Tony DiCicco, Head Coach
Born: Aug. 5, 1948, in Wethersfield, Connecticut.
Hometown: Wethersfield, Connecticut.
College: Received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Springfield College in Massachusetts, 1970 and a master’s degree in physical education from Central Connecticut State University, 1978.
Family: DiCicco and his wife, Diane, have four sons: Anthony, Andrew, Alex, and Nicholas.
Former U.S. national team head coach Tony DiCicco served as the WUSA’s COO in 2001 and its Commissioner in 2002 and 2003 and the Chairman of the Re-launch committee in 2004.
For six years DiCicco was the head coach of the United States Women's National Team, accumulating an amazing record of 103-8-8, making him the all-time wins leader in U.S. National Team Soccer history. DiCicco was the head coach of the 1999 Women's World Cup squad that changed the face of women's athletics forever, winning the championship over China in front of the largest crowd in women’s sports history (90,185 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on July 10, 1999) and a worldwide television audience. In 1996, he led the U.S. team to the first-ever gold medal in Olympic women's soccer. He also guided the U.S. team to a third-place finish at the second FIFA Women's World Cup in Sweden in June of 1995 and championships at U.S. Women's Cups in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. DiCicco and the USA Women’s National Team also won the Goodwill Games Gold Medal in 1998. The 1996 Olympic Gold Medal team has recently been inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
Before becoming the head coach of the U.S. national team, DiCicco had served as the squad’s assistant coach since 1991, working with the goalkeepers during the USA’s triumph at the first FIFA Women’s World Cup in China in 1991. He also served as the goalkeeper and assistant coach for the 1993 Under-20 Men’s National Team when it finished in eighth place at the 7th FIFA World Youth Championship in Australia.
A 1970 graduate of Springfield College in Massachusetts, DiCicco majored in physical education. A goalkeeper, he was the captain and most valuable player his senior year, earning All-America honors.
DiCicco played five years of professional soccer in the American Soccer League with the Connecticut Wildcats and Rhode Island Oceaneers, where he was team MVP and captain. In 1973, DiCicco toured and played for the U.S. National Team.
In 1981, DiCicco founded SoccerPlus Goalkeeper Schools, which has grown to over 20 camps nationwide, and started the SoccerPlus FieldPlayer Academies in the summer of 1998. He has served as the goalkeeper specialist for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and has conducted both U.S. Soccer and NSCAA national licensing camps. He holds both the U.S. Soccer “A” license and the NSCAA Premier Diploma.
DiCicco founded the FSASoccerPlus Football Club in 2003 and serves as the club’s Technical Director. He is also coach of the U12 girls; the U17 boys and SoccerPlus CT Reds of the WPSL (Women’s Premier Soccer League). The Reds are currently in the national final four for the prestigious US Womens’ Open Cup.
DiCicco is the Technical Director to adidas ESP, a program that this summer brought in the top 100 female players with 2009 graduation dates for a unique learning an competition experience.
DiCicco, who was appointed as a member of the FIFA Panel of Instructors and Lecturers for Coaching visited Santiago, Chile earlier this summer to help promote the FIFA U20 Women’s Championship to be held in Chile in 2008. He has authored three soccer DVD series, Goalkeeping, the DiCicco Method; The 3 front System 4-3-3; and Champions Soccer Series featuring Brandi Chastain and has completed a book, along with Dr. Colleen Hacker entitled “Catch them Being Good”.
DiCicco, 57, started soccer programs at Bellows Falls Middle School in Bellow Falls, Vt., and South Catholic High School in Hartford, Conn. He also coached the Hartford Hellenic and the Hartford Italian Stars of the Connecticut Senior League and coached intercollegiate men’s programs at Central Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford. He is a 1966 graduate of Wethersfield High School in Connecticut, where he lettered in soccer, baseball and basketball.
During the 2003 Women’s World Cup he worked on the TV crew for ESPN and at the 2000 Olympics DiCicco was an analyst for NBC. This fall he joined ESPN and their coverage of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China.
DiCicco has also recently started SoccerPlus Education Center, a non-profit company that provides seminars for young student athletes. Seminars range from “Life Skills…balancing a checkbook, managing a credit card, establishing credit” to “Adolescent Development…an Emphasis on Teen Depression” to “Leadership and Sustaining Excellence.”
Lisa Cole, Assistant Coach
Lisa Cole brings over a decade of coaching experience at both the collegiate and semi-professional level, along with experience in soccer operations and management to the Boston Breakers. Currently, she is the President and Assistant Coach of SoccerPlus Connecticut Reds, a Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) team coached by DiCicco. The team played its inaugural season in 2007, capped with a USASA U-23 National Title, a USASA Bronze in the Open Cup, and a WPSL playoff run. In addition, Cole is the Director for the SoccerPlus Education Center, a non-profit organization that provides and participates in educational programs, seminars, community outreach events and individual mentoring on and off the soccer field.
Cole’s collegiate coaching experience includes a year at Florida State, where she served as Assistant Coach under renowned Head Coach Mark Krikorian in 2005. Prior to that, she served as Head Coach of the University of Rhode Island (2003 and 2004), where she compiled a 19-18-4 record and a 13-6-3 record in Atlantic 10 play.
Before taking over the Rhode Island program, Cole spent three seasons (’00-’03) as an assistant at one of the most successful college soccer programs in America while working at the University of Connecticut under Head Coach Len Tsantiris. During her tenure, UConn made two appearances in the Elite Eight and one trip to the Sweet 16. Notably, Cole also developed walk-on goalkeeper Maria Yatrakis, who played for the Greek National Team in the Olympics and won 2002 BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year honors. Prior to UConn, Cole served as an assistant at Mississippi from 1997-2000 where she helped guide Ole Miss to its first-ever SEC Western Division Title and SEC Tournament final in 1999.
Cole is a member of the Region I Olympic Development Program (ODP) staff, a staff coach with the NSCAA, and a member of the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association Coaches Education Staff. Throughout her career she has also worked with the Washington, Mississippi, Rhode Island and Connecticut state ODP programs. She holds her USSF “A” License and her NSCAA Premier Diploma. As a college player, she had a stellar career in net at Pacific Lutheran, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1997.
