CHICAGO (March 26, 2014) – U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Tom Sermanni has named Omid Namazi as a full-time assistant coach to his staff.
“Omid brings significant experience in women’s and men’s soccer, at both club level and internationally,” said Sermanni. “He brings a fresh perspective but with a high degree of knowledge on the players and the women’s game. We’re on the same page philosophically on how we want the team to play and he’ll be a valuable asset to our program moving forward.”
Namazi, who holds a U.S. Soccer “A” coaching license, comes to the WNT from his position as an assistant coach for the Iran Men’s National Team.
Namazi served as an assistant coach for Iran from 2011-2014 and helped the team qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil by winning Group A in the Asian Qualifying Tournament ahead of the Korea Republic. Namazi was coaching in Iran as an assistant for Premier League club Steel Azin when he was tabbed to join the U.S. Women’s National Team staff.
Namazi has had an long coaching career in both men’s and women’s soccer, and was head coach of the San Diego Spirit of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) in 2003, leading the team to its first and only playoff berth, as well as the Chicago Red Stars in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), taking over the team mid-season in early June of 2010 after the former head coach was let go.
“It’s a new challenge and an exciting one,” said Namazi. “It’s a great time for women’s soccer in the United States with the NWSL starting its second season, our Youth National Teams getting more and more support from U.S. Soccer and with the 2015 Women’s World Cup on the horizon. I’m sincerely enjoying working with some of the best players in the world and helping work to bring the team to an even higher level.”
After a successful college career at West Virginia, Namazi played 18 years of professional soccer for various indoor and outdoor clubs and was the MISL Defender of the Year for the Philadelphia KiXX in 2001. Namazi turned professional in 1988 with the Washington Diplomats of the American Soccer League.
Namazi, who has a bachelor’s degree in exercise philosophy from WVU, played for the U.S. National Futsal Team in 2002-2003, earning five caps while scoring two goals. He resides in Sewell, N.J. with his wife and two young sons.
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Former Iran assistant Namazi joins Sermanni’s staff
by Paul Kennedy, March 26th, 2014
Iranian-American Omid Namazi, who recently left Iran’s World Cup staff in part because he had not been paid in five months, has joined U.S. women’s national team head coach Tom Sermanni’s staff as a full-time assistant coach.
Namazi, who U.S. pro career included stints at 15 indoor and outdoor clubs, has coached two women’s pro teams: the San Diego Spirit of the Women’s United Soccer Association in 2003 and Chicago Red Stars in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) in 2010.
“It’s a new challenge and an exciting one,” said Namazi. “It’s a great time for women’s soccer in the United States with the NWSL starting its second season, our youth national teams getting more and more support from U.S. Soccer and with the 2015 Women’s World Cup on the horizon. I’m sincerely enjoying working with some of the best players in the world and helping work to bring the team to an even higher level.”
The Utah-born Namazi was coaching Steel Azin in Iran when he joined Carlos Queiroz’s coaching staff. Another American, Dan Gaspar, was also part of the staff that led Iran to the group title in Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Gaspar remains with the squad that has struggled to get funding because of the impact of international sanctions, but Namazi told the New York Times he had not been paid in five months.
Namazi’s one game in MLS came in 1996 for the MetroStars when Queiroz was their coach.