List of New England Revolution managers

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Current Revolution manager, Caleb Porter.

The New England Revolution is a soccer team based in Foxborough, Massachusetts,[1] that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), the first-division league in the United States.[2] The club began play in 1996 as one of ten original MLS teams.[3] The Revolution have had nine permanent managers, with four interim managers (not including those who later served full-time as the manager).

The longest-serving manager is Steve Nicol, who was in charge for 330 league and playoff matches over two stints, with the longest being a ten-season run from May 2002 to October 2011. He is the most successful Revolution manager in terms of honors won, having led the team to a US Open Cup win in 2007 and a SuperLiga win in 2008; during his tenure the Revolution also made four unsuccessful trips to the MLS Cup final. The shortest-serving permanent manager (excluding the current one) is Frank Stapleton, who stepped down after the club's inaugural season. The current manager is Caleb Porter, who was hired after the 2023 season.

Managerial history[edit]

Early managers struggle to find success (1996–2002)[edit]

Frank Stapleton was the first manager of the Revolution.

The New England Revolution announced former Arsenal and Manchester United player Frank Stapleton as their first manager on January 4, 1996. They were the last team in MLS to announce a coach.[4] His tenure was marked by clashes with high-profile players Giuseppe Galderisi and Alexi Lalas, and he resigned after the team missed the playoffs in its inaugural season.[5] In the off-season, the Revolution signed Thomas Rongen, who had won the inaugural regular-season title as the manager of the Tampa Bay Mutiny.[6] Under Rongen, the Revolution reached the MLS playoffs, losing to D.C. United in the first two games of a three-game series.[7] Rongen was fired in August 1998 with the team in last place and was replaced by former Revolution goalkeeper Walter Zenga.[8] Two months later, Zenga was announced as a player-coach.[9] The team secured its worst record to date in the 1999 season, and he was let go despite him being one of the better players on the team and there being two games left in the season. Steve Nicol, a former Liverpool player, was named as the interim coach.[10]

Before the 2000 season, former U.S. national team player Fernando Clavijo was appointed as a manager, and the team underwent a rebuild.[11] That season, Clavijo led the team to their first season with a winning record and their first playoff victory, which was against the Chicago Fire.[12] The next season, the club reached the 2001 U.S. Open Cup final, which they lost 2–1 after sudden death extra time to the LA Galaxy.[13] Clavijo was fired midway through the 2002 season with the Revolution at a 2–4–1 record, and the club elevated Steve Nicol from assistant coach to head coach.[14]

First trophies under Steve Nicol (2002–2011)[edit]

Steve Nicol is the club's longest-serving manager to date.

After being named interim coach in May 2002, Nicol led the team to the 2002 MLS Cup final, where the Revolution lost 1–0 in overtime.[15] He was named MLS Coach of the Year, and secured the permanent manager job despite his limited experience.[16] In 2005, Nicol again led the Revolution to the MLS Cup, and the team earned the same result: a 1–0 loss to the Galaxy in overtime.[17] The next year, the team became the first to lose two consecutive MLS Cup finals when they lost 4–3 in a penalty shootout to the Houston Dynamo.[18] The 2007 season would bring a first as Nicol led the Revolution to a trophy: the 2007 U.S. Open Cup final, in which the team defeated FC Dallas 3–2.[19] However, the season would again end in disappointment, with a 2–1 loss to the Dynamo in the MLS Cup final.[20]

The Revolution reached two more finals under Nicol: the 2008 SuperLiga final,[21] which they won 6–5 in a penalty shootout over the Dynamo, and the 2010 SuperLiga final, which they lost 2–1 to Atlético Morelia.[22] During Nicol's last two seasons in charge, 2010 and 2011, the team missed the playoffs.[23][24] On October 24, 2011, the club announced via a press release that they "mutually decided to part ways" with Nicol, ending a ten-season run with the team that included eight consecutive playoff appearances.[25]

Heaps and Friedel eras (2011–2019)[edit]

Former Revolution player Jay Heaps was appointed as manager after the club parted ways with Steve Nicol.

