Piotr Nowak

Piotr Nowak

Nowak speaking to the press.
Personal information
Full name	Piotr Nowak
Date of birth	(1964-07-05) 5 July 1964
Place of birth	Pabianice, Poland
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Lechia Gdańsk (Head Coach)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1979–1983	Włókniarz Pabianice
1983–1984	GKS Bełchatów
1984–1985	Zawisza Bydgoszcz	39	(8)
1985–1986	Widzew Łódź	10	(2)
1987–1990	Zawisza Bydgoszcz	83	(18)
1990–1992	Bakırköyspor	54	(16)
1992–1993	BSC Young Boys	42	(4)
1993–1994	Dynamo Dresden	23	(2)
1994–1998	TSV 1860 München	93	(15)
1998–2002	Chicago Fire	114	(26)
International career
1990–1998	Poland	24	(3)
Managerial career
2004–2006	D.C. United
2007–2009	United States U-23
2007–2009	United States (assistant)
2010–2012	Philadelphia Union
2014–2015	Antigua and Barbuda (Technical Director and Head Coach)
2016–	Lechia Gdańsk
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Piotr Nowak (Polish pronunciation: [pʲɔtr ˈnɔvak]; born 5 July 1964 in Pabianice) is a Polish former professional football player. Nowak currently is serving as Head Coach of Lechia Gdańsk. Previously Nowak served as Technical and Personal advisor to the President of Caribbean Football Union and Technical Director and Head Coach to the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association.

Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey, Switzerland and Germany. He was voted one of the best players in the Bundesliga for the 1995–96 season while playing with 1860 Munich. He moved to the United States in 1998 and played five years with Chicago Fire.

Nowak was also an important member of the Poland national football team throughout the 1990s, earning 24 caps, serving as national captain for several years, and being voted Polish Player of the Year in 1996.

As a coach, he is a former assistant coach of the United States men's national soccer team under Bob Bradley, former head coach of United States U-23 men's national soccer team, and former head coach of D.C. United and Philadelphia Union of MLS.

Playing career

Club

Piotr Nowak ’s storied soccer journey began in Pabianice, a small town in Poland. He signed his first professional contract at the age of 15 to pursue his soccer dreams. He played in Polish First Division for Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Lodz.

After working to refine his playing skills at Bakirkoyspor (Turkey) and Young Boys Bern (Switzerland), Nowak moved to Germany to become a member of Bundesliga team Dynamo Dresden. It was his next stop, however, where Nowak really hit his stride. In 1994, he signed with Bundesliga teams, first with FC Kaiserslautern and later TSV 1860 Munich, where he played until 1998. During the 1995-96 season, Nowak was voted the Bundesliga ’s Best Playmaker, as well as the Polish Player of the Year and advance with TSV 1860 Munich to UEFA Cup.

In 1998, Nowak moved to the United States and joined the Chicago Fire for the team ’s inaugural MLS season. He promptly established himself as one of the best players in the League, leading the Fire to a MLS Cup (1998) and two US Open Cups (1998, 2000). He was elected 3 times to MLS All Star Team, 3 times as Chicago Fire MVP and 3 times as MLS Best XI including 1998 MLS Cup MVP. Nowak patrolled the Fire midfield for 114 league games, registering 26 goals and 48 assists. He played with Chicago for five seasons and retired in 2003. He was inducted as a first member of “Ring of Fire” Chicago Fire’s Hall of Fame in 2004.

Coaching career

Nowak worked in the Fire front office for one season as a Director of International Relations and Ambassador, before moving to coaching in 2004 when he was hired as Head Coach of D.C. United. In his first season in D.C., he guided DC. United to a MLS Cup Championship, with a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City. With the victory, Nowak became the first man in Major League Soccer history to win a MLS Cup as both a player and a head coach. Additionally, he became the first Head Coach in all major American sports in the last half-century to win a championship within two years of retiring as a player.

In 2005, as part of its 10 th anniversary celebration, Major League Soccer named Nowak to its All-Time Best XI, a selection of the best 11 players in the history of MLS. In three years with United, Nowak led the club to win the Supporters ’ Shield and was elected twice as a Head Coach of MLS All Star team (2004, 2006)

That international experience helped as he moved on to become an Assistant to United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Bob Bradley. Nowak also served as Head Coach of the U-23 National Team, advancing to 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Together with Bradley, they coached over 70 players and orchestrated the USA ’s championship run to a title in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and Mandela Cup. During his time with US Soccer, US Men’s National Team advance from position 31 to 12 in FIFA World Ranking.

On 28 May 2009, Nowak resigned from his position with the United States Men's National Team.[2] Subsequently, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Nowak would be the first head coach of the MLS' Philadelphia Union when it begins play in 2010.[3] On Friday, 29 May 2009, Nowak was introduced to the Philadelphia media.

In December 2011 Nowak was named Executive Vice President / Team Manager for the Philadelphia Union. In his only 2nd season as head Coach, the Union made the playoffs for the first and last time in the team’s existence. As a result, Nowak was elected to be the MLS All Star Head Coach for 2012.

Cost-cutting and financial concerns were at the root of all player moves including the trade of the Union's leading goal scorer, Sebastian Le Toux, captain Danny Califf, number one draft pick Danny Mwanga, and were initiated and approved by Philadelphia Union Board of Directors and CEO/ Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz. Nowak part ways with Philadelphia Union in June 2012.

In February 2014, he was hired as a Technical and Personal Advisor to the President of the Caribbean Football Union, which contains 31 countries as a part of CONCACAF. In September 2014, his duties were further grown to include positions as Technical Director and Head Coach of Antigua and Barbuda Football Association, overseeing all National Team Programs including FIFA Grass Roots and Female Programs. Under his direction, Antigua and Barbuda have jumped from 145 to 82nd place in FIFA World Ranking as of December 2015 and is smallest country per capita to be under 100 in FIFA World Ranking.

Honors

In 2003, Nowak was named the first member of the Ring of Fire, the highest honor the Chicago Fire bestows, and his name and number 10 are displayed high at midfield at their stadium, Toyota Park. In 2005, Nowak was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI. For his contribution to promotion of Poland abroad and achievements as a coach, he received the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 2005.

See also

• List of MLS coaches