Thomas Eddy Rongen (born 31 October 1956) is a Dutch-American football coach who has spent the majority of his playing and coaching career in the United States. In December 2016, he was named Chief Scout of the

United States men's national soccer team The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT), officially recognized as USA by FIFA, represents the United States in men's international Association football, soccer. The team is governed by the United States Soccer Federation, which is ...

. Rongen won the

MLS Coach of the Year The Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Award is given by Major League Soccer to the best coach in any given season. The award has been given since the league's inception in 1996 and is determined by a vote from players, club personnel, and members of ...

award in MLS's inaugural season in 1996, leading the Tampa Bay Mutiny to the best regular-season record. His stint managing the American Samoa national team was covered in the 2014 documentary ''Next Goal Wins'', and the 2023 biographical comedy-drama also called ''Next Goal Wins''.

Playing career

Rongen began his playing career with

Amsterdamsche FC Amsterdamsche Football Club, commonly known as AFC is a association football, football club based in Amsterdam. The team compete in the Tweede Divisie, the third level of the Dutch football league system. History 19th century: Foundation AFC ...

, with whom he played as

defensive midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

and defender from 1973 to 1979. In 1979, Rongen moved to the United States, joining the

Los Angeles Aztecs The Los Angeles Aztecs were an American professional soccer team based in Los Angeles, California, that existed from 1974 to 1981. The Aztecs competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1974 North American Soccer League season, 1974 ...

of the

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...

. Rongen spent the entire 1979 season with the Aztecs. He then began the 1980 season in Los Angeles. On 12 July 1980, the Aztecs sold his contract to the

Washington Diplomats The Washington Diplomats were an American soccer club representing Washington, D.C. Throughout their playing existence, the club played their home games at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and indoor home matches at the neighboring D.C. A ...

. The team folded at the end of the season and Rongen moved to the

Fort Lauderdale Strikers Fort Lauderdale Strikers may refer to: *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983), member of North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983 *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994) The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American soccer team establishe ...

where he would remain for the next three seasons. In 1984,

Joe Robbie Joseph Robbie (July 7, 1916 – January 7, 1990) was an American attorney, politician, and the principal founder of the Miami Dolphins. Early life Robbie was raised in Sisseton, South Dakota, the second of five children. His father was a Leban ...

, owner of the Strikers, moved the team to

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

where it was renamed the

Minnesota Strikers The Minnesota Strikers were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the 1984 season and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1984 through 1988. The team was based in Minneapolis/ St. Paul metrop ...

. Rongen moved with the team and spent the 1984 outdoor season there. The league collapsed at the end of the season. The Strikers moved to the Major Indoor Soccer League for the 1984–1985 season. On 22 May 1985, Rongen joined the

South Florida Sun Fort Lauderdale/South Florida Sun was a professional U.S. soccer team which played two seasons in the United Soccer League (1984–85), United Soccer League. Origins In November 1983, The Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983), Fort Lauderdale St ...

of the

United Soccer League The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...

. The league lasted six games, then collapsed. In October 1985, Rongen signed as a free agent with the

Chicago Sting The Chicago Sting (1974–1988) was an American professional soccer team representing Chicago. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League in the 1982–83 season and again from ...

of MISL. At the end of the season, he moved to Florida to coach youth and high school soccer. In 1987, he played for the

Houston Dynamos Houston Dynamos was a U.S. soccer team that existed in various forms from 1984 to 1991. Before its final season in 1991, the team's name was changed to Houston International. History By the winter of 1983/84, the American professional soccer ...

of the

Lone Star Soccer Alliance Lone Star Soccer Alliance was a soccer league that existed from 1987 to 1992. While most of the teams came from Texas, some also came from Oklahoma and Kansas. History First proposed by the Houston Dynamos, on April 18, 1987, the Lone Star S ...

. On 8 January 1988, he became the first player to sign with the

of the newly established American Soccer League. He continued to play for the Strikers until 1993.

Coaching career

Rongen began his coaching career as an assistant with the Pope John Paul II High School boys' team in 1984. On 27 June 1986, he was named as head coach. During his tenure coaching PJPII, he took the team to a 32–6–5 record and he was a two time ''Sun-Sentinel'' Coach of the Year. He resigned from his position on 16 May 1988. He also coached with the Plantation Eagles Soccer Club. This led to his selection as coach of the Florida U-23 soccer team which defeated the

United States national team The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...

with goals from

Zen Luzniak Zenon "Zen" Luzniak is a U.S. soccer defender (football), defender who spent three seasons in the American Professional Soccer League and two in the USISL. He also played in Europe for two seasons. He also earned one cap (sports), cap with the U ...

and

Henry Gutierrez Hendrig "Henry" Gutierrez (born August 28, 1968, in Hoboken, New Jersey and raised in Miami) is an American former soccer player who began his career in the lower French divisions before finishing it in the United States. He was a member of the ...

