Bret Myers, PhD
Professor of the Practice, Management & Operations | Villanova School of Business
Bret Myers, PhD, utilizes analytics to improve decision processes for sports businesses on-field and in the management of operations.
Media
Prof. Bret Myers - Villanova University
Prof. Bret Myers was among the 2012 Sports Analytics Conference speakers. A lifelong soccer player and fan, he discussed his work examining the science of soccer substitutions. He has sought to help coaches make subs at exactly the right moment and discovered what he calls the "Decision Rule." After the conference, we spoke to Bret and asked him for his overall impressions of the event and the state of sports analytics in Europe and the UK...Areas of Expertise (6)
- Sports Analytics
- Soccer Analytics
- Business
- Management
- Business Analytics
- Business Operations
Biography
Dr. Myers' area of research is in the use of analytics to improve decision processes for sports businesses, both in the delivery of a product on the field, and the management of operations to meet strategic objectives. Myers is currently an analytics consultant for Major League Soccer's Toronto FC. His research has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Sports Illustrated.
Education (3)
- Drexel University: PhD
- University of Virginia: MS
- University of Richmond: BS
Select Media Appearances (6)
Down At Halftime In A Soccer Game? Use Your Subs.
FiveThirtyEight
9/18/2019
In 2012, Bret Myers, who works at Villanova University as a professor and works as an analytics consultant for the Columbus Crew of the MLS, published a paper based on an analysis of the top-tier leagues in England, Spain, Germany, Italy and the U.S. along with the 2010 World Cup.
Analytics on offer for World Cup teams with FIFA providing stats tablets
The Canadian Press
6/14/2018
"It's natural. Analytics is so tied in with technology," said Bret Myers, a Villanova professor who is an analytics consultant with MLS champion Toronto FC. "Why we have that term analytics is because of the data that technology can generate. In sports, in competition you want any kind of edge that you can get."
The beautiful game discovers that algorithms can be beautiful, too
Washington Post
3/1/2018
Bret Myers’s fascination with soccer analytics took hold some 15 years ago through a frustrating first-hand experience: He was a benchwarmer.
Peyton Closes in on the 59th Most Impressive Record in Sports
The Wall Street Journal
11/9/2015
A study published in October in the “Journal of Sports Analytics” suggests otherwise. The study, by Villanova professors Matthew Liberatore, Bret Myers and Robert Nydick and Temple professor Howard Weiss, attempts to quantify and rank the best MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL records of all time. I
Toronto FC expands analytics department, looks to invest in research
The Globe and Mail
2/19/2015
The team hired Villanova professor Bret Myers as a consultant last year but decided it needed a full-time staffer to help establish its analytics framework.
The Science of Soccer Substitutions
The Wall Street Journal
12/2/2015
The pace and flow of soccer generally make it difficult for managers to affect the outcome of a match once it begins. Since soccer has almost no stoppages for coaches to draw on clipboards or strategize with their players, a manager's most critical in-game decision may be choosing when to utilize his three substitutions. That's where Bret Myers, a professor of management and operations at the Villanova School of Business, comes in. A lifelong soccer player and fan, he sought to help coaches make their subs at exactly the right moment and discovered what he calls the "Decision Rule."
Select Academic Articles (4)
On the Relationship Between Attacking Third Passes and Success in the English Premier League
The Sports Journal
2016
A Proposed Decision Rule for the Timing of Soccer Substitutions
Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports
2012
A simulation-optimization approach to the inventory management of two perishable and substitutable items
Academy of Business Disciplines Journal
2012
Contact Bret Myers, PhD