Arena out as Red Bulls coach (UPDATED)

Bruce Arena's tenure as head coach of the Red Bulls is over.

Soccer By Ives has learned that Arena has resigned as head coach and sporting director, ending his tenure with the team after his first full season with the club. Sources close to the team confirmed that the Red Bulls will announce Arena's departure on Tuesday.

The decision comes just two days after the Red Bulls' season ended with a playoff loss to New England. Arena posted an 18-16-11 regular season record as Red Bulls coach, a tenure that included a pair of first-round playoff losses.

Arena reached a buyout agreement with Red Bull for the remaining $1.2 million on his guaranteed contract. He was hired as Red Bulls coach shortly after being dismissed as the U.S. national team head coach after the team's disappointing performance in the 2006 World Cup.

So why did Arena and the Red Bulls part ways? Here are some factors to consider:

Sources close to the team stated before the season that only an extended playoff run would keep Arena around. Red Bull was not at all happy with a first-round exit for a team with the highest payroll in the league.

Ultimately, Arena fell victim to the expectations of a company that is accustomed to the European model for measuring coaching success. European coaches don't get two to three years to build a club. Either you win right away or you get fired. That philosophy doesn't exactly fit well with MLS, where so many roster and salary restrictions exist.

Do I think he should have been forced out? I felt he deserved one more season but you can't really blame Red Bull for wanting to make a change if it felt the club hadn't shown much progress under Arena. The reality is that the 2007 Red Bulls were a much better team than the 2006 version but the progress wasn't tangible enough for Red Bull's liking, not when Arena was the highest-paid coach in the league (by a wide margin) and not when the Red Bulls payroll was the highest in the league.

So what happens next for Arena? The LA Galaxy talk is a bit ludicrous as long as Alexi Lalas is still running the show there. If you are Arena and you are going to be paid $1.2 million over the next two years from Red Bull, why would you coach? I think it is a very safe bet that Arena will resume his TV work with ESPN. Will he return to coaching eventually? I'm sure he will but I see him taking a break in 2008.

What do you think of this news? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[Ben]

I'm honestly suprised. The Red Bulls/Metrostars have needed stability from the begining and having yet another re-building year now is insane. I guess Bruce is going to LA to coach becks and lando.

[sublicon]

well...there it is.

[eastlachiva]

Arena to LA?
Can you say R-E-T-R-E-A-D?

[nutmegger]

Der Kaiser knows best.

[Garret]

Wow, totally didn't see this coming. I thought he would have one more year.

[Squard]

so much for having stability in New York

[Upper 90...]

BRING IN MOURINHO !!!!!

[Jonny G]

Any chance mo johnston will come back? I think eddie firmani would fit good with this team too.

[Upper 90...]

THIS TEAM IS A JOKE...

[Ben]

Upper 90, I was waiting for that one. I would like to know who the candidates to replace him are.

[alex]

"Any chance mo johnston will come back?"

Are you crazy? Being a TFC fan and watching him for a season, you can have him. His tactics are 100 years out of date and he plays half the team out of position.

I can't wait until they fire him so the franchise can move forward.

[Matt]

Well well well. Can't say I'm surprised. Reyna definitely not coming back now, I would assume?

[Martek]

Arena to LA? HAHAHAHAHAHA. Lalas the Franchise Destroyer would be at it again. This Dynamo fan in Houston would absolutely love that. Good thing Yallop left on his own or Lalas would've traded Frankie and Donovan to NY for Arena and a warm bucket of spit (thy name is Claudio).

[inkedAG]

All I can say is WOW!!

How the mighty hath fallen!!

[Frank the Frowner]

Hopefully Reyna will retire now.

[Tony M]

In spring of 2006 I would have argued that Arena was the most successful coach in American sports. College titles, professional titles, international success. Been a hell of a year and a half, hasn’t it?

I wonder about the Galaxy opening. Certainly, American players like Donovan and Albright should be enthusiastic about the idea – but would cut any ice with Beckham? I’d still bet on a European coach there.

Finally: does the lack of stability make Europe more attractive to Josy this year? I have no idea of his relationship with Arena, but he may figure that now is the time to go.

[moholy]

i'm just as surprised as everyone else...not disappointed, just surprised.

i would guess this means that they have been in conversation with some replacement possibilities...but surely not with mo johnston!

[Dannyc58]

Wow. We need continuity, not sure how I feel.

WOW!

[Miguel]

A total shocker! I think Reyna is totally gone now.

[tp]

Red Bull's gonna bring in "The Special One" for a one year, $5 million contract.

[Bill]

Terrible move Red Bull. Simply awful

[lakaix15]

IS the RED bull organazation going Italian coaches

RBS Italian Coach

RBNY Capello????

LA- KLINSMANN

RBNY- MORINHO OR CAPPELLO

lets see

[Ze]

I'm feeling good about this move simply because it probably means Reyna is out of NY next season.

[bill]

..and Clavijo is still employeed?

Obviously, Red Bull appreciates that NY tolerates little when it comes to so-so sports teams. So, although I'm an el Bruce fan - he bet alot on Reyna (and perhaps dozens of things we know little about) and lost.

Perhaps a little german influence now? LA and NY going to give Juergen Klinnsman a shot - I hope for my sake, it's NY for him.

[Dominghosa]

I agree. Reyna is most likely gone.
I don't see how he will stay healthy enough to last next season.
Looks like NYRB will fight with LA for Capello. Unless Klinsmann accepts the LA job.
If high-profile coaches take the LA and NY gigs, I see MLS adding a 2nd DP, just to raise the league's profile even higher.
Or they could just ride those signings and add a 2nd DP next season, which is more likely to happen.