1. Omid Namazi is an Iranian-American former professional soccer player and coach.
31 Facts About Omid Namazi
1. 2.
Omid Namazi is a two-time Coach of the Year in the Major Indoor Soccer League and coached in the Women's United Soccer Association.
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Omid Namazi was born in Provo, Utah, when his father, Mehdi Omid Namazi, was attending Brigham Young University to study for a master's degree.
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The family returned to Iran where Omid Namazi grew up in Tehran.
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Omid Namazi attended West Virginia University where he played on the men's soccer team from 1984 to 1987.
6.
Omid Namazi graduated with a bachelor's degree in exercise philosophy.
7.
In 1988, Omid Namazi turned professional with the Washington Diplomats of the American Soccer League.
8.
Omid Namazi played the 1991 season in Maryland before moving to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers for the 1992 season.
9.
Omid Namazi played with the MetroStars of Major League Soccer on loan from the Spirit on July 4,1996.
10.
Omid Namazi was the 2001 NPSL Defender of the Year and won the 2002 MISL championship with the KiXX.
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In 2002 and 2003, Omid Namazi played for the United States national futsal team.
12.
Omid Namazi, on injured reserve after knee surgery, served as interim head coach.
13.
Omid Namazi's success led to a permanent contract in July 1999.
14.
In 2001, Omid Namazi took the KiXX to the MISL championship series where the team fell to the Milwaukee Wave.
15.
Omid Namazi took the Spirit to the semifinals of the WUSA playoffs, the only season the Spirit made the playoffs.
16.
The WUSA collapsed at the end of the season and Omid Namazi returned to playing for the Cleveland Force in October 2003.
17.
Omid Namazi took the Force to the 2005 MISL championship series, losing to the Milwaukee Wave.
18.
On September 21,2005, Omid Namazi became the head coach of the St Louis Steamers.
19.
Omid Namazi took the Steamers to the championship series where they lost to the Baltimore Spirit.
20.
The Steamers folded during the off-season and Omid Namazi moved to California to coach youth soccer for a year.
21.
Omid Namazi returned to coaching indoor soccer in September 2007 with the New Jersey Ironmen.
22.
On June 3,2010, Omid Namazi was named head coach of the Chicago Red Stars in the Women's Professional Soccer, replacing Emma Hayes.
23.
In December 2010, Omid Namazi was named as an assistant coach to the Iran Pro League club Steel Azin FC On April 28,2011, he became assistant coach of the Iranian national team alongside Carlos Queiroz and goalkeeping coach Dan Gaspar.
24.
On March 26,2014, Omid Namazi became the assistant coach of the United States women's national soccer team.
25.
In January 2016, Omid Namazi was appointed as the new head coach for the United States men's national under-18 soccer team.
26.
Omid Namazi won the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship as assistant coach of the US team with Tab Ramos and Brad Friedel.
27.
In May 2018, Omid Namazi became head coach of Persian Gulf Pro League side Zob Ahan with signing a one-year deal.
28.
Omid Namazi then joined the technical staff of the United States U20 national team under manager Tab Ramos.
29.
Omid Namazi was responsible for all scouting in North America.
30.
However, Omid Namazi expressed regret two weeks later and announced that he would not continue with the Danish club and would move back to the United States.
31.
On September 2,2022, Omid Namazi joined Hartford Athletic of the USL Championship as an assistant coach and director of scouting.