Sporting Kansas City continues to mourn the passing of Ron Newman, the club's first head coach who died Monday at age 84 in Tampa, Florida.
In the space below, four former Kansas City players reflect on Newman's life and legacy as a free-spirited soccer pioneer who played an integral role in advancing the game during Major League Soccer's early years.
Sean Bowers (1996-99), Jake Dancy (1997-99), Diego Gutierrez (1996-97) and Digital Takawira (1996-99) all played under Newman during his stint as Kansas City's first head coach from 1996-1999. Collectively they remember Newman as a vibrant personality whose enthusiasm for the game was unmatched.
Sean Bowers
“For everything that he accomplished, he was still very genuine. This was someone who had a big impact on soccer in America, indoor and outdoor. With all of the championships he won, he could have been someone with a totally different type of personality. But he never mentioned his personal success; he never gloated; he was never conceited."
“I’ve known Ron since I was 10 years old, when I was playing at soccer camps with the San Diego Sockers. Over the years I’ve seen first-hand how he coaches and runs an organization. He was truly a player’s coach. If you looked up ‘player’s coach’ in the dictionary, there would be a picture of Ron Newman.”
“He was very open to listening and entertaining new ideas. He was not stuck in his age. In this day and age, that happens a lot. Ron evolved every year with different players and different coaching staffs. He was very relaxed, very funny, but at the same time very competitive. He always wanted to have fun, but you also saw the competitive side with all the championships he won.”
“When I was playing for the Kansas City Wiz, we had an away game against the Tampa Bay Mutiny. The game was honoring [Tampa Bay midfielder] Carlos Valderrama, and all the players were asked to put on wigs that looked like Valderrama’s hair. Most coaches would have scoffed at something like this. Ron absolutely loved it and had so much energy about it.”
“Over the last few days, looking at how many lives he has touched has really made me appreciate him even more. I know what he has done in our community in San Diego, but to see all the lives he has touched is remarkable. That’s the legend and legacy of Ron. Nothing else supersedes that. He has laid the groundwork for so many others in this sport.”
Jake Dancy
“Ron was actually in the van that picked me up from the airport in Kansas City when I first got there in 1997. He and I stayed in touch over the years because of mutual respect and a lot of my admiration for him as a coach and a human being. His track record and pedigree was obviously tremendous, but if you really knew him, you knew he was a down to earth guy who loved the game and loved the fans.”
“I remember how he always used to call us his lovelies. That’s how he addressed us as a group at training and before games. But that was coming from the heart, him calling us his lovelies. That’s how much he actually cared for us not only as players, but as individuals.”
“Ron was adamant about doing a lap of appreciation around the stadiums with the fans after each game. He carried that tradition through to MLS and always reminded us to show appreciation to the fans. This was a mandatory thing every time. He was huge into doing that, and that’s why he endeared so many fans. He gave that mutual respect.”
“He wore his heart on his sleeve. He was a guy you never had trouble approaching, and you knew he trusted you. He believed in your ability and allowed you to do what you did best on the field. He’ll be remembered as a passionate champion and a pioneer of the game.”
Diego Gutierrez
“He wasn’t Wayne Rooney, he wasn’t David Beckham. But I would argue that Ron paved roads that neither one of those guys ever have. Ron was a constant figure in American soccer for many, many decades at a time when it wasn’t popular. This was a time where you really had to start from the grassroots. When I talk to players today, they don’t know what it was like in my days in the 1990s, let alone Ron’s days in the 1960s and 1970s. It was a completely different approach to selling the game, and his colorful personality, palpable love for the sport and ability to entertain won’t be forgotten.”
“When I first got drafted by Kansas City, I had done my research about who the coach was going to be. What I learned was that Ron, like myself, had moved from another country at a young age to pursue a new path in America. I don’t think anybody knew what that journey was going to be like or how much it was going to mean to them. Being one of the fortunate ones to have played under him, I respected that. Before I even met him, I admired the fact that he was willing to get out of his comfort zone and become a pioneer for the sport in the United States.”
“There were a ton of different English sayings and expressions he would use. One time he told me, ‘Diego, if you do that again, I’ll tear your arm off and hit you with the soppy end.’ He had all kinds of one-liners and English humor. He was also an absolute showman on the sidelines. He knew when he was on camera and he knew how to entertain.”
“He wasn’t a coach that dove so much into the tactics of the game, but he knew his players. He knew talent, and he knew who played well next to whom. He was able to put together some really good teams. I remember the Kansas City team in 1996, and when you talk about some of the talent that we had on the field, it was pretty impressive. He hadn’t known a lot of us going into that season, but he put me with some players and helped me maximize what I was about.”
Digital Takawira
“I’ve played under a lot of different coaches, and Ron Newman is one of the outstanding coaches that I’ve played for. He identified your strengths and weaknesses and played you to your strengths. He was just phenomenal when it came to that. I appreciate him so much.”
“Ron Newman wasn’t just a coach. He was a man who was going to give you advice in life. He told me the best ways to live life: take care of your family, be responsible and enjoy every day you have. He was a coach who taught you how to be a man.”
“He was always exciting to be around and always making jokes. He would just brighten up the locker room with what he said. But he also found a way to make the team come together and be ready for every game.”
“As a coach, he was very good at identifying talent and getting the most out of it. When it was time to play in games, he never cared much about the other team. He always cared about bringing the best out of his own players, and he never put us under pressure. He made it easy for us to go out and express ourselves.”
“He always tried to advertise the game, even when it wasn’t popular. We had challenges early in MLS, but he always made sure that we were advertising and advancing the game as much as possible.”
