Sigi Schmid

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Siegfried "Sigi" Schmid (March 20, 1953 – December 25, 2018) was a German-American soccer coach who had the most wins in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS).

Born in Tübingen, West Germany, he moved to the United States with his family when he was a child.

He played college soccer from 1972 to 1975 at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he was a starting midfielder in each of his four years.

He coached his former college team, the UCLA Bruins, between 1980 and 1999.

During that period, he became one of the most successful collegiate coaches of all time, leading the Bruins to a record of 322–63–33 (wins–losses–draws).

The team made 16 consecutive playoff appearances from 1983 to 1998, winning the national championship in 1985, 1990, and 1997.

Schmid also worked with U.S. Soccer throughout the 1990s. Schmid coached the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Columbus Crew in MLS, before becoming the head coach of Seattle Sounders in 2009.

Despite never having played soccer at a professional level, he has the most coaching wins in MLS history and was the recipient of the MLS Coach of the Year Award in 1999 and 2008.

Throughout his career, Schmid received praise from critics for his ability to identify new talent.

His defensive tactics were also highly regarded in the press and often cited as a factor in his success.

However, their deployment in his final two seasons with Los Angeles led directly to the termination of his contract. After winning the MLS Cup with Columbus in 2008, Schmid was hired by the expansion Seattle Sounders as their first head coach.

From 2009 to 2016, Schmid led the Sounders to seven playoff appearances, four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles, and an MLS Supporters' Shield in 2014.

After lackluster performances in the playoffs and missteps during the first half of the 2016 season, Schmid left the club on mutual terms and was replaced by Brian Schmetzer as interim head coach.

Schmid joined ESPN as a studio analyst and was named the head coach of Los Angeles once again in 2017, replacing Curt Onalfo.

He resigned from the position in September 2018 and was replaced by assistant coach Dominic Kinnear. With Bachelor of Economics and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Schmid was a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) before coaching full-time.

Schmid and his wife had four children.

Schmid died on December 25, 2018, weeks after being hospitalized in Los Angeles with a heart-related condition.

Early life

Sigi Schmid was born in Tübingen, West Germany, on March 20, 1953. At the age of four, he moved with his family to the United States; they took up residence in Torrance, California, in 1962. Schmid's father, Fritz, who had been a prisoner of war during World War II, worked at Pabst Brewing; his mother, Doris, ran a Los Angeles-based German deli, where Schmid worked on weekends. Schmid's family spoke German at home, making him feel German despite spending so much of his life in America. He began school in the United States with little understanding of English and a stuttering speech disorder he did not overcome until high school. In his youth, Schmid visited Germany every summer, playing soccer with the local children and watching Bundesliga clubs play exhibition matches in neighboring towns. In 1964, Schmid played for one of the inaugural American Youth Soccer Organization teams, and was inducted into the AYSO Hall of Fame in 1996.

Despite Schmid's early soccer experience, his parents thought a career in the sport was unfeasible and encouraged him to pursue business. He enrolled at UCLA in 1972 and was a starting midfielder for the UCLA Bruins from 1972 to 1975. In his first two seasons, the Bruins were national runners-up in the championships, and advanced to the national semifinals in 1974. In his senior year, Schmid was selected to the 1975 All Far-West team. Schmid completed his playing career at UCLA ranked 11th in all-time assists at the school.

He received his Bachelor of Economics degree in 1976 before earning a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Between 1978 and 1984, he worked eight months of the year as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Personal life

Schmid lived in Bellevue, Washington, during the soccer season. He was married to Valerie Schmid and had four children: Erik, Lacey, Kurt, and Kyle. Kurt has been the head scout for Sounders FC and was also the Director of Player Personnel and Scouting for the L.A. Galaxy. Kyle played as a defender at UC Irvine and was in the USL Premier Development League with Orange County Blue Star. Kyle is now head coach at Loyola Marymount University. Sigi rarely missed game days in MLS, but took time off for Lacey and Kurt's weddings and Kurt's college graduation. Schmid's younger brother, Roland, lived in Sammamish, Washington, and having family in the area was one of the factors which persuaded Schmid to accept the Seattle job. After leaving the Galaxy in September 2018, Schmid stated that he planned to join another MLS club's front office or write a book.

Schmid was hospitalized several times during his later career, including once for a bout of pneumonia in 2009 and again for an undisclosed issue in 2015 that required him to miss a regular season match with the Sounders.

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Coaching career

Schmid's first teaching job was 1975 for Bishop Montgomery High School. The South Bay Vikings were also founded and coached a small club. He served as an assistant coach under UCLA's Steve Gay between 1977 and 1979. After Gay left the position in 1980, Schmid took over as head coach. Prior to the 1984 season, he began solely on coaching and was named "Coach of the Year" by the magazine Soccer America. After eight periods of overtime, UCLA defeated American University 1–0. The Bruins won or tied 85 percent of their games in their first ten years as coach.

