Chicago Fire announce Gregg Berhalter hiring

The Chicago Fire have named Gregg Berhalter as their new head coach and director of football. The announcement came this morning.

“After a thorough and detailed search that included a number of exceptional candidates, it became clear that Gregg Berhalter was the right choice to lead our sporting operations,” said Joe Mansueto, the Fire's owner and chairman. “His previous success in MLS, where he thrived in a dual role, and his experience leading the U.S. Men’s National Team over the last six years make him an ideal fit for our vision for the club moving forward.”

Berhalter, 51, returns to coaching for the first time since his USMNT dismissal over the summer. The former Crystal Palace and L.A. Galaxy defender has continued to live in Chicago since leaving the national team job.

“I’m honored to be named director of football and head coach of the Chicago Fire, and I would like to thank Joe Mansueto for his trust,” said Berhalter. “Chicago is an incredible city, built on communities of hard-working and passionate people who truly love soccer. I look forward to working alongside our staff and players to transform the Fire into a world-class organization that all our fans and the city can be proud of and will support.”

Berhalter succeeds Georg Heitz, the Fire's outgoing sporting director. The director of football tag replaces the sporting director, and Berhalter will be in a combined role as both director and head coach. Outgoing head coach Frank Klopas, a former USMNT teammate of Berhalter, will remain with the club as vice president of football.

Over the course of his national team tenure, Berhalter led the U.S. to a 44–17–13 record, winning three trophies. In that time, he recorded routine wins over arch-rival Mexico, with the USMNT outscoring El Tri 12-3 in matches since 2021. Former Chelsea and PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino was recently hired as his replacement at U.S. Soccer.