SAN FRANCISCO — The University of San Francisco is mourning the loss of legendary head coach Steve Negoesco, who passed away Sunday evening at the age of 93. Negoesco was the architect of the USF Men's soccer dynasty that saw the Dons capture four national championships and 22 conference championships.
"Steve Negoesco leaves a legacy with the influence he has had as a coach, mentor, and friend," said Director of Athletics,
Scott Sidwell. "We were blessed to have Steve guiding our programs on The Hilltop, where his quest for excellence inspired and motivated championship players and teams. Coach Negoesco truly lived his life to the fullest and was active with our university and his former players up until his final days. We mourn his passing, will miss him dearly, but will always be grateful for the countless lessons he has left for us. Coach Negoesco will live in all of us who were fortunate to be touched by his strong and guiding hand."
"Coach Stephen Negoesco's personal story is forever intertwined with that of his longtime academic home, the University of San Francisco," said USF President Fr. Paul Fitzgerald, S.J. "He is an alumnus who lived our values as a coach educator, earning the affection of his players, motivating them to the highest levels of performance and prepping them for lives of meaning and purpose. His unique style of coaching emphasized skill development and game savvy during practices, then he empowered his team to take responsibility and run themselves during matches. He will be forever remembered and long missed."
Considered one of college soccer's all-time greatest coaches, Negoesco is a member of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame, as well as a member of the National Soccer, National Soccer Coaches Association of America, and Bay Area Halls of Fame.
Negoesco first came to the Hilltop in 1947 playing under mentor Gus Donoghue, and from 1947-51 was a fiery competitor. He was the team captain for the 1949 National Collegiate Co-Championship team, where he historically refused the referee's request to continue play after a dubious hand ball penalty that allowed Penn State to tie the game at 2-2 led to the game ending in a tie.
In 1962, Negoesco took over the reins from his mentor and began a legacy of unprecedented success that saw the Dons win four national championships and 22 conference titles. In his 39 seasons, he amassed a record of 540-172-66 (.725) which still ranks ninth most all-time for any coach at any level, and second-most by coaches at the Division I level. He was the first collegiate coach to reach the 500-win plateau.
Said Negoesco about the victories, "I don't like to lose. I don't care about winning; I just don't like to lose." With a career .725 winning percentage, losing was not something that happened often in his career. The 17-year period of 1966-82 was dubbed "The Third USF Golden Age of Soccer" by Fr. Joe Egan, USF Hall of Famer and famed USF soccer historian.
During that era, the Dons amassed a record of 291-34-24, scoring 1,316 goals while only allowing 323. The Dons won four national championships, 10 conference championships, and had 15 All-American players.
Those national championship teams, starting with the 1966 season, relied heavily on international players, prompting Sports Illustrated to title their article on the Dons, "USF Wins One for the U.N.," referring to the seven players born in Hungary, Russia, Poland, Peru, Guatemala, Germany, and Indonesia.
When talking to his squad in 1975, Negoesco had this to say: "I told the boys to expect insults from the people in the stands. They called us a bunch of foreigners and much worse. I'm proud of the way we played. The boys won with style and flair. They answered the insults with ball handling that made the other team look foolish. The 1966 championship was excellent but this 1975 team is a quality team, solid in all respects."
Born in Jutland, N.J, on Sept. 12, 1925, Negoesco was sent to Romania to live with relatives as a child following the death of his mother. It was in Romania that he developed his soccer skills. He was interned in 1940 by the Germans after they discovered his American connections but managed to escape the concentration camp and made his way to Bucharest, Romania. The Germans were so impressed with his soccer skills they allowed him to continue to compete. After the war, he returned to New Jersey before settling in San Francisco. In 1982, USF's on-campus soccer facility was named in his honor.
Negoesco was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Mercedes. He is survived by his children Stefan, Sandra, Sonia, Stuart, Sylvana, and Sergio, 17 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
What They Said About Steve
"Steve was a pioneer, visionary and legend of soccer at USF and in the Bay Area, as well as the entire country. He has impacted and made a difference in thousands of lives. His passion and knowledge for the game was unparalleled. He was able to unify teams with student athletes from more than a dozen countries and played a brand of soccer that is now being emulated in the country."
Erik Visser – four-time letter winner who played under Negoesco and served as Negoesco's assistant for 19 seasons before becoming the USF head coach in 2001.
"Coach Negoesco made me feel like family from my very first day on the Hilltop. His love for the program and players young and old was evident. I saw him happiest when he visited our training sessions and games. We had great conversations about his teams of the past, but what really stuck was how proud he was of all his players. His courage to compete led to a legacy that will be remembered forever. God Bless you coach, and may you rest in peace."
Eddie Soto – Current USF men's soccer head coach.
"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."
Bruce Arena – Former U.S. Olympic soccer coach and former University of Virginia head soccer coach.
"As a kid all I ever wanted to do was play soccer for USF. Steve was a legend and an icon across the US soccer landscape. I was very attracted to how Steve blended the best local talent with international student-athletes. When I got the chance to play for Steve at USF it was a dream come true,"
Joe Dugan – USF Soccer Play-by-Play Analyst and men's soccer player 1988-90.
"I just remember when I was in high school as a player, USF was always one of the best college teams in the nation year in and year out and produced so many pro players. The reason is Steve. He was a legend and will always remain a legend in college soccer!"
Jim Millinder – USF women's soccer head coach.
