Ron Newman passed away on Monday, August 27, 2018, but leaves behind a more-than-impressive legacy in the world of soccer.
Newman is probably one of the best known professional soccer coaches in the United States and is also known as the one with the most wins in American soccer history with a 753-296-27 record over a 30-year-career.
As a player, Newman played for fourteen years with Portsmouth, Leyton Orient, Crystal Palace and Gillingham of the English Football League. His American career began in 1967 with the formation of the Atlanta Chiefs Soccer Booster Club.
In 1969, Newman began a seven season stint as coach of the Dallas Tornadoes. Later he became head coach of the Los Angeles Skyhawks, Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, San Diego Sockers and the Arizona Sandsharks before becoming the first coach hired by the MLS in 1995 when he was hired by the Kansas City Wizards.
In 1997, he was inducted into the Georgia Soccer Hall of Fame and retired from coaching in 1999.
Newman's legacy will live on not only in our Hall of Fame but also in the National Soccer Hall of Fame, San Diego Hall of Champions, U.S. Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame, USL Hall of Fame and the Dallas Walk of Fame.