With the 2023 Major League Soccer season in full swing, it was time to do some digging into the old Bradley archives to find former Bradley soccer players who earned the opportunity to play on the professional stage and see where they’re currently at.
Life after Bradley was different for all these athletes, which truly goes to show that life’s paths are far from straight. From playing abroad to coaching a professional team, each of these former Braves’ stories varied vastly.
Logan Ketterer
Nine Braves have made the jump from collegiate soccer to the big leagues, with the latest being the class of 2017 goalkeeper Logan Ketterer. After appearing behind the sticks for the Braves from 2012-16, he finished his collegiate career with 12 clean sheets in 51 games, which ranks fifth in program history.
Ketterer was a fourth round pick by the Columbus Crew SC in the MLS SuperDraft. The Wisconsin native got his MLS debut from former United States men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter and even got to share the dressing room with stars like Argentinian Gonzalo Higuain and current USMNT goalkeeper Zack Steffen. The shot-stopper now plays in Québec with MLS side Montréal Impact following a brief stay with the El Paso Locomotive.
Bryan Gaul
Another Brave that made it to the pinnacle of American soccer and beyond is class of 2012 defender Bryan Gaul. After being drafted in the third round by Los Angeles Galaxy, Gaul went on to be an MLS Cup champion, playing 14 games and starting seven of them.
The Naperville, Illinois, native got to play alongside English international star David Beckham and American soccer legend Landon Donovan. The center back moved around the U.S. after his time in Los Angeles, making stops at USL Championship side Saint Louis FC and traveling abroad to the third tier of German soccer.
Gavin Glinton
Gaul wasn’t the only Brave drafted by the LA side, as class of 2001 forward Gavin Glinton also represented the Galaxy. The forward was a second round pick who became an MLS Cup champion in 2002, playing 22 matches and starting six.
Gaul, a native of the Turks and Caicos Islands, became the second men’s soccer player to be inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2014. He now is the assistant coach of USL championship side Oakland Roots SC.
Tim Regan
A familiar name on this list is Tim Regan, who currently serves as assistant head coach for Bradley men’s soccer. Playing for the Braves from 1999-2002, Regan was drafted in the second round to the MetroStars, now known as the New York Red Bulls. The defender stayed in New York for three seasons before moving to California to play for the now-defunct Chivas USA. The defender started every game he played and even faced off against the Houston Dynamo in the playoffs.
After retiring as a player, Regan dipped his feet in the world of coaching and gained valuable experience with various MLS teams and the United States Soccer Federation.
Bryan Namoff
Possibly the most decorated former Brave with one of the biggest trophy cabinets is defender Bryan Namoff, who played for the Braves from 1997-2000. Namoff was another second round pick in the 2001 draft by DC United after the departure of longtime head coach Bruce Arena.
Namoff didn’t waste his limited playing time by registering seven assists in 15 appearances. In the 2004 season, the Rockford native cemented his place in the United defense, playing the second most amount of minutes on the team. His solidity in the defense propelled the Black and Red to their first MLS Cup championship.
From 2006-2007, United and Namoff earned two consecutive Supporter’s Shield titles and a U.S. Open Cup in 2008. In the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals, Namoff scored the game-winning overtime goal against the Chicago Fire to send them to the semifinals.
Past, present and future
While Bradley soccer hasn’t seen the same success as it did when these players were suiting up in the Red and White, the program has a deep rich history and its leader is still on the helm. It’s incredible to think that all of these players got their initial chance to play collegiate soccer thanks to Bradley head coach Jim DeRose. He saw something special in all of them and gave them their chance to prove themselves.
DeRose now enters his 28th year of coaching collegiate soccer at Bradley and I’m sure that better days will come for the program. We might even see some more Braves play on the biggest soccer stage in America.
Only time will tell.
