McBride as US Men’s Soccer General Manager
NEW YORK (AP) – Brian McBride is stepping down as general manager of the U.S. men’s national team, U.S. Soccer’s athletic director Earnie Stewart told the governing body’s board of directors.
Stewart briefed the board during his presentation at the end of the board’s executive session Thursday, a person familiar with the discussion told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the decision, first reported by ESPN, was not announced.
McBride had held the job for three years. Stewart did not tell the board whether the former U.S. team star will be replaced in the role, the person said.
USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone and spokesman Neil Buethe did not respond to requests for comment.
McBride briefed and supervised former teammates in his GM role and was involved in a controversy with another former teammate.
Stewart, 53, played for the United States in the 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cups and was hired as the team’s first general manager in June 2018 as part of a management shakeup that followed the Americans’ failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. In December 2018, he recommended to the board that Gregg Berhalter be hired as coach.
Stewart was elevated to athletic director for the men’s and women’s programs in August 2019, when Kate Markgraf was hired as the first general manager of the US women’s team. McBride, a 50-year-old with 30 goals in 95 international appearances, was hired as the men’s team general manager in January 2020 and both he and Markgraf reported to Stewart.
McBride’s departure comes amid a dispute between Berhalter and the family of American player Gio Reyna that has left Berhalter’s future with the team in question.
Berhalter led the United States to the round of 16 at last year’s World Cup, where the Americans were eliminated with a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands.
Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of December, and he said he hopes to continue coaching through the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will host with Canada and Mexico.
The USSF announced on Jan. 3 that it had hired the law firm of Alston & Bird to investigate Berhalter after Danielle Egan Reyna contacted Stewart on Dec. 11 about an incident at 1991 in which Berhalter kicked Rosalind Santana, the woman who later became his wife. . Berhalter issued a statement saying he had “zero excuses for my actions that night.”
Danielle Reyna, a former U.S. women’s soccer player, is married to former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna and is the mother of current midfielder Gio Reyna and Rosalind Santana Berhalter’s college roommate.
Berhalter revealed at a business conference on December 6 that he almost sent a World Cup player home for a lack of hustle in training, making clear comments about 20-year-old Gio Reyna. Claudio Reyna said he told Stewart and McBride he was frustrated with Gio’s World Cup experience.
“We’ve had to deal with a sad and unfortunate situation, but I think we’re handling it the right way,” Cone said during Thursday’s public board meeting. He said the investigation “should be completed in the coming weeks.”
Anthony Hudson, Berhalter’s assistant, will be the interim coach when the United States begins training on Saturday for next week’s exhibitions against Serbia and Colombia.
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