Women's Soccer | 1/10/2018 11:12:00 AM
Moon Township, Pa. – The Walt Chyzowych Memorial Fund is set to present its Lifetime Achievement Award to Robert Morris University women's soccer head coach John Kowalski at a special ceremony on Jan. 20, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pa. during the United Soccer Coaches Convention.
The Walt Chyzowych Fund honors the memory and legacy of Walt Chyzowych, pioneering coach of both the U.S. National Soccer Team and the U.S. Olympic Soccer Team, who also served as Director of Coaching in the developmental years of the modern era of U.S. Soccer.
"It's truly an honor for me to follow in the footsteps of so many great people who, having served the game at a high level, were recognized as Chyzowych Lifetime Achievement Award winners," said Kowalski. "For me, not only have I had the good fortune of playing with and coaching against many of the award's previous winners, I am delighted to now be named to this distinguished list. It truly is one of the highlights of my career."
READ: Walt Chyzowych Fund to Honor Kowalski, U.S. Five-a-Side Medal Teams at United Soccer Coaches Convention
Kowalski, who has been the Robert Morris women's soccer head coach since 2001, is one of the most accomplished coaches in U.S. Soccer history. He led the 1989 and 1992 U.S. National Five-a-Side (futsal) Teams to respective third and second-place finishes at the FIFA Futsal World Championship, with the 1992 side becoming the only U.S. Men's Team ever to compete in the final game of a world championship event. He is also the only U.S. coach to help guide the National Team to CONCACAF championships in both indoor and outdoor soccer, claiming gold both at the 1996 Futsal Championship and as an assistant on the 1991 Gold Cup-winning staff.
Kowalski owns a 2-0-1 record as an interim coach of the U.S. Men's National Team. Prior to the 1991 Gold Cup, he was named the interim coach during a trip to Asia, leading the USA to victories over Olimpia of Paraguay (1990 champions of South America and world club champions) and Canada, as well as a draw with Mexico. Kowalski served as the head coach of the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team from 1993-94, coaching many players who would later star for the USMNT and/or play professionally.
A 2000 inductee into the RMU Athletic Hall of Fame, Kowalski led the men's soccer team to four Northeast Conference (NEC) regular-season championships (1992, 1994, 1995, 1996) and two NEC Tournament titles (1993, 1994). The Colonials played in the 1993 and 1994 NCAA Tournaments – becoming the first RMU program other than men's basketball to qualify for the NCAA Tournament – and ranked as high as No. 16 nationally in 1995. Kowalski was named NEC Coach of the Year on the men's side in 1992 and 1995, and on the women's side in 2015 after leading the program to its first NEC Championship Game.
Prior to his second stint at Robert Morris, Kowalski was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Mutiny of Major League Soccer (MLS), leading them to the playoffs. He later coached the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the United Soccer League (USL), also achieving a playoff berth.
Kowalski's aforementioned 1989 and 1992 futsal teams will also be honored at the event with Walt Chyzowych Distinguished Playing Career awards.
