Wade Barrett (soccer)
A steady defensive anchor for the US national team and MLS, he later guided the Houston Dynamo from the touchline with the same quiet authority.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American soccer player·Birthday: June 23·Generation X
Biography
Wade Barrett's soccer journey is a transatlantic story of resilience and leadership. Born in Virginia, he cut his teeth in the English lower leagues with clubs like Bristol Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday before returning home to become a foundational piece of Major League Soccer. As a left-back, his game was defined by intelligent positioning and unflappable composure, qualities that earned him 19 caps for the United States. After retiring, Barrett seamlessly transitioned into coaching, serving as a trusted assistant for the Houston Dynamo for over a decade. His deep understanding of the club's culture made him the natural choice for interim head coach in 2022, a role where he provided steadying leadership during a period of transition, cementing his legacy as a true servant of the game in Houston.
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.
Wade was born in 1976, 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 Wade Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Wade's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
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
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
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
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Earned 19 international caps for the United States men's national soccer team.
- Played over 150 MLS matches, primarily for the San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo.
- Served as the interim head coach of the Houston Dynamo in the 2022 MLS season.
- Won the MLS Supporters' Shield with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2005.
Did You Know?
He played college soccer for the William & Mary Tribe.
Before his MLS career, he spent several seasons in England with clubs like Bristol Rovers.
He was selected by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2000 MLS Supplemental Draft.
“I learned the game in English rain and brought it home.”
