MLS’s winningest coach and South Bay soccer fixture Sigi Schmid dies at age 65
Longtime soccer coach Sigi Schmid, who played and coached soccer at Bishop Montgomery and coached the Galaxy on two separate occasions, died Tuesday night.
Schmid, 65, had been hospitalized for a couple of weeks due to an undisclosed condition.
The Schmid family released the following statement:
“On Tuesday, December 25, Sigi Schmid passed away at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles due to a personal health matter. Our family is deeply saddened by his passing and is taking this time to grieve the loss of a tremendous husband, father, leader and mentor….
“We also recognize how much Sigi meant to so many people across the U.S. Soccer landscape and around the world at different levels of the game. That community meant a great deal to him as well, and for that reason, it was important to us that we share the news of his passing. While we mourn his loss, we appreciate privacy during this challenging time and will not be issuing further statements. In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the family asks to please consider a memorial gift to support the men’s soccer program at UCLA, Sigi’s alma mater. Donations in memory of Sigi may be directed to the attention of Emily Lerner of UCLA Athletics at 310-206-3302 or elerner@athletics.ucla.edu.”
Schmid and his wife Valerie had four children (Erik, Lacey, Kurt and Kyle).
All three of the sons played for Jeff Tuttle when Tuttle coached at South Torrance High.
“I really got to know him, he was a really good person,” Tuttle said. “I learned a lot about the game from Sigi and became a better coach after getting to know him and picking his brain. The man loved the game and today is a sad day, not only for the South Bay, but for the world of soccer. He will be truly missed.”
Schmid and Marine Cano were the first soccer coaches for the Bishop Montgomery boys soccer program in 1974.
Schmid, who graduated from Bishop Montgomery in 1971, was inducted into the Bishop Montgomery Athletic Hall of Fame last year.
His coaching career continued at UCLA when he captured three NCAA championships (1985, 1990, 1997) and his success led to him being inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996 and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2015.
After his successful run at UCLA, Schmid became coach of the Galaxy in 1999 and led the club to its first MLS Cup championship in 2002. He remained with the Galaxy until 2004.
After a stint with the U.S. U-20’s, Schmid returned to MLS with the Columbus Crew (2006-08) and the Seattle Sounders (2009-16).
Schmid returned to the Galaxy midway through the 2017 season, replacing Curt Onalfo, and he was eventually replaced by Dominic Kinnear late in the 2018 season.
He’s the all-time leader in career MLS wins in with a combined 266 (regular and postseason). He also won five U.S. Open Cups and he won his second MLS Cup, leading the Sounders to the trophy in 2008.
“Major League Soccer is devastated by the news of the passing of Sigi Schmid,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a social media post. “Sigi’s passion for soccer was unrivaled and he was loved and admired by everyone in MLS.”