at Sporting KC, Jim Curtin built a culture that laid the foundation for the club.

He was promoted at age 35 and led the expansion team to several successes, including the Supporters' Shield in 2020 and three U.S. Open Cup titles. While MLS Cup eluded him, he did lead the Union on several deep playoff runs, including the team's appearance in the 2022 MLS Cup final, where they lost to LAFC.

Los Angeles Football Club Celebrate MLS Cup Victory

Steve Cherundolo

Teams managed: Las Vegas Lights, Los Angeles Football Club

Initial year as manager: 2021

Impact: Throughout his tenure at LAFC, Cherundolo routinely proved that he was a pretty darn good manager at this level. In just four seasons as manager, he won three major titles: MLS Cup and the Supporters' Shield in 2022, along with the U.S. Open Cup in 2024.

Yes, naysayers will mention that he failed to get the most out of Olivier Giroud, but Cherundolo oversaw multiple rebuilds during his time at LAFC while never letting the level truly dip. He went from the Carlos Vela era to Denis Bouanga and began ushering in a new one midseason with Son Heung-min. That isn't easy to do.

Cherundolo stepped away from LAFC at the end of the 2025 season, but his journey in management should not end in Los Angeles. He has plenty of potential.

Sporting Kansas City v Los Angeles Football Club

Peter Vermes

Teams managed: Sporting KC

Initial year as manager: 2009

Impact: A Sporting KC legend as both a player and manager, Peter Vermes helmed the club for 16 years before the club parted ways with him in 2025. Still, his impact on the franchise can't be overstated.

He took a small-market team and turned it into an MLS powerhouse, making the playoffs 11 times and winning MLS Cup in 2013, along with three U.S. Open Cup titles. He also developed stars who became major contributors or moved to Europe through profitable transfers for the club, including Matt Besler, Graham Zusi, Erik Palmer-Brown and Gianluca Busio.

He was also a dark-horse candidate for the USMNT manager job at various stages of his career. While it might be strange not seeing the militaristic Vermes on the touchline at Children's Mercy Park, it's worth betting on the manager turning around another MLS club in the future.

Japan v United States - International Friendly

Gregg Berhalter

Teams managed: Hammarby, Columbus Crew, USMNT, Chicago Fire

Initial year as manager: 2011

Impact: Eyebrows were raised in 2018 when former USMNT director Earnie Stewart bypassed a full coaching search and zeroed in on Gregg Berhalter, but, looking back, it proved the right call. His calm demeanor was what the program needed after missing the World Cup. His Jordans obsession helped connect with younger players, and his trust in up-and-comers ushered in a supposed “golden generation” still expected to make noise at the 2026 World Cup.

At the club level, Berhalter has been solid if unspectacular, nearly guiding Hammarby back to Sweden’s top flight, reaching the 2015 MLS Cup final with Columbus and restoring the Chicago Fire to playoff contention, but his tenure hasn’t been free of controversy.

He criticized Gio Reyna at a leadership lecture as a player he considered sending home from the World Cup, sparking a feud with the Reyna family. The goodwill from his World Cup qualifying run evaporated, and he was dismissed after a disappointing 2024 Copa America. Still, his results overall put him in the upper echelon of American head coaches. 

Tottenham Hotspur v Swansea City - Premier League

Bob Bradley

Teams managed: Ohio Bobcats, Princeton, Chicago Fire, Metrostars, Chivas USA, United States U23s, USMNT, Egypt, Staebek, Le Havre, Swansea City, LAFC, Toronto FC, Staebek

Initial year as manager: 1981

Impact: Make no mistake, Bob Bradley is American soccer’s biggest trailblazer as a manager, repeatedly stepping outside his comfort zone with the jobs he took on. His tenure as USMNT boss was often unfairly criticized.

Initially hired as a caretaker after talks with Jurgen Klinsmann broke down and Bruce Arena’s exit, Bradley delivered results few expected. He led the U.S. to the 2009 Confederations Cup final, stunning world No. 1 Spain with a squad featuring Fernando Torres, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Ramos, and Iker Casillas at their peak, before falling to Brazil in a dramatic final.

Dismissed after the 2011 Gold Cup loss, Bradley used the setback to challenge himself abroad. In Egypt, he became a respected figure, guiding the national team to the brink of World Cup qualification and helping nurture Mohamed Salah. 

He later managed clubs in Norway (Stabæk), France (Le Havre, nearly promoted to Ligue 1), and England, where his brief stint at Swansea City made him the first American to coach in the Premier League. While his 11 matches there yielded only two wins, he wasn't given much of a runaway with the club. 

