University of San Francisco Athletics

Stephen "Steve" Negoesco was born on September 12, 1925 in Jutland, NJ, the son of a Romanian sea captain. After his mother’s death, he returned with his father to Romania to live with his aunt and uncle, where he began to play soccer. His skills would later help him survive during the German occupation of Romania during World War II. After the Germans discovered he was an American, he was sent to a Nazi camp at the age of 15, but he escaped and made his way to Bucharest. There, the Germans were so impressed with his soccer skills they allowed him to continue to compete. Eventually, he was able to return to New Jersey in 1945. 

Negoesco enrolled at USF in 1947 where he studied Biology. He also resumed playing soccer, under Coach 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. After graduating in 1951, Negoesco taught in the San Francisco Unified School District for 25 years. In 1962, he started at USF as the Men's Soccer Coach, a post he would hold until his retirement in 2000. Negoesco would coach the Dons from 1962 to 2000, and 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.

He made history when he won the U.S. Open Cup Championship in 1976 with the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club. It was the first time that a Northern California club had won the Open Cup and he became the first coach to win both the US Open Cup and the NCAA titles. 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.

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, and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, in addition to other awards and commendations. He was known as the "King of West Coast Soccer." His overall career record was 544–172–66. In 1982, the USF on-campus soccer facility was named in his honor. In addition to his career at USF, he also coached at Marin Catholic High School.