Stephen Negoesco

Stephen Negoesco or Stephen Negoescu (born September 12, 1925) is a Romanian American former soccer player and coach.

An international figure in the field of soccer, Stephen Negoesco has been hailed as the best coach in U.S. college soccer, and led the University of San Francisco to more than 544 victories (over 700 if you add exhibition games), five NCAA championships (the 1978 championship was later vacated because of an ineligible player), and the U.S. Open Cup (the Dewar Cup).

Between club and intercollegiate play, Negoesco's teams have won more than 2,500 games and more than 50 championships. As player and coach, Negoesco has over 3,000 lifetime victories.

Coach Stephen Negoesco has been 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 (BASHOF); The National Soccer Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame; The WCC Hall of Honor (West Coast Conference); as well as receiving numerous awards and commendations mentioned in the 'Achievements' section of this article.

Born in New Jersey, Negoesco returned with his father to Romania after his mother's death to be adopted by 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; he was interned in 1940 when the Germans learned of his American connections. Negoesco played in the Romanian Football 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. He also resumed playing soccer, coached by Gus Donoghue. Negoesco led the Dons to the 1949 California collegiate title and the 1950 NCAA 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 1961, a post he would hold until his retirement in 2000. 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.

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