FOXBOROUGH — The Revolution switched from Plan B to Plan C Tuesday night, naming Clint Peay interim head coach. Peay replaces Richie Williams, a Revolution assistant who took over after Bruce Arena was placed on administrative leave by MLS in July.
The first game for Peay, 49, who has been guiding the Revolution II team, will be a visit to the Colorado Rapids Saturday.
As part of the Revolution shakeup, assistants Shalrie Joseph and Dave van den Bergh were fired, and Marcelo Santos was elevated to an assistant role from the Revolution II team. Williams, who compiled a 1-1-4 record in place of Arena, remains with the Revolution, but his status has not been clarified.
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The Revolution have gone from being in limbo regarding Arena, who announced his resignation after a 1-1 tie at Minnesota United Saturday, to being in turmoil. Due to lengthy meetings and some players’ reluctance to take the field Tuesday, coaches and players mutually agreed to call off practice.
The Revolution plan to resume training Wednesday, with team president Brian Bilello and technical director Curt Onalfo scheduled to make announcements.
Peay, like Williams and Onalfo, competed for Arena at the collegiate and professional level and with the US national team. All have similar soccer philosophies.
Arena’s teams played an open, attacking style, with an emphasis on midfield possession and wing play. In four seasons under Arena, the Revolution qualified for the playoffs three times and set a league record with 73 points (2.17 per game) in 2021, and stand second in the Eastern Conference with a 13-5-9 (48 points) this year.
Peay guided the Revolution II team to a 34-36-16 record in four seasons, this year taking them to the MLS Next Pro playoffs with a 14-5-8 (56 points) record. Peay, whose playing career was cut short by injury after four years with D.C. United, was head coach at Davidson College, the University of Richmond, and the US U-17 team, and has been an assistant with George Mason University and North Carolina FC.
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Peay, from Columbia, Md., won four NCAA titles at Virginia and two MLS Cups (1996, ‘97), and also played on the 1996 US Olympic team as a defender, under Arena. Peay then won 1999 MLS Cup with former Revolution coach Thomas Rongen but retired in 2000 after undergoing knee surgery.
Arena, 71, the league’s all-time winningest coach, was suspended by the league on July 30 because of “insensitive and inappropriate remarks.” Arena decided to resign before the Revolution’s 1-1 tie at Minnesota United Saturday, but the announcement was not made until after the game.
After Arena’s resignation was accepted, the league stated: “should Arena wish to pursue future employment within MLS, he must first submit a petition to the Commissioner.”
The Globe has asked Major League Soccer to provide a copy of the investigation’s findings. Law firm Proskauer Rose conducted the investigation.
Frank Dell'Apa can be reached at frankdellapa@gmail.com.