On November 16, 2011, the Revolution announced that former player Jay Heaps would become the sixth permanent head coach. Heaps had appeared in all four MLS Cup losses as a Revolution player.[26] Under Heaps, the team reached the 2014 MLS Cup final, where they lost 2–1 to the Galaxy, marking their fifth MLS Cup final loss in the same number of appearances.[27] In Heaps' tenure, the team reached the playoffs from 2013-2015, although he was ultimately fired in September 2017 following a poor stretch which included a 7–0 loss to Atlanta United.[28]

Former U.S. Men's national team goalkeeper Brad Friedel was appointed as head coach on November 9, 2017.[29] Friedel was fired in May 2018, with a 2-8-2 record in the 2018 season. His last game in charge was a 5–0 defeat to the Chicago Fire.[30]

Bruce Arena era and aftermath (2019–present)[edit]

Bruce Arena served as manager and sporting director from 2019 until resignation in 2024.

On May 14, 2019, the club announced Bruce Arena as the head coach and sporting director. Arena held the record for the most wins as a U.S. national team manager, as well as five MLS Cups.[31] Under Arena's stewardship in 2021, the club won the Supporters' Shield for the first time in history, and set the record for the most points in a single season with 73 points in the 2021 season,[32] although they were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by New York City F.C.[33] The next season, the team missed the playoffs for the first time in Arena's tenure.[34]

On August 1, 2023, the club suspended Arena from his roles as coach and sporting director pending an MLS investigation into his alleged use of "insensitive and inappropriate language".[35] He would resign on September 9, saying in a statement: "I know that I have made some mistakes and moving forward, I plan to spend some time reflecting on this situation and taking corrective steps to address what has transpired."[36] Richie Williams, who had been serving as the interim manager during Arena's suspension, was removed from his role three days later after Revolution players reportedly refused to train. Additionally, assistant coaches Shalrie Joseph and Dave van den Bergh, who had both voiced their support for Arena on social media, parted ways with the club that same day. New England Revolution II head coach Clint Peay was announced as the new interim head coach.[37] The team qualified for the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, where they were eliminated by the Philadelphia Union.[38]

The club announced two-time MLS Cup winner Caleb Porter as the next head coach on December 19.[39] As of the end of April 2024, his record with the team is 1-7-1, and the team is in last place in the Eastern Conference.[40]

List of managers[edit]

Information correct as of April 2024

Key
  • Names of caretaker managers are highlighted in italics and marked with an asterisk (*).
  • Names of player-managers are marked with a double-dagger (‡).
  • Match results contain all league games as well as MLS playoff matches.
List of New England Revolution managers
Name Nationality From To Matches[41][40] Won[41][40] Lost[41][40] Drawn[41][40][a] Win%[41][40] Honors
Frank Stapleton  Ireland[4] January 4, 1996[4] September 26, 1996[5] 32 15 17 0 046.88
Thomas Rongen  Netherlands[6] November 5, 1996[6] August 24, 1998[8] 60 23 37 0 038.33
Walter Zenga ‡  Italy[43] August 24, 1998[8][b] September 20, 1999[44] 36 13 23 0 036.11
Steve Nicol *  Scotland[44] September 20, 1999[44] November 29, 1999[45] 2 2 0 0 100.00
Fernando Clavijo  United States[14] November 29, 1999[45] May 24, 2002[14] 69 23 33 13 033.33 U.S. Open Cup runners-up: 2001[46]
Steve Nicol  Scotland[44] May 24, 2002[14][c] October 24, 2011[25] 328 122 117 89 037.20 MLS Cup runners-up: 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007[47]
U.S. Open Cup winners: 2007[19]
SuperLiga winners: 2008 runners-up: 2010[48]
Jay Heaps  United States[28] November 16, 2011[26] September 19, 2017[28] 207 79 84 44 038.16 MLS Cup runners-up: 2014[28]
Tom Soehn *  United States[49] September 19, 2017[28] November 9, 2017[29] 5 3 1 1 060.00
Brad Friedel  United States[29] November 9, 2017[29] May 9, 2019[30] 46 12 21 13 026.09
Mike Lapper *  United States[50] May 9, 2019[30] May 14, 2019[31] 3 1 0 2 033.33
Bruce Arena  United States[51] May 14, 2019[31] September 9, 2023[36][d] 139 63 33 43 045.32 Supporters' Shield winners: 2021[52]
Richie Williams *  United States[53] August 1, 2023[35][d] September 12, 2023[37] 4 1 1 2 025.00
Clint Peay *  United States[54] September 12, 2023[37] December 19, 2023[39] 9 2 6 1 022.22
Caleb Porter  United States[55] December 19, 2023[39] Present 9 1 7 1 011.11

