(Monday, November 14, 2011) – Major League Soccer announced today that LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena has been selected as the League’s Coach of the Year for the second time in the last three years. Arena becomes the first-ever three-time winner of the award, having previously claimed it in 1997 with D.C. United and in 2009 during his first full season with the Galaxy.
Now in his third full season with the Galaxy after being named the club’s General Manager and Head Coach in August 2008, Arena has led his team back to MLS Cup for the second time in three years while repeating as Supporters’ Shield winners with a 19-5-10 record for 67 points, which were the second most in League history. In addition to winning the Supporters’ Shield, the Galaxy also became the third team in MLS history to go undefeated at home during the regular season, tallying a 12-0-5 record in 17 home regular season games at The Home Depot Center and an 18-0-5 record at home in all competitions.
As it has been throughout Arena’s tenure in charge of the Galaxy, defense was central to LA’s success this season as they allowed an MLS-low 28 goals in 34 regular season games, equaling a League record with 17 shutouts. Their goals against average of 0.82 was the third lowest in MLS history and the club allowed more than one goal at home just once in all competitions.
Arena, who became the all-time leader in postseason wins in MLS with the 3-1 victory over RealSaltLake in the Western Conference Championship, is second in MLS history with 128 career regular season wins, including 51 during his time with the Galaxy.
This is the third time in MLS history that the coach of the Galaxy has been selected as the League’s Coach of the Year with Sigi Schmid claiming the honor in 1999 in addition to Arena winning the award in 2009. He won the award this season ahead of Schmid, who finished second in the voting, and Sporting Kansas City’s Peter Vermes, who finished third.
