While some people have built one program up to the elite level, Bruce Arena has done it three times.
Arena, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., came to Charlottesville in 1978 after serving as an assistant lacrosse coach at Cornell University. Arena said he noticed many things that would make it possible to turn the Virginia men's soccer team into national champions.
"The education, the quality of life in Charlottesville, among other factors, made it easier to recruit quality athletes to the University of Virginia," Arena said. "We were able to upgrade the facilities here, and slowly but surely, in the 80s, we were able to build a program that was competitive on a national level."
It didn't take Arena long to turn Virginia into a perennial playoff team. After finishing one game under.500 in 1980, the Virginia Cavaliers would never again finish below .500 during Arena's tenure as head coach. Sure enough, the hard work would pay off as Arena guided the Cavaliers to the 1989 national championship. Arena would go on to lead the Cavaliers to four straight national championships from 1991-1994.
Arena, however, eventually left Virginia to become head coach of D.C. United in the upstart Major League Soccer.
"It was hard," Arena said of leaving Virginia. "But I was there for 18 years, and I felt that it was time for a change. [I started coaching D.C. United] at a time where soccer wasn't as big as it is now, and in MLS's first year, I saw it as an exciting opportunity for a challenge."
Arena displayed the same ability to jumpstart D.C. United that he had in Charlottesville. In his time at coach, he led the team to their first two MLS championships and the prestigious Interamerican Cup in 1998.
That success would allow Arena to have the opportunity to coach the United States Men's National Team in 1998. Arena led the National Team to two World Cup appearances, in 2002 and 2006. Arena's team surprised many in 2002 when they made it all the way to the quarterfinals, losing to Germany 1-0. While the 2006 squad did not reach the round of 16, they did tie World Cup winner Italy 1-1.
While Arena was fired as the National Team coach following the U.S.'s World Cup defeat, he was recently named the new head coach of Red Bull New York. Even though the New York media is known for being very intense and scrutinizing, Arena is ready for the challenge.
"I think when you're a national coach there's a lot of pressure with that," Arena said. "I think that it'll be fun being able to coach here in New York."
Besides having laid the foundation for the Virginia men's soccer program, Arena has another major reason to continue to follow the team. His son Kenny is currently serving as volunteer assistant coach on the team, and Arena appreciates the work that current Virginia coach George Gelnovatch has done.
"I am very proud of the work that [Gelnovatch] has done with the program," Arena said.
Gelnovatch, who played and coached under Arena, admires the work Arena has done and believes he will continue to do great things in the soccer world.
"I think, personally, he is a great coach," Gelnovatch said. "I think he was treated a little bit unfairly during the [2006] World Cup, but I expect him to do a great job with Red Bull New York."
Even though Arena is currently coaching, he can potentially see the day where he will return to Charlottesville.
"Eleven years later I look back on it full-circle," Arena said. "After I complete my time here with Red Bull New York, I would probably like to end up in Charlottesville and have the opportunity to work for the University in some capacity."
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