Stephen Negoesco

{{Short description|Romanian-American soccer player and coach (1925–2019)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Stephen Negoesco
Ștefan Negoescu

| image = Steve Negoesco 1966.jpg

| caption = Negoesco in 1966

| image_size = 200px

| birth_date = {{birth date|1925|9|12}}

| birth_place = New Jersey, United States

| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|2|3|1925|9|12}}

| death_place = {{nowrap|San Francisco, California, United States}}

| position = Left full-back

| youthyears1 = 1942–1943

| youthclubs1 = Olympia Bucharest

| youthyears2 = 1943–1944

| youthclubs2 = Carmen Bucharest

| collegeyears1 = 1947–1951

| college1 = San Francisco Dons

| collegecaps1 =

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| years1 = 1944–1945

| clubs1 = Sportul Studențesc

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| years2 = 1945–1947

| clubs2 = Kearny Scots

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| years3 = 1947–1949

| clubs3 = Olympic Club

| caps3 =

| goals3 =

| years4 = 1949–1951

| clubs4 = Panamerican FC

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| years5 = 1952–1960

| clubs5 = Mercury AC

| caps5 =

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| years6 = 1960–1961

| clubs6 = Hakoah AC

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| years7 = 1961–1962

| clubs7 = SF Vikings

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| manageryears1 = 1961–1962

| managerclubs1 = SF Vikings (player-coach)

| manageryears2 = 1962–2000

| managerclubs2 = San Francisco Dons

| manageryears3 = 1963–1977

| managerclubs3 = San Francisco Italian AC

}}

Stephen Negoesco ({{langx|ro|Ștefan Negoescu}}; September 12, 1925 – February 3, 2019) was a Romanian-American soccer player and coach.

Considered one of college soccer's all-time greatest coaches,{{cite web|url=https://wccsports.com/news/sports_m-soccer_spec-rel_123002aaa_html#/web/20160304093811mp_/https://www.wccsports.com/|title=Steve Negoesco, the coach with the most wins in intercollegiate soccer competition in the United States|work=West Coast Conference|date=December 30, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093811/https://wccsports.com/news/sports_m-soccer_spec-rel_123002aaa_html#/web/20160304093811mp_/https://www.wccsports.com/|access-date=March 23, 2015|archive-date=2016-03-04}} he led the University of San Francisco to more than 544 victories, five NCAA championships (the 1978 championship was later vacated because of an ineligible player), and the U.S. Open Cup.{{cite web|url=https://thecup.us/2019/02/06/coaching-legend-stephen-negoesco-rare-us-open-cup-ncaa-champion-has-died/|title=Coaching legend Stephen Negoesco, rare US Open Cup, NCAA champion, has died|website=TheCup.us|first=Thomas|last=Hodul|date=February 6, 2019 |access-date=February 28, 2019}}

Negoesco was the first coach in college soccer history to reach 500 career wins.{{cite web|url=https://bashof.org/inductees/2010/steve-negoesco/|title=Steve Negoesco|work=Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame|date=August 21, 2010|access-date=March 23, 2015}} He also coached several junior teams and won numerous championships.

He was inducted into The National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, New York; The West Coast Soccer Hall of Fame; The Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame; The United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame; The WCC Hall of Honor; as well as receiving numerous awards and commendations. He was known as the "King of West Coast soccer".{{cite web|url=https://ussoccerplayers.com/2018/04/soccer-history-san-francisco-iac.html|title=Soccer History: San Francisco IAC|website=USSoccerPlayers.com|first=Clemente|last=Lisi|date=April 23, 2018|access-date=June 7, 2018}}

His overall career record was 544–172–66.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/14/sports/soccer-notebook-2-from-new-york-area-in-college-tournament.html|title=Soccer Notebook; 2 From New York Area In College Tournament|work=The New York Times|first=Alex|last=Yannis|date=November 14, 2000|access-date=March 23, 2015}}

Early life and career

Born in New Jersey, the son of a sea captain.{{cite magazine|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1996/11/11/the-champion-coast-to-coast-san-franciscos-steve-negoesco-has-won-more-games-than-any-other-coach|title=The Champion Coast to Coast San Francisco's Steve Negoesco Has Won More Games Than Any Other Coach|magazine=Sports Illustrated|first=Kimberly|last=Wong|date=November 11, 1996|access-date=March 23, 2015}} Negoesco returned with his father to Romania after his mother's death to live with his aunt and uncle, where he discovered and took up soccer. His skills would later help him survive and escape imprisonment by the Nazis during their occupation of Romania during World War II;{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Paying-a-Debt-To-Soccer-USF-s-Steve-Negoesco-3024083.php|title=USF's Steve Negoesco says the sport saved his life|website=SFGate.com|first=Tim|last=Keown|date=September 13, 1995|access-date=March 23, 2015}} he was sent to a Nazi camp at 15 after the Germans discovered his American roots.{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/us/news/2000/11/16/negoesco_legacy_sa/|title=San Francisco coach leaves legacy of greatness |work=CNN Sports Illustrated|first=Scott|last=French|date=November 16, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110193102/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/us/news/2000/11/16/negoesco_legacy_sa/ |access-date=March 23, 2015|archive-date=2014-01-10 }} Negoesco played in the Romanian League, then returned to his birthplace in New Jersey in 1945.

