Ron Newman

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Ronald Vernon Newman (19 January 1934 – 27 August 2018) was an English football player and coach who became a major figure in American soccer. He played in England for Woking, Portsmouth, Leyton Orient, Crystal Palace and Gillingham, and at Gillingham he was one of the first players to come on as a substitute in a league match.

In 1967 he moved to the United States to play for the Atlanta Chiefs, where he was team MVP, then joined the Dallas Tornado in 1968 as a player and assistant coach. He became Tornado head coach in 1969 and led them to the NASL championship in 1971. He later coached in the American Soccer League with the Los Angeles Skyhawks (winning the 1976 title), Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and then the San Diego Sockers, where he enjoyed great success indoors and outdoors, winning 10 indoor titles. He was NASL Coach of the Year (1971, 1977, 1984) and ASL Coach of the Year (1976). He was the first MLS coach hired by the Kansas City Wizards in 1995, guiding them to the Western Division title in 1997. He retired in 1999 with a 753–296–27 coaching record. Newman was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1992 and has several other honors, including the Ron Newman Cup name given to the modern indoor soccer championship. He died in Tampa, Florida, at age 84. He fathered Guy Newman, who also coached with him.