Klaas de Boer (born 6 January 1942,
Kollum) is a retired U.S.
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player and coach. He played professionally in the
American Soccer League and was the 1977
NSCAA Coach of the Year and 1985
American Indoor Soccer Association Coach of the Year. He coached his teams to two league titles, the 1985 and 1986 AISA championships.
Player
The son of Elisabeth Schaap and Lammert de Boer, a baker in Kollum,
Friesland, De Boer immigrated with his family to the United States in 1956. De Boer attended
Holland Christian High School in
Holland, Michigan before entering
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...
. He played soccer in both high school and college. In 1973, he signed with the
Cleveland Stars in the
American Soccer League. At the end of the season, the Stars came under new ownership who changed the team name to the Cleveland Cobras. He played one more season in Cleveland.
Coach
Even while playing professionally, De Boer was coaching at the collegiate level. He was hired by
Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in operation since 1923. ...
in 1972 as head soccer coach. Over six season, he compiled a 55–25–3 record and was named the 1977 NSCAA Coach of the Year. He then served as an assistant coach with the
Los Angeles Aztecs and
Detroit Express of the
North American Soccer League. In 1979, he was hired as an assistant coach by the expansion
Detroit Lightning of the
Major Indoor Soccer League. In 1984, he became a head coach with the
Canton Invaders of the newly established
American Indoor Soccer Association. He took the Invaders to the league championship, winning Coach of the Year honors. In his two season in Canton, he compiled a 50–32–18 (.640) record and won two championships. His win percentage is the highest in U.S. indoor soccer history. Today he runs the Dutch Masters Soccer School in his hometown of
Holland, MichiganDutch Masters
/ref>
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:de Boer, Klaas
1942 births
Living people
American Indoor Soccer Association coaches
American soccer coaches
American soccer players
American Soccer League (1933–1983) players
Cleveland Cobras players
Cleveland State Vikings men's soccer coaches
Cleveland State Vikings men's soccer players
Boer, Klaas de
Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) coaches
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) coaches
Boer, Klaas de
People from Holland, Michigan
Boer, Klaas de
Boer, Klaas de
Association footballers not categorized by position
Footballers from Friesland