After a scoreless rule, two sessions of overtime, and two periods of sudden death, the Bruins won the 1990 national championship by defeating Rutgers 4-3 on penalty kicks. UCLA defeated their opponents 61-616 in the 22-game season. In the upcoming season, the team continued to flourish, as a result of Schmid's decision to move Cobi Jones from a midfield position to forward. Jones later played for Schmid in the MLS and became a top player for the national team. After UCLA defeated the University of Virginia to win their third NCAA championship, Schmid was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Coach of the Year for three years (1995–97), and NCAA Coach of the Year in 1997. After winning just two titles in 17 postseason appearances, UCLA's 'underachiever' brand had been dropped, according to a Richmond Times reporter. The writer also applauded Schmid's decision to shift the team's top striker into a midfield role, which resulted in the player scoring the winning goal.

Schmid spent 19 years as UCLA's head coach, winnings-draws-winnings, and the most playoff appearances since 1983 to 1998. When David Vanole, Brad Friedel, and Matt Reis came through the university, he earned a reputation for producing some of the country's best goalkeepers. He had coached 16 players at UCLA who were later selected for the US national team in 1994. Schmid avoided recruiting outsiders to help his team. He mainly depended on players from California, who he found to be less physically fit but more offensive and challenging.

Schmid, who was teaching at UCLA, began to serve with the United States national team. He was the assistant coach at the 1991 World University Games and travelled with the team to Germany in the fall of 1992. He was selected as an assistant to Bora Milutinovi during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, during which five of Schmid's UCLA players appeared for the national team in January 1993. During the 1995 Pan American Games, he served as an assistant. Schmid, who was named U.S. Under-20 national team coach in January 1998, reorganized his team around defensive tactics. During the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, the team finished second in their group, defeating England and Cameroon, but Spain defeated them in the first round. At the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, Schmid returned to coach the U-20 national team. In the first round of the knockout phase, the United States defeated the group without conceding a single goal, but the United States lost to Italy in the first round of the knockout stage. Schmid's team on the field was disciplined, according to Eric Wynalda, one of the national team's forwards. Schmid had a "great handle on the defensive side of the game," according to Wynalda, although he loved that the strikers were allowed to be experimental. Schmid was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 2004 after serving with UCLA, the national team, and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Schmid left UCLA to replace Octavio Zambrano as head coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy five games into the 1999 MLS season. With a score of just three goals, the team was ranked fifth in the Western Conference at the time. The team had a record of 17–9, finished second-best in the league, and won their conference, winning him the MLS Coach of the Year Award under Schmid. After being named the year's best defender of the year, the team's captain, Robin Fraser, praised Schmid's emphasis on defense. In that year's MLS Cup, Los Angeles defeated Washington, D.C. United 21-0. Schmid made critical remarks about the referees after the match; he was fined $1,000 and suspended for the first game of the following season.

Schmid led Los Angeles to the playoffs in 2000 but the Kansas City Wizards fell in the semifinals. The team also competed in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in that year, a competition that brings together the best clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. To win the Cup, the Galaxy defeated the Honduran champions Olimpia 3–2. Since the final was postponed in the MLS off-season, Schmid was forced to play a typical squad, the team was forced to make adjustments to the following season's roster.

His 2001 students were raving about play. Cobi Jones, Sasha Victorine, Luis Hernández, Simon Elliott, Simon Elliott, and Mauricio Cienfuegos were among the squad's veteran players such as Cobi Jones, Sasha Victorine, Simon Elliott, and Mauricio Cienfuegos. The Galaxy claimed the conference by two points and ended fourth overall with a 14-7–5 record. In the MLS Cup, the team lost to the San Jose Earthquakes, but the team recovered the U.S. Open Cup a week later with a 2–1 win over the New England Revolution.

In 2002, the Galaxy defeated the Supporters' Shield for the best regular season record in the league, which was followed by failure. Schmid was praised for his defensive tactics after adjusting the team's standard formation to a 3–5–2 early in the season. Alexi Lalas was able to play as a sweeper in the three-man defensive line due to the change. Carlos Ruiz, a Guatemalan forward, was also added to the team, and Ruiz received the league Most Valuable Player (MVP) award this year. Despite chastising for losing in previous years, the franchise lifted its first MLS Cup in a 1–0 victory over New England. The team qualified for the Open Cup final this year, but lost to the Columbus Crew.

