Soccer Coach. US Soccer Hall of Fame. Best known for coaching the United States women’s national soccer team to the inaugural gold medal for the sport in Atlanta in 1996 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup championship in 1999 in the United States. He was a 1970 graduate of Springfield College in Massachusetts, played professionally as a goalkeeper in the American Soccer League from 1970 to 1975, and represented the United States once as a player in 1973. He became goalkeeper coach for the women’s national team in 1991 and also held the same role for the men’s under-20 national team in 1993. He was selected in 1994 to replace Anson Dorrance as the head coach of the United States women's national team. Under his leadership the United States finished third in the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as well as the aforementioned Olympic win in 1996 and World Cup win in 1999. In 2000, he became commissioner of the newly founded Women’s United Soccer Association, the first fully professional women’s soccer league in the world, which position he held until the league folded in 2003. In 2008 he led the US Women’s Under-20 National Team to the U-20 World Cup title. He also served as head coach of the Boston Breakers of the Women’s Professional Soccer league from 2009 to 2011, and was a commentator for ESPN and Fox Sports. He was elected to the US Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.
Soccer Coach. US Soccer Hall of Fame. Best known for coaching the United States women’s national soccer team to the inaugural gold medal for the sport in Atlanta in 1996 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup championship in 1999 in the United States. He was a 1970 graduate of Springfield College in Massachusetts, played professionally as a goalkeeper in the American Soccer League from 1970 to 1975, and represented the United States once as a player in 1973. He became goalkeeper coach for the women’s national team in 1991 and also held the same role for the men’s under-20 national team in 1993. He was selected in 1994 to replace Anson Dorrance as the head coach of the United States women's national team. Under his leadership the United States finished third in the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as well as the aforementioned Olympic win in 1996 and World Cup win in 1999. In 2000, he became commissioner of the newly founded Women’s United Soccer Association, the first fully professional women’s soccer league in the world, which position he held until the league folded in 2003. In 2008 he led the US Women’s Under-20 National Team to the U-20 World Cup title. He also served as head coach of the Boston Breakers of the Women’s Professional Soccer league from 2009 to 2011, and was a commentator for ESPN and Fox Sports. He was elected to the US Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.
Bio by: Kenneth Gilbert
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