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 Milwaukee's Bob Gansler has earned yet another accolade in recognition of his remarkable coaching career.
Gansler will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame this year in the Builder category, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced Tuesday.
He joins former U.S. national team standouts Eddie Pope, Cobi Jones, Earnie Stewart and Bruce Murray in the Hall's Class of 2011.
The Builder category is for individuals in a non-playing capacity who have "demonstrated a major, sustained and positive impact on U.S. soccer on a national or first division professional level for a minimum of 10 years."
Gansler, a native of Hungary who moved to Milwaukee in 1952, certainly meets those standards.
He started the legendary program at Milwaukee Marquette High School in 1973 and coached there until 1976, was the U.S. Under-19 national team coach from 1979 to '82 and led UW-Milwaukee to a 54-39-8 record from 1984 to '88. He moved up to the Under-20 national team in 1987, taking that team to the semifinals of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 1989, and was promoted to coach of the full national team on Jan. 16, 1989.
Gansler led the U.S. to the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the Americans' first berth in the tournament in 40 years, and posted a 14-16-6 mark in his three-year tenure with the national team. He then returned to Wisconsin to take over the Milwaukee Rampage of the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues, leading them to a 44-30 record and the 1997 A-League title in his three years.
In 1999, Gansler took over the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer and is the club's longest-serving manager, recording an 86-85-1 record before resigning under pressure in July 2006. He led the Wizards to all of their trophies: the Supporters Shield (most points in the regular season) and MLS Cup in 2000 and the U.S. Open Cup in 2004.
Gansler then was an assistant for Toronto FC during its expansion 2007 season in MLS. He currently is a staff coach for Elm Grove Soccer Club, a consultant for the Wisconsin Olympic Development Program and U.S. Soccer and a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Academy instructional staff.
This will be the latest enshrinement for Gansler, who also is a member of at least four other Halls of Fame: the Wisconsin Adult Soccer Association Hall of Fame (1987), the United Soccer Leagues Hall of Fame (2002), the U.S. Adult Soccer Association Hall of Fame (2006) and the NSCAA Hall of Fame (2010).
Additionally, he was presented with the Walt Chyzowych Award for achievement and dedication to the growth of soccer in 2000 and the Werner Fricker Award for creating a lasting legacy in the sport in 2008.
Only one person each year is inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in the Builder category. Gansler, 69, was chosen from a group of seven nominees in voting by a committee of select soccer administrators and Hall of Famers, receiving 58.49 percent of the vote – former U.S. women's national team coach Tony DiCicco was second at 56.60 percent. Gansler finished second in the voting last year.
The Class of 2011 induction ceremony likely will be held this summer. Details will be announced at a later date.
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