Glenn Myernick

Infobox Football biography
playername= Glenn Myernick


fullname = Glenn Myernick
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date|1954|12|29
cityofbirth = Trenton, New Jersey
countryofbirth = United States
dateofdeath = death date and age|2006|10|9|1954|12|29
cityofdeath = Thornton, Colorado
countryofdeath = United States
height =
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Midfielder
youthyears = 1974-1976
youthclubs = Hartwick College
years = 1977-1979
1979-1980
1980-1982
1983-1984
clubs = Dallas Tornado
Wichita Wings "(indoor)"
Portland Timbers
Tampa Bay Rowdies
caps(goals) = 66 (2)
60 (0)
47 (0)
nationalyears = 1977-1979
nationalteam = United States
nationalcaps(goals) = 10 (0)
manageryears = 1985
1986-1989
1989-1993
1993-1995
1995-1996
1997-2000
2002-2006
2003-2004
managerclubs = University of Tampa "(assistant)"
Hartwick College "(assistant)"
U.S. U-20 national team "(assistant)"
U.S. U-17 national team
U.S. U-23 national team "(assistant)"
Colorado Rapids
United States "(assistant)"
U.S. U-23 national team
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Glenn "Mooch" Myernick (December 29, 1954 in Trenton, New Jersey – October 9, 2006 in Thornton, Colorado) was an American soccer player and coach. He won the 1976 Hermann Trophy as that year’s outstanding collegiate player. He then spent eight seasons in the North American Soccer League and one in Major Indoor Soccer League. Myernick also earned 10 caps with the U.S. national team. After retiring from playing professionally, Myernick spent over twenty years as a professional and national team coach.

Playing career

High School and college

Myernick played soccer at Lawrence High School in New Jersey, from which he graduated in 1972. He was All-State as a forward in 1971 and as a defender in 1972. Beginning his freshman year, he led Lawrence to three straight Group 2 state titles. In 1999, he was named by "The Star-Ledger" as one of the top ten New Jersey high school soccer players of the 1970s. [Jandoli, Ron. [http://web.archive.org/web/20030110132039/http://nj.com/hssports/ledger/index.ssf?/hssports/century/stories/bsoccerdecades.html "The Century's Best -- Boys Soccer: Top 10 Players of each decade"] , "The Star-Ledger", November 7, 1999, backed up by the Internet Archive as of January 10, 2003. Accessed September 11, 2008.]

Following high school, he attended a local community college before transferring to Hartwick College his sophomore season. He was a second team All American in 1974, but lost much of the 1975 season with the U.S. Olympic team as it attempted to qualify for the 1976 Summer Olympics. Returning to Hartwick for the 1976 season, Myernick was named team captain and led the Hawks to the NCAA Final Four and first team All American recognition. [ [http://www.nscaa.com/awards-src.php National Soccer Coaches Association of America - All-America Awards ] ] He was also the 1976 Hermann Trophy winner as the top college player of the year. In 1995, Hartwick College inducted Myernick into its Athletic Hall of Fame.

NASL

In 1976, Al Miller, a former Hartwick soccer coach who was now head coach of the North American Soccer League’s Dallas Tornado, selected Myernick with the top pick of the NASL College Draft. [ [http://www.misl.net/people/?cat=10&id=4704 Major Indoor Soccer League ] ] The Tornado traded Myernick to the Portland Timbers in 1980 and he was named the Timbers captain that season. When Portland folded following the 1982 season, the Tampa Bay Rowdies selected Myernick in the dispersal draft. While the NASL folded following the 1984 season, the Rowdies continued to play as an independent team. Myernick remained with the Rowdies before retiring in 1985.

MISL

Myernick spent one season, 1979-1980, with the Wichita Wings of Major Indoor Soccer League.

National Team

Myernick earned 10 caps for the U.S. from 1977 to 1979, serving as team captain in 1978. He also started 4 games for the U.S. Olympic soccer team during Olympic qualifying in 1976. [ [http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_281417.html The Official Site of U.S. Soccer - Men's National Team ] ]

Coaching

College

Myernick retired from playing professionally in 1985, becoming an assistant coach at the University of Tampa. In 1986, he moved back north to Hartwick College to become an assistant coach.

National team

After serving as an assistant coach on the 1996 U.S. Men's Olympic soccer team, Myernick was hired in 2002 to serve as an assistant coach on the Men's National Team for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. After the highly successful Quarterfinal run made by the United States, Myernick coached the U.S. Men's U-23 Soccer team as they attempted (unsuccessfully) to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Tournament. He continued serving the U.S. Men's National Team through the 2005 Gold Cup (notably - managing the team during the championship game, when head coach Bruce Arena had been suspended for the final) and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. [ [http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_281417.html The Official Site of U.S. Soccer - Men's National Team ] ] Myernick was also the organizer of the Colorado Rapids youth soccer clinic from 1997 through 2000 at the Rapids traning facility in Westminster, Colorado.

Colorado Rapids

As a head coach, Myernick served the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer from 1997 to 2000 and the U.S. under-23 Men's National Team in 2003. Myernick was the US Men's Senior National Team assistant coach at the time of his death.

Glenn "Mooch" Myernick died in Thornton, Colorado on October 9, 2006, four days after suffering a heart attack during his morning jog on Thursday, October 5, 2006, never having regained consciousness. [ [http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_281417.html The Official Site of U.S. Soccer - Men's National Team ] ] U.S. Soccer officials, including President Sunil Gulati and former Men's National Team manager Bruce Arena, paid homage to Myernick and praised his invaluable contributions to soccer in the United States. Myernick was acclaimed as an enthusiastic coach, player, father, and friend.

References

External links

* [http://www.intermark.com/rapids/rp111996.html Colorado Rapids coaching profile]
* [http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20061006&content_id=74917&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp MLS News: Former Rapids Coach Myernick Dies]