Monday 20 October 2008

Glenn Myernick 1983, 1984, 1985; 1983 (id), 1984 (id)

Glenn "Mooch" Myernick was born December 29th, 1954 in Trenton, New Jersey. Mooch 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.
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. 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.
In 1976, Al Miller, a former Hartwick soccer coach who was now head coach of the Dallas Tornado, selected Mooch with the top pick of the NASL College Draft. The Tornado traded Mooch to the Portland Timbers in 1980 and he was named the Timbers captain that season. When Portland folded following the 1982 season, the Rowdies selected him in the dispersal draft. While the NASL folded following the 1984 season, the Rowdies continued to play as an independent team. He remained with the Rowdies before retiring in 1985.
Mooch spent one season, 1979-1980, with the Wichita Wings of Major Indoor Soccer League.
He 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.
When Mooch 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.
After serving as an assistant coach on the 1996 U.S. Men's Olympic soccer team, Mooch 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, he 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. He was also the organizer of the Colorado Rapids youth soccer clinic from 1997 through 2000 at the Rapids traning facility in Westminster, Colorado.
As a head coach, Mooch served the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer from 1997 to 2000 and the U.S. under-23 Men's National Team in 2003.
Sadly, Glenn Myernick died in Thornton, Colorado on October 9th, 2006, four days after suffering a heart attack during his morning jog on Thursday, October 5th, 2006, never having regained consciousness. U.S. Soccer officials, including President Sunil Gulati and former Men's National Team manager Bruce Arena, paid homage to Mooch and praised his invaluable contributions to soccer in the United States. Glenn Myernick was acclaimed as an enthusiastic coach, player, father, and friend.
He was the US Men's Senior National Team assistant coach at the time of his death.

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