Berhalter back as US coach after domestic violence probe
NEW YORK — Gregg Berhalter walked into an interview with the U.S. Soccer Federation in New York on Tuesday,
161 days after the governing body announced he had been replaced by an interim coach. He spent nearly 10 hours in talks led by sporting director Matt Crocker that included psychometrics, abstract reasoning tests, discussions of strategy and reaction to pressure.
Berhalter was at Newark Liberty International Airport the following day when his phone rang.
“Matt called me and he said, ‘You’re the guy,’ ” Berhalter recalled Friday after the USSF announced he had been rehired to lead the Americans through the 2026 World Cup. “It was a great feeling. You could imagine what the last six months have been like.”
Initially hired in December 2018 after the U.S. failed to qualify for that year’s World Cup, Berhalter led the Americans to the second round last year in Qatar before a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands. He was discussing the possibility of a new contract, but that talk stopped after the Reyna family notified the USSF of a three-decade-old domestic violence allegation involving Berhalter and the woman who later became his wife.
Berhalter’s contract expired Dec. 31 and on Jan. 4, the USSF announced it had hired the law firm Alston and Bird to investigate. The firm said in a report released March 13 that while Berhalter’s conduct “likely constituted the misdemeanor crime of assault on a female,” he did not improperly withhold information when he was hired.
“We take accusations of domestic violence very seriously,” said USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone, who flanked Berhalter with Crocker and CEO JT Batson during a news conference in Las Vegas. “There was an independent investigation into the matter and we trust those findings, and Gregg has our full support.”
Crocker was hired in April to succeed Earnie Stewart and considered a double-digit total of candidates before recommending Berhalter’s regime resume.
Berhalter’s contract was approved Thursday night by the USSF board. He won’t coach the Americans until September.
Berhalter must repair his relationship with midfielder Gio Reyna, a son of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna and midfielder Danielle Egan. Berhalter nearly sent Gio home from Qatar because of lack of hustle in training, then discussed his issues with Gio at a management conference after the World Cup. While he didn’t identify the 20-yearold, the individual was clear from the context.
“If we can unlock his talents, he’s going to be a game-changer for this program,” Berhalter said. “So there’s work to do and part of it is working together with Matt and trying to rebuild the relationship that we know will be important moving forward.”