The team earned another berth in the 2003 CONCACAF Champions' Cup after winning again in the MLS Cup. Los Angeles advanced to Motagua in the first round, but it fell against Necaxa in the quarterfinals. The club had their first losing season in MLS, with a 9–12–9 record and no victories on the road. Throughout the year, the Galaxy struggled to score goals consistently, despite finishing fourth in the five-team Western Conference for the fourth time. Los Angeles defeated San Jose 2–0 in the first leg of the playoffs, but the team lost five goals in the second half of the game, and was disqualified. Fans and the media predicted that Schmid would not return in 2004. Some players questioned his tactics, while a local writer put some of the blame on a change to a defensive style of play. Schmid predicted a year of rebuilding the team after it was announced that he would remain in his role next season. In the All-Star game the following year, he was chosen to coach the Western Conference. Schmid was suspended midway through the season, with the Galaxy in first place. The team's goal, according to general manager Doug Hamilton, was to compete for and win championships, and that "a more enjoyable and attractive product on the field" was the team's mission. Was needed. Schmid had a record of 79-53-32 with a 16–7–3 record in the playoffs.

Schmid had "epic explosions" in Los Angeles, according to Lalas, who was reflecting on his demeanor. One reporter called him "combustible," while another referred to him as "feery." The Lalas also said that playing for Schmid in Los Angeles demanded professionalism both on and off the track.

Schmid was hired as the Columbus Crew's coach in 2006 by team general manager Mark McCullers as "the best coach in America." The team had young talent but there was a lack of depth and there were no star players on the team. Schmid resigned in August after a string of 13 winless matches. The team suffered from injuries and inconsistent lineups through the season, finishing last in the Eastern Conference with only 30 goals, the lowest in the league.

Schmid had reconstructed the roster by the start of 2007, keeping only three players he had inherited and purchasing Argentine attacker Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Jon Busch, the Crew's goalkeeper, had been with the team for five years, was cut by Schmid. Busch's playing style and fitness had raised questions about him. Busch chastised Schmid's leadership abilities and said he would never work for him again, but praised Schmid's tactical approach. Scheletto's contributions to Columbus' growth this season were vital, but the team was unable to qualify for the playoffs. According to a writer for ESPN, the Crew suffered because the team's leadership did not invest more money, while Schmid lamenting that he could not recruit a foreign celebrity to Columbus, the city's little-known city.

The Crew's results in the 2008 season were impressive. Schmid modified their offensive plans to be based on ball control and flank speed. Schelotto was a central piece of the scheme in a roaming playmaker role, a role in which Schelotto excelled and the Argentinian was named the league's MVP. Schmid, the second MLS coach to win 100 regular-season games at Crew Stadium on April 26, after defeating the Houston Dynamo 1–0. The Crew also defeated the Supporters' Shield with the best record in the competition. Columbus defeated the New York Red Bulls 3–1 at Schmid's old home stadium, Los Angeles's Home Depot Center, to win the MLS Cup. For the second time, Schmid received the Coach of the Year Award. Schmid's team reorganization of the squad in 2006 and 2007.

After the 2008 season, Schmid left Columbus and became the Seattle Sounders' coach. Despite being refused permission to talk to other teams during the season, the Crew's management believed that Schmid had been in touch with the Sounders. Since his service with the Crew had ended, it was also suspected that he shared private information with Seattle. The MLS found that no tampering had occurred, but that Sounders FC had been ordered to financially compensate the Crew.

Schmid was the first coach of Seattle Sounders FC, the Seattle Sounders FC franchise's new expansion company. Seattle won the U.S. Open Cup in 2009, defeating Washington, D.C. United. Seattle defeated FC Dallas 21-0 for his 125th MLS regular season victory; this victory lifted Schmid over Bob Bradley for the most MLS regular season titles in history. He coached Seattle to the playoffs, where the Dynamo defeated the team 1–0 in overtime of the second leg. In an inaugural season for the 1998 Chicago Fire, Seattle was the first expansion team to make the playoffs since the 1998 Chicago Fire, when the league was just two years old.

The team began the 2010 MLS season slowly, with injuries to key players that affected Schmid's starting lineups. Over the first 15 games, the team had a record of 4–8-3. The Sounders also advanced to the preliminary round of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League, but the Sounders were unable to advance to the group level. Schmid won his third championship with a 2–1 victory over the Crew at Seattle's Qwest Field, bringing his third championship to an end. No MLS team had ever won back-to-back Open Cups. The Sounders resurrectled in the second half of the regular season with a 10–2–3 record to qualify for the playoffs. In the two-legged quarter-final, the team met Bruce Arena's Galaxy. Both coaches are considered to be the best in the league, and this was the first meeting between the two coaches in the playoffs. The Sounders lost by a 3-1 aggregate, while Arena moved within a game of Schmid's MLS record of 19 victories.