Bradley’s legacy as a pioneer is unquestioned, despite recent struggles at Toronto FC and an unsuccessful return to Stabæk.

Real Sociedad v Atletico de Madrid - Copa Del Rey Final

Pellegrino Matarazzo

Teams managed: Nuremberg II, Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, Real Betis

Initial year as manager: 2011

Impact: Matarazzo turned a professional career in Germany's lower leagues into an impressive coaching career. He initially served as a caretaker manager at Nuremberg II in 2011 before working his way through the assistant ranks, which ultimately led to two top managerial jobs in the Bundesliga: Stuttgart and Hoffenheim.

Then Matarazzo arrived in Spain. He was hired by Real Betis in December and instantly transformed the club, leading them up the table and into the Champions League hunt. More importantly, though, he led the club to silverware, helping underdog Betis knock off heavily favored Atletico Madrid to lift the Copa del Rey. By doing so, he became the first American coach to win a major trophy in a top-five league while also endearing himself to the fans of a historic Spanish club.

Matarazzo's stock is rising rapidly, and he has a very real opportunity to surge up this list in the years to come.

Seattle Sounders v Inter Miami CF - Leagues Cup Final

Brian Schmetzer

Teams managed: Seattle Sounders

Initial year as manager: 2002

Impact: Brian Schmetzer isn't the flashiest name among American managers, but one can easily make the case that he's the best in club soccer right now. With the Sounders' stunning upset over Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup, he became the first manager in North America to win every major trophy: the Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup.

The Champions Cup in 2022 is particularly significant considering the disparity in resources between MLS clubs and those in Liga MX. And Schmetzer didn't have a Lionel Messi or previous big-name Seattle stars such as Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins or Fredy Montero.

Along the way, Schmetzer has had a hand in developing several stars for the club, including Jordan Morris and Obed Vargas. While some will criticize the 63-year-old for not escaping his Seattle comfort zone, it isn't for a lack of trying, as he publicly announced his interest in the USMNT job in 2024.

The manager should be lauded for his continual rebuilding of the team. There have been at least four eras during his time at the club and, in each, the team was a contender.

Jesse Marsch

Jesse Marsch

Teams managed: Montreal Impact, New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig, Leeds, Canada

Initial year as manager: 2011

Impact: Bob Bradley walked so Jesse Marsch could essentially run as America's biggest European trailblazer. The first American coach to lead clubs in two of Europe's top-five leagues, RB Leipzig and Leeds, he was also the first American to coach in the Champions League with RB Salzburg. While his time at both Leipzig and Leeds ultimately led to the sack, some would say his exit from Leeds was unwarranted. Either way, he has a list of accomplishments that most in the U.S. would dream of.

He helped develop Erling Haaland in Austria while winning two Austrian Bundesliga titles and two Austrian Cups. While Salzburg were heavy favorites in both competitions, his work with a low-budget and relatively young team still stands out. It was similar to the work he did in MLS, where he won two Supporters' Shields during his time in charge of the New York Red Bulls.

Now with Canada, Marsch has restored pride and confidence in another program with limited resources. While he's received some recent criticism after a subpar showing at the 2025 Gold Cup, when he had a full squad, he led Canada to the 2024 Copa America semifinals.

Houston Dynamo FC v San Jose Earthquakes

Bruce Arena

Teams managed: Puget Sound Loggers, Virginia, United States U23, D.C. United, USMNT, New York Red Bulls, LA Galaxy, USMNT, New England Revolution, San Jose Earthquakes

Initial year as manager: 1976

Impact: The godfather of modern American soccer, Bruce Arena is a serial winner in a career spanning more than five decades. He remains the only USMNT coach to lead the team to a World Cup quarterfinal, doing so in 2002 with wins over Portugal and Mexico before narrowly falling to Germany.

That era also produced the program's highest FIFA ranking at No. 4, and he won three Gold Cup titles. The magic faded in later stints. At the 2006 World Cup, the U.S. failed to advance from the group despite entering the tournament ranked in the top 10. His second spell ended in disaster in 2017, when a shocking loss to Trinidad and Tobago eliminated the U.S. from the 2018 World Cup.

Even with those blemishes, Arena's club resume is unmatched. He won a record five MLS Cups and four Supporters' Shields while reviving multiple franchises. His college coaching legacy at Virginia includes five NCAA titles. His chapter in New England, however, ended in controversy.

Now in charge of the San Jose Earthquakes, he's once again pushing a team into playoff contention using the right mix of young stars, MLS veterans and international star Timo Werner. For all the ups and downs, the record speaks for itself: Arena is the greatest manager in American soccer history.