Settling in California, Negoesco enrolled at the University of San Francisco in 1947 where he studied biology.{{cite web|url=http://sffoghorn.com/stephen-negoesco-1925-2019-san-francisco-loses-a-soccer-legend/|title=Stephen Negoesco: 1925–2019: San Francisco Loses a Soccer Legend|work=The San Francisco Foghorn|first= Kalan|last=Birnie |date=February 14, 2019 |access-date=February 18, 2019}} He also resumed playing soccer, coached by Gus Donoghue. Negoesco led the Dons to the 1949 California collegiate title and the 1950 Soccer Bowl co-championship with Penn State, and he also earned two All-American honors during this period.

After graduating in 1951, Negoesco taught in the San Francisco Unified School District for twenty-five years. During that period he was also hired as USF's men's soccer coach in 1962, a post he would hold until his retirement in 2000.{{cite web|url=https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/13487/college-2000-stephen-negoesco-a-legacy-of-greatn.html|title=College 2000: Stephen Negoesco: A Legacy of Greatness|work=Soccer America|date=November 16, 2000|access-date=October 23, 2018}} Negoesco would go on to coach the Dons to 544 victories, 22 conference titles, and five NCAA titles (1966, 1975, 1976, 1978, and 1980), the 1978 championship was later vacated because of an ineligible player.{{cite web|url=https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2019/02/05/offside-remarks-for-stephen-negoesco-life-was-beautiful/|title=Offside Remarks: For Stephen Negoesco, life was beautiful|work=Front Row Soccer|first=Michael|last=Lewis|date=February 5, 2019|access-date=February 10, 2019}}

He made history when he won the US Open Cup championship in 1976 with the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club. It was the first time that a Northern California club lifted the US Open Cup trophy and he became the first coach in history to win a US Open Cup and an NCAA title.

Among the players he mentored were former All-Americans John Doyle, Lothar Osiander, Koulis Apostolidis and Andy Atuegbu, as well as former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo.{{cite web|url=https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/81214/remembering-stephen-negoesco-1925-2019.html|title=Remembering Stephen Negoesco (1925–2019)|work=Soccer America|first=Mike|last=Woitalla|date=February 5, 2019|access-date=April 15, 2019}}

Retirement and death

{{Quote box|width=25%|align=left|quote= "He has been a tremendous help to soccer." |source =— Sigi Schmid Former UCLA and LA Galaxy coach.{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Negoesco-Always-His-Own-Man-USF-s-vibrant-3238668.php|title=Negoesco: Always His Own Man / USF's vibrant soccer coach stepping down|website=SFGate.com|first=Dan|last=Giesin|date=October 25, 2000|access-date=March 23, 2015}}}}

After his retirement from coaching men's soccer, Negoesco was inducted to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003, National Soccer Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame in 2003, Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (BASHOF) in 2010 and the West Coast Conference Hall of Honor (WCC) in 2011.

In 1982, the Negoesco Stadium on the USF campus was named in his honor.{{cite web|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/collegesports/article/Steve-Negoesco-soccer-coach-who-led-USF-to-4-13589312.php#photo-16876731|title=Steve Negoesco, soccer coach who led USF to 4 national titles, dies at 93|work= The San Francisco Chronicle|first=Steve|last=Kroner|date=February 4, 2019 |access-date=February 10, 2019}}

Negoesco died on February 3, 2019, at the age of 93.{{cite web|url=https://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/longtime-usf-dons-soccer-coach-steve-negoesco-passes-away/|title=Longtime USF Dons soccer coach Steve Negoesco passes away|work=The San Francisco Examiner|first=Ryan|last=Gorcey|date=February 5, 2019|access-date=February 10, 2019}} He was predeceased by his wife Mercedes Coronado. Negoesco is survived by his children Stefan, Sandra, Sonia, Stuart, Sylvana, Sergio, 17 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Honors and awards

{{Quote box|width=25%|align=right|quote="USF was the team and Steve was the Coach when I was growing up. It would have been great to have the opportunity to learn from him." |source =— Bruce Arena Former U.S. Olympic soccer coach.{{cite web|url=https://usfdons.com/news/2019/2/4/mens-soccer-the-university-of-san-francisco-mourns-the-loss-of-steve-negoesco.aspx|title=The University of San Francisco Mourns the Loss of Steve Negoesco|work=University of San Francisco Athletics|date=February 4, 2019|access-date=February 10, 2019}}}}

1947–60 Played on many Northern California All Star Teams
1948–50 All American at USF; First Team NCAA All-American player on the West Coast
1959 Member of University of San Francisco Hall of Fame
1961 Key to the City of San Francisco presented by Mayor Christopher
1970 Member of the California Soccer Federation North Hall of Fame
1977 USF Maraschi Society Award (USF)
1982 Negoesco Stadium at USF, dedicated in his honor
1983 Commended by California Governor Deukmejian
1983 Commended by United States President Ronald Reagan
1988 Father William Dunne Award (USF)
1993 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year Award
1995 Lifetime Member NSCAA
1995 NSCAA Commendation
1996 NISOA Merit Award
2000 West Coast Conference Award
2001 San Jose Earthquakes Recognition Award
2002 NCAA The Bill Jeffery Award
2003 National Soccer Hall of Fame
2003 NSCAA Hall of Fame (National Soccer Coaches Association of America)
2010 Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (BASHOF)
2011 WCC Hall of Honor (West Coast Conference)

References

Publications

{{cite book|author=Negoesco, Stephen|title=Soccer|year=1992|publisher=Mcgraw-Hill Humanities|isbn=978-0-697-10059-7}}