Sigi Schmid

Lore & Background

Schmid was born in Tübingen, West Germany, and moved to the United States with his family when he was a child. He played college soccer from 1972 to 1975 at UCLA, where he was a starting midfielder. He coached UCLA from 1980 to 1999, leading the Bruins to a record of 322–63–33 and three national championships (1985, 1990, 1997). He also worked with U.S. Soccer throughout the 1990s. Schmid left UCLA to replace Octavio Zambrano as head coach of the LA Galaxy five games into the 1999 MLS season. Under Schmid in the remainder of the season, the team had a record of 17–9, finished with the second-best record in the league and won their conference, earning him the MLS Coach of the Year Award. In 2000, Schmid guided Los Angeles to the playoffs but lost in the semifinals; the team also won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup that year. In 2001, the Galaxy won the U.S. Open Cup. After winning the MLS Cup with Columbus in 2008, Schmid was hired by the expansion Seattle Sounders as their first head coach. From 2009 to 2016, he led the Sounders to seven playoff appearances, four U.S. Open Cup titles, and an MLS Supporters' Shield in 2014. He again coached LA Galaxy from 2017 to 2018, dying later that year.

Reader's Guide

Schmid's defensive tactics were highly regarded in the press and often cited as a factor in his success. However, their deployment in his final two seasons with Los Angeles led directly to the termination of his contract. Throughout his career, Schmid received praise from critics for his ability to identify new talent.

Did You Know?

• Schmid was inducted into the AYSO Hall of Fame in 1996.
• He earned a Bachelor of Economics degree in 1976 and an MBA from the University of Southern California.
• Schmid was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 2004.
• He worked as a Certified Public Accountant between 1978 and 1984.