in an 8 March 1987 scrimmage. Rongen also served as an assistant with the

Nova Southeastern University Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a Private university, private research university in Florida with its main campus in Fort Lauderdale-Davie, Florida, Davie, Florida, United States. The university consists of 14 colleges, offering over ...

men's soccer team. In August 1988, he was hired to coach the

South Plantation High School South Plantation High School is a four-year public high school located in the city of Plantation, Florida in the United States. SPHS is part of the Broward County Public Schools school district, which is the sixth-largest district in the nation ...

boys' team. On 8 February 1989, he replaced

Wim Suurbier Wilhelmus Lourens Johannes Suurbier (; 16 January 1945 – 12 July 2020) was a Dutch professional footballer and among others assistant coach of the Albania national team. He played as a right back and was part of the Netherlands national team ...

as head coach of the Strikers. He took the Strikers to the 1989 ASL title and then skippered the team to a victory over the San Diego Nomads in the national championship game. He was the 1990 APSL Coach of the Year. In August 1994, he resigned as head coach. In November 1990, he replaced Hal Henderson as head coach of

. He coached the team for five seasons, compiling a 50–35–8 record.

Major League Soccer

Tampa Bay Mutiny

Rongen was one of the inaugural coaches in MLS, coaching the

Tampa Bay Mutiny The Tampa Bay Mutiny were an American professional soccer team based in Tampa, Florida. The club competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The Mutiny were a charter member of MLS, playing from 1996 to 2001. Th ...

in their first season in 1996, with whom he won the MLS regular season (and what would retrospectively become the

Supporters' Shield The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system. The Supporters' Shield has been annually awarded at the MLS Supporters' Summit since 199 ...

), and also won

MLS Coach of the Year Award The Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Award is given by Major League Soccer to the best manager (association football), coach in any given season. The award has been given since the league's inception in 1996 and is determined by a vote from players, ...

New England Revolution

On November 5, 1996 the

New England Revolution The New England Revolution are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the Greater Boston area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. It is on ...

traded their first-round pick in the

1997 MLS College Draft The 1997 Major League Soccer MLS College Draft, College Draft was held on February 1 and 2, 1997 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The draft took place in conjunction with the Umbro Select College All-Star Classic. The first round of the draft took pla ...

to the Tampa Bay Mutiny in exchange for the right to hire Rongen as their new head coach. Rongen coached the Revolution to their first-ever playoff appearance in the

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

season, but was unable to replicate the success he had in Tampa Bay. When asked about his struggles in New England, Rongen referenced "cancers" in the locker room that undermined team performance in 1998, and stated "a lot of things happened behind the scenes that I didn't know about until it was too late," adding that "there were different factions where players didn't know who to trust anymore. Ultimately Rongen announced his resignation on August 24, 1998, following an 8-18 campaign in his second and final year in New England. In 58 matches in charge, Rongen led the Revolution to a 23-35 record.

D.C. United

Following his two year stint with the Revolution, Rongen succeeded

Bruce Arena Bruce Arena (born September 21, 1951) is an American soccer coach who currently serves as the head coach and sporting director of the San Jose Earthquakes. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the NJCAA Lacrosse Hall of Fame. ...

as the head coach of

D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Supp ...

, which he led to the

and

MLS Cup MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Playoffs. The game is held in November or December and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Confere ...

titles in

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

. He was a finalist for 1999 MLS Coach of the Year, but lost out to

Sigi Schmid Siegfried "Sigi" Schmid (; March 20, 1953 – December 25, 2018) was a German soccer coach. Born in Tübingen, West Germany, he moved to the United States with his family when he was a child. He played college soccer from 1972 to 1975 at the U ...

. Rongen's D.C. United missed the playoffs in both

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

and

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, and he lost his job with United in 2001, and was replaced with

Ray Hudson Raymond Wilfred Hudson (born 24 March 1955) is an English former professional football player and manager who currently works as a radio host for SiriusXM FC 157. He started playing professionally at 17, in 1973, with Newcastle United. Fans nic ...

National teams

Upon leaving United, Rongen was appointed head coach of the United States men's U20 national team, which he coached from 2001 to his appointment as head coach of

Chivas USA Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The club competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conf ...

for the team's inaugural season in 2005. However, ten games into the season, with the team's record standing at one win, one tie, and eight losses, he was let go of his head coaching duties. Rongen was appointed head coach of the United States men's U20 national team again in 2006 and led the team to the

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

and

2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup The 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the 17th edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which was hosted by Egypt from 24 September to 16 October 2009. The tournament was initially going to take place between 10 and 31 July. However, the 2009 FIFA Confede ...

s. He was fired from that position in May 2011 after the team failed to qualify for the 2011 U-20 World Cup.

American Samoa rebirth

In 2011, Rongen became the head coach of

American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...

