We remember beloved soccer coaches who have died in recent months.
Former Croatia coach Tomislav Ivic was considered the most successful soccer coach in history by virtue of winning eight national titles in six countries. But winning national championships isn’t the only thing that makes a great coach. Here we remember a few of the dedicated club and school soccer coaches who have died in recent months.
Edgar H. Borg, of Williamsburg, Virginia, “loved soccer, and served as a scout for the New York Cosmos, a former New York professional soccer team.”
“He also coached the New York City High School Soccer All-Stars to a second place victory.”
But soccer wasn’t the only arena where Borg excelled. He taught history and economics in New York for 30 years and co-wrote “The Encyclopedia of American War Films,” according to the obituary published in the Virginia Gazette.
Donna Lee Cohee was a registered nurse.
She “will also be remembered for her countless volunteer hours at church, elementary schools, and her 11 years coaching on the AYSO soccer field,” according to her obituary in the Ventura County Star.
Bruce Furst coached school and club soccer teams for boys and for girls at various age levels for decades, according to his obituary published in Inside Bay Area. A successful coach, he took two girls’ teams to the finals of the Northern California state championship, winning once, and also took a boys’ team to the semi-finals.
But winning isn’t everything.
“More than the championships, Bruce leaves a legacy of positively influencing the lives of every player he coached, the parents of his players, and all the other coaches he mentored. Bruce was a naturally gifted teacher and not only did he teach soccer, he taught all he touched how to compete, how to both win and lose graciously, and how to be a good teammate.”
A graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, Furst had “played on the Colorado soccer team as a midfielder and also served as the captain of the team.”
A scholarship fund was established in his name to aid low income soccer players as they pursue their passion for the game.
This post was contributed by Alana Baranick, a freelance obituary writer. She was the director of the Society of Professional Obituary Writers and chief author of Life on the Death Beat: A Handbook for Obituary Writers before she passed away in 2015.
