John Bradford (soccer)

John Bradford (born March 26, 1980) is an American soccer coach and former player who serves as the head coach of USL Championship club North Carolina FC.

John Bradford
Personal information
Date of birth (1980-03-26) March 26, 1980 (age 44)
Place of birth Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
North Carolina FC (head coach)
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2001 Furman Paladins
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020 North Carolina FC 0 (0)
International career
1999 United States U17
Managerial career
2002–2005 Dallas Texans (assistant coach)
2003–2005 UT Permian Basin (assistant)
2006–2021 North Carolina FC (assistant)
2021– North Carolina FC
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Bradford played college soccer at Furman University between 1998 and 2001.[1]

In July 2020, aged 40 years old, Bradford signed his first professional contract for North Carolina FC due to an injury crisis.[2]

Coaching career

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After college, Bradford was invited to be an assistant coach with Dallas Texans Soccer Club, where he stayed in the role for three years.

North Carolina FC

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Bradford returned to North Carolina to work with the Capital Area Soccer League, now known as North Carolina FC Youth. Following fourteen years working as an assistant coach and academy director for the club, he was eventually handed the head coach role in January 2021, taking charge of the USL League One side.[2][3] On June 9, 2022, Bradford was named USL League One Coach of the Month for May 2022.[4] On June 15, 2022, North Carolina announced Bradford had signed a multi-year contract extension.[5] On November 5, 2023, Bradford led his team to victory in the 2023 USL League One Final, securing the first championship in the club's history. [6]

References

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  1. ^ "Furman Univ. Athletics: Men's Soccer Roster". eweb.furman.edu.
  2. ^ a b "Reference at www.newsobserver.com".
  3. ^ "John Bradford". www.northcarolinafc.com.
  4. ^ "North Carolina's John Bradford Named League One Coach of the Month for May". uslleagueone.com. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  5. ^ "John Bradford Inks Multi-Year Extension as Head Coach of North Carolina FC". northcarolinafc.com. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  6. ^ "2023 USL League One Playoffs". uslleagueone.com. 5 November 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2022.