Bob Guelker
Personal information
Full name	Robert Guelker
Date of birth	June 26, 1923(1923-06-26)
Place of birth	St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Date of death	February 22, 1986 (aged 62)
Place of death	United States
Playing position	Defender
Teams managed
1959-1966 1967-1985	St. Louis Preparatory Seminary St. Louis University Southern Illinois Edwardsville
* Appearances (Goals)

Bob Guelker (born June 26, 1923 in St. Louis, Missouri; died February 22, 1986) is a deceased U.S. soccer coach and administrator. He coached 24 years at the collegiate level, winning seven national championships. He also coached the U.S. teams at both the 1971 Pan American Games and the 1972 Summer Olympics. He was president of the United States Soccer Football Association from 1967 to 1969 and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Contents 1 Coach 2 Executive 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Coach

Guelker grew up in St. Louis, attending St. Louis University. He went on to coach soccer at St. Louis Preparatory Seminary. In 1958, he approached SLU regarding establishing a men’s soccer team. The university agreed and Guelker, working on a shoestring budget of $200 played five club (4-1 record) games that season. In 1959, the school took the sport to the intercollegiate level. The move paid off as the Billikens won the 1959 NCAA Division I championship.^[1] Guelker continued to coach St. Louis through the 1965 season, taking the team to a 95-10-5 record and winning five championships (1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965). The Billikens also finished runner-ups in 1961.^[2] He was inducted into the St. Louis University Hall of Fame in 1979.^[3] On September 30, 2009, Guelker was named to SLU's Half-Century Team.

In 1966, he left SLU and moved to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to become head soccer coach. He also served as athletic director. In 1972, the NCAA established Division II soccer. Guelker’s team won the first NCAA Division II championship. In 1973, he was selected as the NSCAA Coach of the Year.^[4] Guelker won one last championship in 1979. SIUE had returned to Division I competition and took the title 3-2 over Clemson. When Guelker retired from coaching after the 1985 season, he had compiled a 216-67-21 record with SIUE. At some point, he had also served as the school’s Director of Athletics.^[5] In 2005, SIUE inducted Guelker into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame.^[6]

In 1971, Guelker coached the U.S. soccer team at the 1971 Pan American Games, following that a year later when he coached the U.S. at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He also coached the U.S. U-19 national team.

[edit] Executive

In addition to coaching, Guelker held various executive positions at the local and national levels. In 1946, he became the Executive Secretary for the Catholic Youth Council, Archdiocese of St. Louis, a position he held until 1969. .^[7] He was the president of the United States Soccer Football Association from 1967 to 1969. He was also the Chair of the National Junior Cup Competition Committee, USSF Olympic Development Committee, Missouri Soccer Federation, and Missouri Senior Soccer Association.

The Catholic Youth Council of St. Louis holds an annual “Bob Guelker Soccer Tournament” in his honor.^[8] He inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1980 and the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame in 1986 and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s Hall of Fame in 1993.^[9][10][11]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• National Soccer Hall of Fame