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Bob Bradley named interim US National Team & U-23 coach for 2008 Beijing Olympic Team.

Former MetroStars coach Bob Bradley finds himself with two titles today.

Not only is he the interim coach of the U.S. National Team but he also took on responsibilities as coach of the U.S. Under-23 national side.

U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati made that announcement Friday afternoon, only a day after the top candidate for the U.S. head job, Juergen Klinsmann, said he was dropping out of contention.

Bradley will take control of the National Team immediately and begin preparing for a schedule that will include an initial training camp starting on Jan. 2 and appearances in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa America.

Bradley, 48, most recently was coach of Chivas USA, where he was honored as MLS coach of the year for the second time in his career. During his only season at Chivas, Bradley turned around a team with the worst record in the league in 2005, leading them into the playoffs with a third-place finish in the Western Conference.

Bradley has been on the U.S. National Team coaching staff as an assistant with the U-23 National Team at the 1996 Olympics and also assisted at several winter training camps and games during Bruce Arena?s tenure as coach of the national side.

"Bob Bradley's record of success in MLS and in the development of American players gives us great confidence in his ability to begin the process of preparing the U.S. National Team for its next four-year programming cycle,? Gulati in a statement. ?Those unique traits will also serve him extraordinarily well in our Olympic Team effort as we build towards China in 2008.?

Bradley is the winningest coach in MLS history (124 victories), winning one MLS Cup (1998) and two U.S. Open Cup titles (1998, 2000) with the Chicago Fire. During his 12-year MLS career as a head or an assistant coach, Bradley?s team?s qualified for the playoffs every year.

"Obviously to be chosen to lead this team at this time is a great honor," Bradley said in a statement. "So many people in this country put their heart and soul into this game at every level of the sport, whether it be coaching or playing or administratively or as a fan; people that would give up a lot to have an opportunity like this one. I am very proud to have a chance to lead the U.S. National Team, and I am also proud to be following Bruce Arena in this role after the success he was able to achieve. I feel quite strongly about the quality of our program, and I am confident that we will we put a team on the field that will get the job done."

Bradley will serve as the 34th coach for the U.S. National Team, which began play in 1916. Bradley is the second head coach of the U.S. MNT to begin his professional coaching career in MLS.

As U-23 coach, Bradley is responsible for preparing the U.S. team for Olympic qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.