Tony DiCicco, Head Coach
Former U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Tony DiCicco is one of the most recognizable names in women’s soccer. DiCicco guided the USA to the 1996 Olympic Gold Medal and the historic 1999 World Cup championship, while accumulating a record of 103-8-8 – making him the all-time wins leader in U.S. National Team Soccer history.
For six years DiCicco was the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team. His 1999 Women’s World Cup squad 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. 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.
After the World Cup triumph, 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. Most recently, DiCicco served as head coach of the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team, guiding the Americans to the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup championship in Chile.
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 at the 7th FIFA World Youth Championship in Australia.
A 1970 graduate of Springfield College (Mass.), 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.
DiCicco, who was appointed as a member of the FIFA Panel of Instructors and Lecturers for Coaching visited Santiago, Chile to help promote the FIFA U-20 Women’s Championship. 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 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 served as an assistant coach for 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 and 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cups he worked on the TV crew for ESPN and at the 2000 Olympics DiCicco was an analyst for NBC. DiCicco has also recently started SoccerPlus Education Center, a non-profit company that provides seminars, leadership and outreach programs for young
student athletes.
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.
Katie Shields, Assistant Coach
Katie Shields was added to the Boston Breakers staff as an assistant coach for the 2009 season. Shields will continue to serve in her current positions with both the assistant women’s soccer coach for Harvard University, and as Assistant Director of the SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School.
Shields was a standout goalkeeper for Harvard, garnering All-Ivy League accolades all four years, in addition to NSCAA First-Team All-Northeast Region honors in 2005 after recording a school-record 11 shutouts. She finished her career ranked second all-time at Harvard in minutes played (4,145), third in total saves (272) and fifth in save percentage (.863). She led the Crimson to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004, and her .908 save percentage in 2005 is the 10th-best single-season performance in NCAA history.
After graduation, Shields held assistant coaching positions at Arizona State and UC Irvine before rejoining her alma mater as goalkeeping coach in 2007. During her first season, Shields helped coach Crimson goalkeeper Lauren Mann to Second-Team All-Ivy League honors. She continued her coaching success this past year, helping the Crimson to a 10-3-5 record, an Ivy League title and a berth in the NCAA tournament.