University of New Hampshire coach Rich Weinrebe remembers the first time he saw Inter Miami midfielder Yannick Bright on a soccer field. It was January 2020 at a college showcase for Italian prospects in Milan and Weinrebe, then an assistant coach, knew almost instantly he had stumbled upon a hidden gem.
“We were searching for a player like Yannick for about five years as a staff and we couldn’t find anyone quite like him,” Weinrebe explained. “Then someone from YesWeCollege, a scouting company for Italian players, turned us onto him and sent us his video. They said, `You have to come see this guy.’ So, I flew over to Milan. It was a very small showcase, only five or six coaches there. So, I felt very happy about that.
“Within five minutes, I called my former boss Marc Hubbard and said `We have to get this guy.’”
They offered him a scholarship on the spot. He accepted and went on to become one of the top college players and scholar-athletes in the nation.
In December 2023, Bright, a three-time All-American and two-time conference Scholar Athlete of the Year, graduated Cum Laude with a finance degree. That same month, Inter Miami selected the midfielder with the No. 15 pick in the 2024 MLS Draft.
By Spring 2024, he was making an impact alongside superstars Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
The 22-year-old Milan native has played in 14 games for Inter Miami and started seven, including the past three. Bright was named Man of the Match in Miami’s 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire on Saturday after recording four tackles, three interceptions, three blocks and four clearances.
He leads MLS in interceptions per game (2.8) and has 23 total interceptions.
“That is the least surprising thing you could have told me,” Weinrebe replied, when told of Bright’s league-leading statistic.
The coach said Bright’s tackling jumped out at him that day in Milan.
“I feel like tackling is a bit of a lost art, and Yannick is an extremely good tackler and also covers a lot of ground,” Weinrebe said. “He has a sense for the game out of possession that is hard to find where he’s able to read the game, position himself in good areas, win the ball and then he has great ability to be able to play with both feet, play vertical balls forward, keep possession after he tackles and wins it. We were immediately drawn to him. His academics made him the complete package.”
Inter Miami sporting director Chris Henderson and scouts Niki Budalic, Fede Higuain and Cristian Ledesma saw the same things. After the 2-1 win against the Chicago Fire on Saturday, coach Tata Martino praised the scouting department for picking Bright and echoed Weinrebe, saying Bright’s ability to understand the game, intercept and tackle without fouling are rare traits, especially in a young player.
Bright’s parents, Olivier and Antonella, flew in from Italy and were at Chase Stadium for the past two games, which he started. They got to see him receive the Man of the Match trophy, “which was amazing,” he said.
It was particularly special because Bright “wasn’t the footballer of the family,” he said, smiling. He was the scholar. His younger brother, Kevin, was the more natural athlete.
The siblings tried out for the AC Milan Primavera (youth academy). Kevin made it, played there several years and now plays in the Italian third division. Bright was cut, crushed, and at one point considered hanging up his boots.
His father, a truck driver, urged Yannick to follow his passion via the U.S. college route, so he could get an education while playing the sport he loves.
“My Dad wanted to give me a better life than he had, so college soccer gave me the best opportunity and balance,” Bright said. “It was perfect for me. It’s been quite the journey, coming here alone, not speaking the language, getting a degree and making a name for myself. But it’s still just the beginning of my story.”
Weinrebe predicts the best is yet to come for his former player.
“Psychologically, I think it took him a little bit of time to say, `Hey, I belong here’. But I think he truly does believe he belongs now and he’s showing it,” Weinrebe said. “People have different pathways and develop at different times. Yannick is a little bit of a late bloomer.”
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