Red Bulls hire Arena as coach

Four days after the United States men's national team coach learned his contract would not be renewed, Bruce Arena, seen here in June 2006, was named the coach and sporting director of the MLS New York Red Bulls.

Four days after the United States men's national team coach learned his contract would not be renewed, Bruce Arena on Tuesday was named the coach and sporting director of the MLS New York Red Bulls.

The move had been anticipated since Arena learned Friday that his tenure as the US coach would end at the end of the year. The last-place Red Bulls fired Mo Johnston last month and replaced him with assistant Richie Williams.

Hired in October 1998, Arena had gone 71-30-29 guiding the US, setting records for wins, games (130) and winning percentage (.658).

The 54-year-old Brooklyn native previously had won five national championships in 18 years at the University of Virginia and led D.C. United to the first three MLS Cup finals, winning two.

Arena guided the US to a surprising quarterfinal run in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, but the Americans came in last in Group E of last month's World Cup in Germany.