Hall of Fame Class: Brad Evans

Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, Brad Evans played with the same club his whole youth career. Evans and his family always saw things through, battled through any scenario, and when UC Irvine stepped in at the 11th hour to bring Evans in, there was no battle as to where he would continue his college career.

“Culture shock is a great way to describe that freshman year. That hit the hardest, but we had a great freshman group and opening up the sliding door and walking onto the beach every morning, it was a dream scenario.”

The culture shock stemmed from joining an Anteater soccer program that had not had a wild amount of success prior to 2003. In addition to the soccer side of things, UCI's expectation of education being No. 1 was very new to Evans who had observed college cultures revolving around the sports culture. It put Evans and his freshman mates in a position that forced them to change the culture and decide where to take the program.

The newest Anteaters commiserated with each other through the offseason together in the dorms. Evans characterized the crew as different in the way they all played but all with the similar love for soccer. Players like Scott Shiraishi and Brandon Tario who were champions in Hawai'i, Evans' roommate all four years Eric Reingen who was a good friend from back in Arizona, and Anthony Hamilton who had one of the greatest offensive seasons in program history.

“All of us commiserating over the preseason, on campus 1 ½ months before school starts with limited resources, making it work in Mesa Commons, going through all that together made us crazy strong and this bond that we were all going through it together.”

The newcomers galvanized as a group in soaked shirts, battling through a losing season, in a time with no social media walking around The Spectrum, going to In-N-Out and sample sales and being together in the moment.

The beginnings at UC Irvine fed right into Evans' mentality - sticking it out, putting his head down, and working - as he and the rest of the Anteaters were out to prove they could make it and compete as a group of players that weren't recruited by the bigger schools. Even when his academics struggled out of the gate, he stuck with it with help from his parents always having his back.

“It's in me, not from a certain experience, but it's in my DNA to out-work everyone. Nobody will ever out-work me.”

From those early seasons banding together as a unit came some sterling seasons in 2005 and 2006 with records of 11-6-3 and 13-4-3 with finishes within the top three of the Big West.

Evans blossomed into a leader on the squad both in the locker room and on the stat sheet. He finished his career tied for the program best of 73 points with fellow Hall of Fame P.J. Polowski. He surpassed Polowski with 31 career goals, one more than his predecessor, and became the first Anteater with 10 career game-winners putting up consistent season numbers in all four seasons spanning 75 matches. Underclassman Matt Murphy would supplant Evans in each category by the time his career finished up in 2008.

Murphy and the ‘Eaters would take the Evans’ squad to new heights. The conference didn't apply a postseason tournament until the 2008 season, and in that first year UCI won the whole thing and then some making their first NCAA Tournament appearance and rushing through to the Round of 16.

Thus, a foundation laid down by the Evans' class leading to many more conference, tournament, and NCAA successes.

“I give a lot of credit to coaches Kuntz and Volk for giving me the range to grow as a captain. We had had good captains that were not always the best players. The shift that happened where I could tell people on the field what to do and also do my job at a top level and produce and perform.”

Evans grabbing the reins as a sophomore heading into a Summer season where he played some for the local Premier Developmental League created a shift in himself and in the program.

Evans' greatness is nothing he acknowledges without his fellow Anteaters. Kyle Schmid was another who played a big role joining the 'Eaters after initially starting up at Washington. His father, legendary coach Sigi Schmid, saw Evans play his final two years to help him earn one of the last spots with the under-20 United States squad.

“I got invited and I am where I am because the stars aligned. I still had to prove myself, always had to battle and out-work at every level.”

Even after getting drafted to the Columbus Crew where Schmid had just taken over as head coach, Evans entered as a developmental player. But his UC Irvine career prepared him for this next level.

“It turned me into a more well-rounded player. I was seen as a leader from very early on. That shift that happens when you're a captain and the guy that can do his job at a top level and still do everything else, especially at the fast pace on the soccer field, it made me a good professional player in Major League Soccer."

Evans had early success as part of an MLS cup winning club in his second year with Columbus in 2008. Almost immediately after winning the title, he was selected by the Seattle Sounders FC in the expansion draft and shipped off to the Pacific Northwest.

That would be began a wonderful nine-year tenure with the Sounders. From a kid in Arizona wanted nothing to do with the cold and rain, he really made a home for himself in Seattle along the defensive third and like with each club before, a captain.

249 matches as a Sounder recording 28 goals while snapping up four U.S. Open Cup titles, a 2016 MLS Cup championship, and four trips to the CONCACAF Champions League helping build a strong foundation for the Sounders.

Since then, the Sounders have won another MLS Cup in 2019 and missed the playoffs just once in 2022 when they were busy becoming the first MLS club to win the CONCACAF Champions League.

Not to mention his extended career as a U.S. men's national team player picking up 27 caps over nine years. Never was his star brighter than in 2013 as the U.S. squad was pushing for a berth in the 2014 World Cup. A stoppage-time goal to give USA a win, his only career international goal, and help provide that boost for the country into the World Cup.

Throughout it all, Evans is still the same. From the youth level to UC Irvine to his goal celebration against Jamaica, the spotlight and accolades were secondary to the team and the end goal.

“From winning the MLS Cup, the four U.S. Open Cups, I'd rather have coaches and players up there accepting the trophy. I hate being the guy at the front," something that comes with being the captain all these years. “On team walks, I'm always in the back making sure the rest of the squad is accounted for.”

Evans' dream was realized when he was enshrined to his high school's Hall of Fame and was unable to attend off playing in matches. His parents attended and accepted the award for him and earned the recognition that they also deserved credit for.

That won't be the case this time around. Not only will Brad be there to collect, but he's making sure each and every one of his squadmates can bask in its glory as well for all their major and minor parts they played in it.

“It means a great deal to know that the school is recognizing you for your accomplishments. I appreciate my time in Irvine and wouldn't change it to go anywhere else. I really had a great experience and I owe UC Irvine a lot for that.”

“A lot of battling, out-working, bonding as a captain and teammate, and a good amount of luck. Sometimes that's how sports is.”

Today, Evans is still up in Seattle as a member of the support staff for the Sounders. He's a Brand Ambassador filling a key role that connects the Sounders on the pitch to the community around them working with and for various organizations making a social impact. With him every step of the way is a fellow Anteater and women's tennis alum, Becky Bernhard Evans.