Gene Klein (soccer) explained

Gene Klein
Birth Date:8 July 1952
Birth Place:Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in
Position:Goalkeeper
Collegeyears1:?–1974
College1:Pittsburgh Panthers
Years1:–?
Clubs1:Pittsburgh Beadling
Manageryears1:1976
Managerclubs1:Bethel Park High School (assistant)
Manageryears2:1977–1981
Managerclubs2:Carnegie Mellon Tartans
Manageryears3:1981–2005
Managerclubs3:Quaker Valley High School
Manageryears4:1999–?
Managerclubs4:Pittsburgh Riverhounds (assistant)
Manageryears5:2005–2010
Managerclubs5:Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Manageryears6:2010–2015
Managerclubs6:Quaker Valley High School

Gene Klein (1952–2023) was an American soccer coach. He served as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds from 2005 to 2010 and as head coach at Quaker Valley High School from 1981 to 2005 and 2010 to 2015.

Early life

Gene Klein, a native of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, was born on July 8, 1952.[1] [2] In 1970, he graduated from Chartiers Valley High School in Bridgeville.[3] At age 16, his friends convinced him to try out goalkeeping, and he began playing for Pittsburgh Beadling circa 1971. He was with the club for at least six years.

Klein attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he played for the Pittsburgh Panthers men's soccer team. He graduated in 1974 with a degree in history.

Coaching career

Klein was an assistant soccer coach at Bethel Park High School in 1976. Klein was named head coach of the Carnegie Mellon Tartans men's soccer team in September 1977.[4] He remained at Carnegie Mellon for four seasons. He was also named coach of the Carnegie Mellon women's basketball team for the 1980–81 season.[5]

In 1981, he became the head coach of Quaker Valley High School in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania, in the second year of existence for Quaker Valley's soccer program. At the time he was hired, Klein said he had been "disappointed" with the progress of the Carnegie Mellon soccer program, and thus had sought out the Quaker Valley job.[6]

In 1983, Klein and Joe Luxbacher, his former teammate on the Pittsburgh Panthers, co-wrote the book The Soccer Goalkeeper: A Guide for Players and Coaches.[7]

In 1996, his Quaker Valley team went undefeated; this team was inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) Hall of Fame in 2013.

In 1999, Klein was hired as an assistant on the coaching staff of Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the club's inaugural season, while also retaining his position at Quaker Valley.[8] On December 15, 2005, he was named as the Riverhounds head coach, replacing Ricardo Iribarren after the club finished with a 6–11–3 record for the 2005 season. With this head coach appointment, he left his position at Quaker Valley.[9] The Riverhounds replaced Klein with Justin Evans on January 11, 2010. After his three seasons with the Riverhounds (the team was on hiatus in 2007), his win-loss-draw record stood at 19–31–16.[10]

He returned to coaching Quaker Valley High School in 2011. On October 2, 2014, Klein won his 500th game for the school.[11] His coaching tenure at Quaker Valley ended in 2015.[12] At the end of his 29-year career with the school, his win-loss-draw record stood at 505–139–38. He was named to the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2020.[13]

From 2014 to 2019, Klein and coaching colleague Paul Child were the Riverhounds' broadcast commentators. In September 2022, Klein was named to the Riverhounds SC Hall of Fame.[8]

Death

Gene Klein died on July 24, 2023, after a battle with brain cancer. He was 71 years old.[14]

Statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamDatesRecord
Quaker Valley High School1981–2005, 2010–2015
Pittsburgh RiverhoundsDecember 15, 2005 – January 11, 2010
Total

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Klein, Gene . ISNI . 21 December 2022 . en.
  2. News: Local Lines . 21 December 2022 . The Pittsburgh Press . 18 November 1980 . 25 . en.
  3. News: Dangelo . Paul . Quaker Valley coach will be Pa. co-leader in Dapper Dan soccer . 21 December 2022 . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . 21 November 1985 . 48 . en.
  4. News: Klein, Kepple Named Coaches . 20 December 2022 . . 6 September 1977 . 19 . en.
  5. News: Klein gets C-MU basketball post . 21 December 2022 . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . 20 November 1980 . 56 . en.
  6. News: Klein hoping to build Quaker program . 20 December 2022 . . 4 . 49 . 10 September 1981 . 15 . en.
  7. News: Zeff . Joe . Coaches author goaltending book . 20 December 2022 . The Pittsburgh Press . 26 January 1984 . 67 . en.
  8. Web site: Krysinsky . John . Pittsburgh soccer icon Gene Klein to be inducted into Riverhounds SC Hall of Fame . Pittsburgh Soccer Now . 20 December 2022 . en . 2 September 2022.
  9. Web site: Riverhounds hope to get boost from new coach. Dunlap. Colin. May 4, 2006. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 16, 2018.
  10. Web site: Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC . Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 2022 Media Guide . Scribd . 4 Jan 2023 . en . 2022 . 28–29.
  11. Web site: Quaker Valley boys soccer coach Klein wins 500th game. Horvath. Gary. October 8, 2014. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. August 16, 2018.
  12. Web site: Krysinsky . John . PSN 1on1 with Gene Klein . Pittsburgh Soccer Now . 20 December 2022 . en . 6 August 2019.
  13. Web site: Retired QV Teacher and Boys Soccer Coach Named to WPIAL Hall of Fame . Quaker Valley School District . 20 December 2022 . en . 14 April 2020.
  14. Web site: Longtime Riverhounds, Quaker Valley soccer coach Gene Klein dies after battle with brain cancer . Trib Live . Sewickley Herald . 10 August 2023.