Soccer Coach Weekly is saddened by the death of Tony DiCicco
Tony DiCicco, who led USA to victory at the 1999 Women’s World Cup and the 1996 Olympic Games has died at the age of 68.
Tony DiCicco, who led USA to victory at the 1999 Women’s World Cup and the 1996 Olympic Games has died at the age of 68.
Tony was a writer of soccer manuals and a frequent contributor to Soccer Coach Weekly. He will be greatly missed. Dave Clarke the Editor and Head Coach of Soccer Coach Weekly met up with him every year at the NSCAA Convention and always learned something new from him both socially and professionally.
In partnership with Dave Newbery, Tony wrote the successful Player Development Revolution series. His sessions in the soccer e-magazine were always eagerly anticipated and well received.
He is survived by his wife, Diane, and four sons, Anthony, Andrew, Alex and Nicholas.
Tony became an all-American goalkeeper at Springfield College in Massachusetts, played professional soccer for five years and, in 1973, played briefly for the men’s national team.
He was the goalkeeping coach for the women’s national team when it won the inaugural women’s World Cup in 1991. He took over as head coach in 1994 and led the team to 103 victories and just eight losses. He still holds the record for most wins by a US women’s coach. In 2001, he played a key role in the start of women’s professional soccer in the United States, becoming the chief operating officer, and later the commissioner, of the short-lived Women’s United Soccer Association.