Pro Soccer Team Names Bay Village High Alum Head Coach

BAY VILLAGE, OH — The New England Revolution, a professional soccer team in Boston, have named Brad Friedel, 46, a Lakewood native, as the seventh head coach in club history. Friedel was born in Lakewood and then went to high school in Bay Village.

"My staff and I are delighted and honored to have been hired by the New England Revolution," Friedel said in a statement. "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."

Friedel is a former goalkeeper who had stints as a player both in the U.S., with the Columbus Crew, and in the U.K., with Aston Villa and the Tottenham Spurs, among others. He was on the roster, as a goalkeeper, for the U.S.'s three FIFA World Cups from 1994 to 2002.

"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."

He has been serving as the head coach for the U.S. U-19 Men's National Team since January 2016. Prior to becoming a head coach, he was an assistant for Tottenham's Academy.

“I didn’t want to jump straight into a head coaching job the day after I stopped playing. A lot of my friends and colleagues have done that. Some of the world’s greatest players have done that and they’ve found it really, really difficult. I did it a little bit different," Friedel said at a press conference introducing him as head coach on Monday.

Friedel joins a team with some work in front of it. The Revolution finished seventh in Major League Soccer's eastern conference, with 45 points. The team was not able to make the playoffs last season.

Photo from New England Revolution