Tom Soehn
Encyclopedia
Tom Soehn is an American former soccer player and manager, who is currently the Director of Soccer Operations for the Vancouver Whitecaps in Major League Soccer
.
from Germany
, but his father was originally Romanian. Soehn began playing soccer with the Chicago Kickers when he was four. He attended Forest View High School. He attended Western Illinois University
from 1984 to 1987.http://www.topix.net/content/wapo/0839752142323929926518844243121927686215 In 2003, Western Illinois inducted Soehn into its Athletics Hall of Fame.
of Major Indoor Soccer League
from 1988 to 1992. He moved to the Denver Thunder
of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) for the 1992-1993 season before returning to the Wings in 1993 which were now playing in the NPSL. He remained with the Wings until 1996. In 1995, he played the summer indoor season with the Las Vegas Dustdevils
of the Continental Indoor Soccer League
(CISL).
of the Canadian Soccer League (CSL).
of the American Professional Soccer League
(APSL) in 1992http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1992/stats92.htm#Colorado, 1993http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1993/stats93.htm#Colorado and 1994.http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1994/results94.htm The Foxes went to three consecutive APSL championship games those three seasons. They won the 1992 and 1993 titles, but lost to the Montreal Impact
in 1994.
in the second round of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
. He missed the 1996 season with the injury, but played for the Burn in 1997. In 1998, he began the season with the Burn, but was traded to the Chicago Fire after fourteen games. He remained with the Fire until he retired from playing in 2000. During his time with Chicago, he was a member of the Fire's three championship teams (MLS Cup 1998, U.S. Open Cup 1998 and 2000).
at the Fire and then moved to DC United to become Peter Nowak
's top assistant in 2003. During his time as the top assistant, DC United won MLS Cup in 2004, and a Supporters Shield in 2005. On December 21, 2006, Soehn replaced Nowak as the head coach at United.
On November 3, 2009, it was announced that Soehn had withdrawn himself for consideration for a contract renewal, ending a three-year reign that included a Supporters Shield in 2007, an Open Cup in 2008 and Open Cup Runner-Up in 2009.
On 19 January 2010, Soehn was given the job as Director of Soccer Operations by Canadian soccer club Vancouver Whitecaps FC. On 30 May 2011 it was announced that he would take over as head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps, after Teitur Thordarson was let go by the club. After the 2011 season ended, Soehn stepped down from the head coaching role in favor for Martin Rennie
and reclaimed his former position as Director of Soccer Operations.
In addition to his professional coaching, Soehn serves as the director of his boyhood club, the Chicago Kickers.
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
Youth and college
Soehn was born to immigrant parents. His parents moved to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, but his father was originally Romanian. Soehn began playing soccer with the Chicago Kickers when he was four. He attended Forest View High School. He attended Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became...
from 1984 to 1987.http://www.topix.net/content/wapo/0839752142323929926518844243121927686215 In 2003, Western Illinois inducted Soehn into its Athletics Hall of Fame.
Indoor soccer
Soehn signed with the Wichita WingsWichita Wings
This article is about the original team. For the current team, see Wichita Wings .The Wichita Wings were a professional indoor soccer franchise based in Wichita, Kansas. The Wings were admitted to the Major Indoor Soccer League as an expansion team on August 21, 1979...
of Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
from 1988 to 1992. He moved to the Denver Thunder
Denver Thunder
Denver Thunder were an indoor soccer club based in Denver, Colorado that competed in the National Professional Soccer League.The team was previously known as the Illinois Thunder.-Year-by-year:...
of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) for the 1992-1993 season before returning to the Wings in 1993 which were now playing in the NPSL. He remained with the Wings until 1996. In 1995, he played the summer indoor season with the Las Vegas Dustdevils
Las Vegas Dustdevils
The Las Vegas Dustdevils were an indoor soccer team based out of Las Vegas, Nevada that played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League . The team won the league championship in 1994, but folded after their second season.-History:...
of the Continental Indoor Soccer League
Continental Indoor Soccer League
The Continental Indoor Soccer League was an indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.-History:When the Major Soccer League folded in the summer of 1992, two of its former teams joined a group of hockey and basketball arena owners led by Ron Weinstein who wanted to create a league to...
(CISL).
CSL
In 1989, Soehn played a single season with the Ottawa IntrepidOttawa Intrepid
Ottawa Pioneers/Intrepid was the name of the Canadian Soccer League entry from the National Capital Region from 1987-1989 Ottawa, Ontario....
of the Canadian Soccer League (CSL).
APSL
In addition to playing indoor soccer, Soehn played with the Colorado FoxesColorado Foxes
The Colorado Foxes were a professional soccer team, based in Commerce City, Colorado, that played in the APSL between 1990 and 1997. The Foxes won two APSL titles, in 1992 and 1993. When Major League Soccer started and the Colorado Rapids became the region's premier team, the Foxes tried to stay...
of the American Professional Soccer League
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...
(APSL) in 1992http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1992/stats92.htm#Colorado, 1993http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1993/stats93.htm#Colorado and 1994.http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1994/results94.htm The Foxes went to three consecutive APSL championship games those three seasons. They won the 1992 and 1993 titles, but lost to the Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
in 1994.
MLS
Soehn played four years in MLS after being drafted by the Dallas BurnFC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
in the second round of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
The MLS Inaugural Player Draft, held before Major League Soccer's initial 1996 season, distributed players who had already graduated from college to the league's ten inaugural teams. The draft occurred on February 6 and 7, 1996...
. He missed the 1996 season with the injury, but played for the Burn in 1997. In 1998, he began the season with the Burn, but was traded to the Chicago Fire after fourteen games. He remained with the Fire until he retired from playing in 2000. During his time with Chicago, he was a member of the Fire's three championship teams (MLS Cup 1998, U.S. Open Cup 1998 and 2000).
Coaching
After retiring as a player, he became an assistant coach to Bob BradleyBob Bradley
Robert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
at the Fire and then moved to DC United to become Peter Nowak
Piotr Nowak
Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,...
's top assistant in 2003. During his time as the top assistant, DC United won MLS Cup in 2004, and a Supporters Shield in 2005. On December 21, 2006, Soehn replaced Nowak as the head coach at United.
On November 3, 2009, it was announced that Soehn had withdrawn himself for consideration for a contract renewal, ending a three-year reign that included a Supporters Shield in 2007, an Open Cup in 2008 and Open Cup Runner-Up in 2009.
On 19 January 2010, Soehn was given the job as Director of Soccer Operations by Canadian soccer club Vancouver Whitecaps FC. On 30 May 2011 it was announced that he would take over as head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps, after Teitur Thordarson was let go by the club. After the 2011 season ended, Soehn stepped down from the head coaching role in favor for Martin Rennie
Martin Rennie
Martin Rennie is a Scottish soccer coach and is currently the head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer. He was signed to a multi-year contract by Vancouver on 9 August 2011.-Coaching career:...
and reclaimed his former position as Director of Soccer Operations.
In addition to his professional coaching, Soehn serves as the director of his boyhood club, the Chicago Kickers.