Schmid's Sounders FC had several setbacks and a slow start to the season (the club lost just 3 of its first 10 games). Schmid signed a long-term contract extension on July 14, 2011, which may keep him with the team through the 2015 MLS season. The extension is dependent on a variety of club choices and success triggers. Despite the fact that some fans had grown impatient with tactical inflexibility and mismanagement of players, general manager Adrian Hanauer lauded Schmid's professionalism and success. The Sounders advanced to the playoffs for the second year in a row, winning 18 games, 7 losses, 9 draws, and 9 draws. Schmid led his team to the final of the U.S. Open Cup tournament. They defeated the Chicago Fire 2–0 to earn the tournament for the first time since 1968. The CONCACAF Champions League's Seattle has also advanced to the knock-out stages. Sounders FC was also barred from the MLS Cup playoffs by Real Salt Lake in the conference semifinal round.

Seattle lost by a score of 7–3 to Santos Laguna in the CONCACAF Champions League quarter finals in 2011. The Sounders advanced to the finals of the Open Cup in which they were defeated by Sporting Kansas City after penalty kicks. Schmid was outraged over what he perceived as a tense call that gave Kansas City the victory. The team finished the regular season with a 15–8-11 record to advance to the playoffs, where they advanced past Real Salt Lake to reach the conference championship series against the Galaxy. In the first leg, the team was defensive and suffered a 3–0 loss. They won on the return leg but lost on aggregate.

The Sounders started the 2013 regular season without a win until their sixth match. Seattle lost in the semifinals to Santos Laguna after progressing to the early stages of the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League a year ago. In their first match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, the team was disqualified from the 2013 Open Cup. Seattle will peak during the season's middle to put the Supporter's Shield and the regional Cascadia Cup in play. However, the team ended the season on a skid of seven games without a victory, including significant losses to both Colorado and Vancouver. In the knockout round of the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs, the Sounders defeated Colorado before losing two games against arch-rival Portland. A survey conducted by The Seattle Times at the end of the season revealed that many fans wanted to see Schmid fired. Pundits speculated on the likelihood of his retirement based on what they perceived as bad tactics, a history of mismanaging skilled players, and a fan base with a higher bar esteem. Joe Roth, the owner, had a post-season meeting with Hanauer and Schmid. The likelihood of Schmid's resignation was "close," Roth later said, but the team instead went for personnel changes.

As a result, Schmid worked with a core group of players represented by Osvaldo Alonso, Clint Dempsey, and Brad Evans. The company made some changes to the team. Eddie Johnson, the starting striker, was later traded, but a new central defender, winger, goalkeeper, and goalkeeper were all added to the lineup. The team spent 2014 in the US Open Cup and the Supporters Shield, with Dempsey and Obafemi Martins playing more through the middle.

He spent time with AS Roma in the 2015-16 offseason to investigate their training methods. The Sounders failed to meet hopes in the first half of the 2016 season, defeating 12 players, 12 losses, and 2 draws. Schmid left the team on mutual terms and was replaced by assistant coach Brian Schmetzer after a 3–0 loss to Sporting Kansas City on July 24 in which the Sounders had only one shot.

Schmid joined ESPN as a studio analyst after leaving the Sounders.

Schmid, the Galaxy's assistant coach and successor to Bruce Arena, who had left the Galaxy in November 2016 to take over the United States men's national team, was promoted to the LA Galaxy on July 27, 2017. The Galaxy had lost half of their 20 matches and been on a five-match losing streak in mid-July under Onalfo, with several key players having injuries. Schmid's first match for the Galaxy in 2017 ended in a scoreless draw against the Seattle Sounders, but the team would only win two games before ending the season in last place, the first time in their history.

Schmid was given greater autonomy by the Galaxy as a result of Arena's tenure and moving positions taken by general manager Pete Vagranas, and the team was expected to enter the 2018 season with a "winning" roster. The Galaxy reconverted their roster and failed to re-sign several starting players, including captain Jermaine Jones and homegrown star Gyasi Zardes, during the offseason. Schmid resigned from other MLS franchises, including Perry Kitchen, Chris Pontius, Ola Kamara, and David Bingham. The Galaxy also signed Zlatan Ibrahimovi, a star striker who will have a "positive impact" on the team, according to Schmid.

The Galaxy began the season with injury to key players and some of the company's new arrivals. In the inaugural match of "El Tráfico," the team defeated new rival Los Angeles FC in an early match, with Ibrahimoviovi debuting as a replacement and leading the team to a 4–3 victory. After falling behind four matches in a row, some by a single goal, the Galaxy then started to recover and resumed a nine-match unbeaten streak that lasted until August. The Galaxy then failed to win its next five matches under Schmid and slipped to eighth place in the Western Conference, losing 11 goals in two away matches to Seattle and Salt Lake. Schmid resigned from the Galaxy on September 10, 2018, and assistant coach Dominic Kinnear took over. Kinnear replaced Schmid's 3–5–2 lineup with a conventional 4–4–2 lineup, returning the team to playoff contention but ultimately failed to clinch a playoff spot.

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