FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Sports

Today was a huge day for American soccer coaches in Europe. Here's why.

Two steps closer to breaking the glass ceiling for American managers in European soccer.

Here's a question you probably ask yourself every morning: Is today the biggest day in history for American soccer coaches in Europe? Guess what? The answer today is yes. Seriously!

This morning, news broke that David Wagner will become coach of Huddersfield in the English Championship. A couple hours later, Twitter came to life with news that Bob Bradley is rumored to have made a preliminary agreement to manage Havre Athletic Club, in France's second division. It may not sound like much, but there is still something of a glass ceiling for Americans wanting to manage European teams—there are fewer than 10 working at any level—so today's announcements marks real progress.

Of the two, Wagner is the less experienced coach. Prior to joining Huddersfield, his only management experience was as the U23 coach at Borussia Dortmund. (Until this season, under Wagner, BVB's U23s played in Germany's 3rd Division.) Wagner is best friends with Jurgen Klopp, and when Klopp left Dortmund and later signed with Liverpool, there was widespread speculation Wagner wasn't far behind. His move to Huddersfield was not expected, but it's a major step up for the German-American. At Huddersfield, he will reportedly serve in a more German-style head coach role, working alongside a sporting director, rather than as a more dictatorial English-style manager. For more on Wagner, read my February 2015 profile of him.

Bob Bradley's move to Le Havre is just as much a surprise, but for different reasons. Bradley is vastly experienced, worked for years in MLS, and later with the national teams in the United States and Egypt. He managed Stabæk, in Norway's top division, for the last two seasons—his first job in Europe. Just last week, the team qualified for European competition, which is a massive achievement, and the stage was set for Bradley to move to a bigger club. A team in France's 2nd division might seem a strange choice. But Le Havre has a bigger payroll than Stabæk, and its stadium is more than three times the size of Stabæk's. What's more, the team is only 6 points out of first place. Should Bradley lead Le Havre to promotion, he'd be the first American manager to coach a top-tier team in one of Europe's big 5 leagues. That is, if Wagner doesn't beat him to it.

Update: A reader points out Vincent Volpe, an American businessman, is the primary shareholder at Le Havre, which makes Bradley's potential move even more understandable.