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Before the 2000 Major League Soccer season, matches would be settled in a penalty shootout rather than end in a draw.[42]
  2. ^ On August 24, 1998, Zenga was appointed as interim manager.[8] On October 28, he was announced as a player-coach.[9]
  3. ^ Nicol served as interim coach until the end of the 2002 season, and was signed as a permanent head coach after leading the team to the 2002 MLS Cup final.[16]
  4. ^ a b Arena was placed on administrative leave starting August 1, 2023, with Richie Williams serving as interim in that time.[35] On September 9, Arena resigned as head coach.[36]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Micek, John L. (February 24, 2024). "As New England Revolution kick off new season, Mass. lawmaker keeps ball rolling on new stadium". Mass Live. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  2. ^ Dell'Apa, Frank (October 17, 1995). "Soccer league starts the Revolution today". The Boston Globe. p. 71. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  3. ^ Bird, Hayden (November 4, 2021). "Revs rebrand: The story behind the New England Revolution's new logo". Boston.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Dell'Apa, Frank (January 5, 1996). "Stapleton's style points". The Boston Globe. p. 86. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Dell'Apa, Frank (September 27, 1996). "Stapleton resigns as coach". The Boston Globe. p. 99. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Dell'Apa, Frank (November 11, 1996). "Revolution get their man - it's Rongen". The Boston Globe. p. 55. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "Sweeps abound in MLS playoffs". The Odessa American. October 9, 2010. p. 29. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d Dell'Apa, Frank (August 25, 1998). "Revolution replace Rongen with Zenga". The Boston Globe. p. 57. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Dell'Apa, Frank (October 29, 1998). "Zenga coach - and goalie". The Boston Globe. p. 90. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  10. ^ Dell'Apa, Frank (October 1, 1999). "Sudden boot for Zenga". The Boston Globe. p. 106. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  11. ^ Dell'Apa, Frank (March 27, 2001). "Clavijo showing off some moves". The Boston Globe. p. 41. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  12. ^ Dell'Apa, Frank (September 24, 2000). "Revolution underwent evolution". The Boston Globe. p. 76. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  13. ^ Dell'Apa, Frank (October 28, 2001). "Revolution crumple in OT". The Boston Globe. p. 54. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d Dell'Apa, Frank (May 25, 2002). "Revolutionary change: Clavijo shown gate". The Boston Globe. p. 102. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  15. ^ Dell'Apa, Frank (October 21, 2002). "He was marked man". The Boston Globe. p. 47. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Dell'Apa, Frank (November 7, 2002). "Revolution buck the trend". The Boston Globe. p. 76. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  17. ^ Powers, John (November 14, 2005). "This defeat has a familiar sting to it". The Boston Globe. p. 46. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  18. ^ Dell'Apa, Frank (November 14, 2006). "Latest loss one Revolution feel to their core". The Boston Globe. p. 45. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Dell'Apa, Frank (October 4, 2007). "Finally, Revolution enjoy slice of glory". The Boston Globe. p. 61. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  20. ^ Powers, John (November 19, 2007). "Hard to roll with punches". The Boston Globe. p. 41. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  21. ^ Walker, Monique (August 6, 2008). "A super finish for Revolution". The Boston Globe. The Boston Globe. p. 25. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  22. ^ Picard, Danny (September 2, 2010). "Revs lose to Morelia, 2-1, in SuperLiga finals". NBC Sports Boston. NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  23. ^ Dell'Apa, Frank (October 3, 2010). "Positive spirit wasn't enough for victory". The Boston Globe. p. C3. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  24. ^ Dell'Apa, Frank (October 2, 2011). "Revolution eliminated but Fagundez leaves mark". The Boston Globe. p. C6. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  25. ^ a b Dell'Apa, Frank (October 25, 2011). "Nicol's 10-year run comes to end". The Boston Globe. p. C1. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  26. ^ a b CBS Boston (November 16, 2011). "Revolution Introduce Jay Heaps As Head Coach". CBS News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  27. ^ Powers, John (December 7, 2014). "Galaxy defeat Revolution for record fifth MLS title". