Gregg Berhalter
He became the first American to both play in and coach a World Cup, shaping a new generation of U.S. soccer talent.
Born 1973 (age 53)·American soccer coach·Birthday: August 1·Generation X
Biography
Gregg Berhalter’s soccer life is a transatlantic story of grit and tactical evolution. Born in New Jersey, he carved out a solid 18-year professional career, much of it as a defender in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, earning over 40 caps for the U.S. national team. His transition to coaching began in Sweden, a deliberate apprenticeship that led him to Major League Soccer, where he rebuilt the Columbus Crew into a championship side with a distinct, possession-oriented style. That success propelled him to the helm of the U.S. men’s national team in 2018, a role where he made his most significant mark. Berhalter boldly bet on youth, integrating a wave of teenage talents into the core of the squad and steering them through the 2022 World Cup, reconnecting the team with a global audience. After a brief, controversial interlude, he returned to the job, his legacy forever tied to being the first American to experience the World Cup from both the pitch and the technical area.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Gregg was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gregg Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Gregg's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team to qualification and participation in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
- Won the 2020 MLS Cup as head coach of the Columbus Crew, delivering the club's second championship.
- Became the first person in U.S. soccer history to participate in a World Cup as both a player and a head coach.
- Implemented a youth-focused recruitment strategy that integrated players like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams as national team cornerstones.
Did You Know?
He and his brother, Jay, are the only siblings to have both played for the U.S. men's national soccer team.
Berhalter played for six different clubs in the Dutch Eredivisie over his career.
He earned a degree in Sports Management from the University of North Carolina while playing professionally.
His wife, Rosalind, is the daughter of former U.S. national team and NASL player John Santoro.
“The game is about solving problems; the best teams are the ones that find solutions together.”
