Chicago –Longtime coach and administrator at the University of New Haven, Dr. Joe Machnik was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2017 as announced by the organization on Thursday.
Throughout his career, Machnik has been involved in soccer in the United States in almost every way; as a player, coach, referee, instructor, match commissioner and most recently as a broadcaster for FOX Sports. At the University of New Haven, Machnik, a member of the New Haven Athletics Hall of Fame, spent 11 years at the helm of the men's soccer program, served as the Director of Athletics and later was the head coach for the first ever women's soccer team in program history, leading the team for the first four seasons.
As head coach of the men's soccer program, Machnik posted an impressive 110-55-21 record from 1969-79, which remains the most wins by a New Haven men's or women's soccer coach. He led the Chargers to the 1976 NCAA Championship game and to the Final Four in 1977.
In 1974, Machnik became the University of New Haven's interim Director of Athletics and was later elevated to the second full-time director in school history in 1975. He would later return to the University in 1996 to lead the women's soccer team, compiling an overall record of 39-26-3, leading the Chargers to the ECAC Tournament in his final campaign in 1996.
Nationally, Machnik served as the Commissioner of the American Indoor Soccer Association from 1986-88 after holding the Director of Operations and Referee in Chief positions for the association in 1985 and 1986.
Machnik also spent time in the Major Indoor Soccer League as a head coach and vice president of player personnel for the New York Arrows in 1983-84. He also held administrative positions in the MISL as director of operations (1980-83) and referee in chief (1978-83).
He was also very active in the United States Soccer Federation, serving as an assistant coach for the U.S. Five-A-Side Team which won the bronze medal in 1989. From there, he stayed with the USSF as an assistant coach for the first ever U.S. World Cup Team in 1990, working primarily with the goalkeepers.
Prior to all of his coaching and administrative experience, Machnik's soccer career began as a goalkeeper at Long Island University-Brooklyn, where he earned All-American honors in 1962. He would later become the head coach of the Blackbirds at the age of 23, leading LIU to the 1996 NCAA National Championship Game and to the Final Four in 1967.
In addition to all of this, Machnik oversees his No. 1 Soccer Camps which hold sessions throughout the nation each summer. Overall, through his camps he has helped develop over 80,000 young players since 1977.