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  28. ^ a b c d e "Revolution Fire Head Coach Jay Heaps". CBS News. September 19, 2017. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  29. ^ a b c d Weitzer, Nathaniel (November 9, 2017). "Revolution announce hiring of Brad Friedel as coach". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  30. ^ a b c "Revolution fire coach Brad Friedel after 2 wins in season". Associated Press. May 9, 2019. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  31. ^ a b c Connolly, John (May 14, 2019). "Revolution hire Bruce Arena as coach, sports director". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on April 16, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  32. ^ "Revolution Set New Record For Most Points In An MLS Regular Season". CBS News. WBZ News. October 27, 2021. Archived from the original on March 16, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  33. ^ Dell'Apa, Frank (December 1, 2021). "What went wrong in the Revolution's playoff loss to New York City?". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  34. ^ Thompson, Rich (October 9, 2022). "Revolution give up a late goal in a 1-1 tie at Chicago". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  35. ^ a b c "Revolution head coach Arena suspended amid allegations of 'inappropriate' remarks". Reuters. August 1, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  36. ^ a b c "Bruce Arena resigns from New England Revolution citing 'difficult' investigation". www.theguardian.com. September 9, 2023. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  37. ^ a b c Pablo Maurer; Tom Bogert (September 12, 2023). "Clint Peay to become Revolution interim coach; Richie Williams' future unknown". The Athletic. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  38. ^ Gonçalves, João (November 9, 2023). "The season is over for the New England Revolution. Here's what happened". The Herald News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  39. ^ a b c Dell'Apa, Frank (December 19, 2023). "Revolution hire Caleb Porter, two-time MLS Cup winner, as next head coach". The Boston Glob. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  40. ^ a b c d e f Macomber, Seth (April 29, 2024). "Porter Says He Has Support Of Front Office After Difficult Start". The Blazing Musket. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  41. ^ a b c d e "2024 Fact and Record Book". Major League Soccer. February 2024. p. 19. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  42. ^ Maurer, Pablo (May 7, 2020). "The rise and fall of MLS's 35-yard shootout — and why it should be brought back". The Athletic. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  43. ^ "Walter Zenga". IOC. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  44. ^ a b c d Dell'Apa, Frank (October 1, 1999). "Zenga given sudden boot". The Boston Globe. p. 87. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  45. ^ a b Dell'Apa, Frank (November 30, 1999). "Revolution turn to Clavijo". The Boston Globe. p. 69. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  46. ^ Dell'Apa, Frank (February 12, 2019). "How Fernando Clavijo shaped the New England Revolution". New England Soccer Journal. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  47. ^ Levin, Jake (October 27, 2021). "Revs set new MLS points record with victory over Colorado". NBC Sports Boston. Archived from the original on April 16, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  48. ^ Dell'Apa, Frank (September 2, 2010). "Morelia snaps Revolution streak". The Boston Globe. p. C5. Archived from the original on April 16, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  49. ^ "Tom Soehn". FBREF. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  50. ^ "Mike Lapper". US National Soccer Players. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  51. ^ "Five things to know about U.S. MNT Coach Bruce Arena". U.S. Soccer. November 22, 2016. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  52. ^ "Revolution Win Supporters' Shield For First Time In Franchise History". CBS News. October 23, 2021. Archived from the original on April 16, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  53. ^ "Richie Williams". revolutionsoccer.net. MLS. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  54. ^ Nye, Josh (September 13, 2023). "New England Revolution: Who Is Clint Peay?". The Blazing Musket. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  55. ^ "Caleb Porter". FBREF. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
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