Len Bilous

{{short description|American soccer player and coach}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Len Bilous

| image =

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1948|6|11}}

| birth_place = Germany

| height =

| position =

| youthyears1 = 1967–1969

| youthclubs1 = Temple Owls

| years1 =

| clubs1 = Philadelphia Spartans

| years2 = 1972

| clubs2 = Delaware Wings

| manageryears1 = 1975–1978

| managerclubs1 = Quinnipiac University

| manageryears2 = 1978–1979

| managerclubs2 = Cincinnati Kids

| manageryears3 = 1979–1980

| managerclubs3 = Pittsburgh Spirit

| manageryears4 = 1980–1981

| managerclubs4 = Philadelphia Fever

}}

Len Bilous (born 11 June 1948) is a retired American soccer player and coach. He played in the American Soccer League and coached for three seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League where he was the 1979–80 MISL Coach of the Year.

Born in Germany and raised in Venezuela, Bilous attended Temple University, where he played on the men's soccer team from 1967 to 1969.[http://www.fanbase.com/Len-Bilous Len Bilous collegiate career] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916081021/http://www.fanbase.com/Len-Bilous |date=16 September 2009 }} After graduating from Temple, he played for the Delaware Wings in the American Soccer League. In 1972, he joined the Philadelphia Spartans.[http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1972.html#ASL The Year in American Soccer - 1972]

Bilous got his coaching start coaching the Princeton University Men's Freshman team in 1973 and the following year was hired to coach the NCAA Division I Quinnipiac University soccer team.[http://www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17500&ATCLID=1554544 Quinnipiac Alumni]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In 1978, he was named the head coach of the newly established Cincinnati Kids of the Major Indoor Soccer League. In 1979 He became the head coach of the Pittsburgh Spirit and turned the team around after they had started 5–10.[http://www.oursportscentral.com/misl/197980.html 1979-1980 MISL] He was named the MISL Coach of the Year along with Pat McBride. Although Bilous took the Spirit into the playoffs, the team faced financial difficulties and spent the 1980–81 season on hiatus.[http://www.kicksfan.com/opponents/pittsburgh/spirit/index.htm Pittsburgh Spirit] In September 1980, Bilous moved to the Philadelphia Fever though was let go with five games remaining in the 1980–81 season.OUT OF PLAYOFFS, FEVER ROLLS, 11-7 Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA) - Monday, 9 March 1981

Following the conclusion of his MISL coaching career, Len founded Vision Training Soccer.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

In 2020 Len Bilous and TJ Kostecky, his business partner in Vision Training Soccer, were inducted into the Ukraine Sports Hall of Fame.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}