. With Rongen at the helm, and after three weeks training them both physically and inspirationally, American Samoa registered its second ever victory on 22 November 2011, against

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

, in the 2014 World Cup qualification. Under Rongen, American Samoa reached 173rd in the

FIFA World Rankings The FIFA Men's World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, first introduced in December 1992. The men's teams of the member nations of FIFA, football's world governing body, are ranked based on their gam ...

. His work with the American Samoa team is at the center of the 2014 British documentary, '' Next Goal Wins'' and the

Taika Waititi Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. Known for quirky comedy films and expanding his career as a voice actor and producer on numerous projects, he ...

directed film of the same name, starring

Michael Fassbender Michael Fassbender (; born 2 April 1977) is a German-Irish actor. His accolades include nominations for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, he was listed at number nine on ''The Irish Ti ...

as Rongen.

MLS and NASL

Rongen became director of

TFC Academy Toronto FC Academy, also known as TFC Academy, is the Youth system, youth academy and development system of Canadian Major League Soccer club Toronto FC, which competes in MLS Next. The academy has divisions from U14 to U19 and includes over 110 ...

prior to the 2012 season, joining countrymen

Aron Winter Aron Mohammed Winter (born 1 March 1967) is a Dutch football manager and former player who most recently managed Suriname. A midfielder, he played for Ajax and Sparta Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and for Italian sides Lazio and Inter Milan. Born ...

and Bob de Klerk at

Toronto FC Toronto Football Club is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matc ...

. He was named head coach of the

Tampa Bay Rowdies The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tie ...

in December 2014. Rongen was fired along with General Manager and President,

Farrukh Quraishi Farrukh Quraishi (, born November 13, 1951) is an Iranian retired footballer. He spent six seasons in the North American Soccer League playing for the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Calgary Boomers. Since retiring from playing, he has held numerous execu ...

on 21 August 2015. In late 2016, Rongen was hired by

as the head international scout for the

program.

Commentator jobs

Currently he is a

sports commentator In Broadcasting of sports events, sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as a sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real time (media), real-time live commentary of a game or event, traditionally delivered in the present t ...

for

CBS Sports CBS Sports is the American sports programming division of Paramount Global that is responsible for sports broadcasts carried by its broadcast network CBS and streaming service Paramount+, as well as the operator of its cable channel CBS Sports N ...

and

beIN Sports beIN Sports ( ) is a Qatari multinational network of sports channels owned and operated by the media group beIN. The network has played a major role in the increased commercialization of Qatari sports. Its chairman is Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and its ...

Personal life

Rongen married Gail Megaloudis in 1996. He is stepfather to Gail's children with Nicky Megaloudis, Nicole and Chris. In 2004, Nicole died in a single car accident on I-64 West in

Goochland County, Virginia Goochland County is a county located in the Piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its southern border is formed by the James River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,727. Its county seat is Goochland. Goochland County is inclu ...

, aged 19. Rongen wore his stepdaughter's baseball cap during American Samoa's win over Tonga, as shown in '' Next Goal Wins''.

Honours

Fort Lauderdale Strikers * American Soccer League:

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

Tampa Bay Mutiny *

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

D.C. United *

*Supporters' Shield:

United States U20 *

CONCACAF Under-20 Championship The CONCACAF Under-20 Championship is the second longest running international association football event in the North America, Central America and the Caribbean region, CONCACAF, and is the qualification tournament for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Th ...

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

Individual *

American Professional Soccer League The American Professional Soccer League (APSL) was a professional men's soccer league with teams from the United States and later Canada. It was formed in 1990 by the merger of the third American Soccer League with the Western Soccer League. ...

Coach of the Year:

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

References

External links

NASL/MISL stats
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rongen, Thomas 1956 births Living people Footballers from Amsterdam Dutch men's footballers Dutch football managers American men's soccer players American soccer coaches Dutch emigrants to the United States American Professional Soccer League coaches American Professional Soccer League players American Soccer League (1988–89) coaches American Soccer League (1988–89) players Chicago Sting (MISL) players Chivas USA head coaches D.C. United head coaches Dutch expatriate football managers Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Expatriate soccer coaches in the United States Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994) players Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983) players Fort Lauderdale Sun players Houston Dynamos players Lone Star Soccer Alliance players Los Angeles Aztecs players Major League Soccer head coaches Major League Soccer executives Minnesota Strikers (NASL) players New England Revolution head coaches North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players Tampa Bay Mutiny head coaches Tampa Bay Rowdies coaches United Soccer League (1984–85) players Washington Diplomats (NASL) players Expatriate soccer managers in American Samoa American Samoa national football team managers North American Soccer League (2011–2017) coaches Minnesota Strikers (MISL) players Men's association football defenders Men's association football midfielders Dutch expatriates in American Samoa United States men's national under-20 soccer team managers High school soccer coaches in the United States 20th-century American sportsmen 20th-century Dutch sportsmen

Playing career

Coaching career

Major League Soccer

Tampa Bay Mutiny

New England Revolution

D.C. United

National teams

American Samoa rebirth

MLS and NASL

Commentator jobs

Personal life

Honours

See also

References

External links