One of the most successful coaches of pro teams in American soccer history. During the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, the native of England coached leading teams in the North American Soccer League, the American Soccer League, the Major Indoor Soccer League, the Continental Indoor Soccer League and Major League Soccer. He was the NASL’s all-time leader in coaching victories with 206.
Newman, who played professionally in England for 13 seasons before moving to the United States as a player in 1967, was coach of the NASL’s Dallas Tornado from 1969 to 1975, the ASL’s Los Angeles Skyhawks in 1976, the NASL’s Fort Lauderdale Strikers from 1977 to 1979, the NASL’s San Diego Sockers from 1980 to 1984 and MLS’s Kansas City Wizards from 1996 to 1999. In his 20 outdoor seasons, between 1969 and 1999, his teams had a record of 282 victories, 232 losses and 27 ties. He won league championships with Dallas in 1971 and Los Angles in 1976. He was the NASL coach of the year in 1977 and 1984.
Newman began coaching indoor soccer while he was with San Diego, when the NASL established an indoor circuit in 1980. He coached the indoor Sockers in the NASL, MISL and CISL from 1980 to 1994, and the Arizona Sandsharks of the CISL in 1995. In 15 indoor seasons, he compiled a record of 464 victories and 264 defeats, and won league championships 10 times. He made the Sockers into the dominant team of the MISL via a series of tactical innovations that earned him the reputation of the ultimate indoor soccer coach.
When he became coach of Kansas City in MLS’s inaugural season, Newman was reunited with owner Lamar Hunt, who had owned the Dallas Tornado when Newman was coach of that team more than two decades before.
Inducted in 1992.
