Clinician Bios

Tony DiCicco

Winningest Coach in USA National Team History

Former U.S. National Team head coach Tony DiCicco served as the WUSA's COO in 2001 and it's Commissioner in 2002 and 2003 and the Chairman of the Re-launch committee in 2004.

For six years DiCicco was the head coach of the United States Women's National Team, accumulating an amazing record of 103-8-8, making him the all-time leader in wins in U.S. National Team Soccer history. Tony DiCicco was the head coach of the 1999 Women's World Cup squad that changed the face of women's athletics forever, winning the championship over China in front of the largest crowd in women's sports history (90,185 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on July 10, 1999) and a worldwide television audience.

In 1996, Tony DiCicco led the U.S. team to the first-ever gold medal in Olympic women's soccer. He also guided the U.S. team to a third-place finish at the second FIFA Women's World Cup in Sweden in June of 1995 and championships at U.S. Women's Cups in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. Tony DiCicco and the USA Women's National Team also won the Goodwill Games Gold Medal in 1998. The 1996 Olympic Gold Medal team has recently been inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. Before becoming the head coach of the U.S. national team, DiCicco had served as the squad's assistant coach since 1991, working with the goalkeepers during the USA's triumph at the first FIFA Women's World Cup in China in 1991. Tony DiCicco also served as the goalkeeper coach for the 1993 Under-20 Men's National Team when it finished in eighth place at the 7th FIFA World Youth Championship in Australia.

A 1970 graduate of Springfield College in Massachusetts, Tony DiCicco majored in physical education. A goalkeeper, he was the captain and most valuable player his senior year, earning All-America honors.

DiCicco played five years of professional soccer in the American Soccer League with the Connecticut Wildcats and Rhode Island Oceaneers, where he was team MVP and captain. In 1973, DiCicco toured and played for the U.S. National Team.

In 1981, Tony DiCicco founded SoccerPlus Goalkeeper Schools, which has grown to over 20 camps nationwide, and started the SoccerPlus FieldPlayer Academies in the summer of 1998. He has served as the goalkeeper specialist for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and has conducted both U.S. Soccer and NSCAA national licensing camps. He holds both the U.S. Soccer "A" license and the NSCAA Premier Diploma.

Tony DiCicco founded the FSASoccerPlus Football Club in 2003 and is coaching the U14 Boys Team and the U16 Girls Team while he oversees all teams as the club's Technical Director.

DiCicco, who was appointed as a member of the FIFA Panel of Instructors and Lecturers for Coaching, has authored two soccer video series, Goalkeeping, the DiCicco Method and Champions Soccer Series featuring Brandi Chastain and has just completed a book, along with Dr. Colleen Hacker about coaching girls' soccer entitled "Catch them Being Good."

DiCicco also started soccer programs at Bellows Falls Middle School in Bellow Falls, Vt., and South Catholic High School in Hartford, Conn. He also coached the Hartford Hellenic and the Hartford Italian Stars of the Connecticut Senior League and coached intercollegiate men's programs at Central Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford. He is a 1966 graduate of Wethersfield High School in Connecticut, where he lettered in soccer, baseball and basketball.

During the 2000 Olympics Tony DiCicco was an analyst for NBC and during the 2003 Women's World Cup he worked on the TV crew for ESPN.

Bio courtesy of PremierSpeakers.com

Matt Driver

Head Coach, AC Diablos, Women's Professional Soccer League

For almost 15 years, Matt Driver has blazed a path in the field of player education and development in the U.S. Matt has developed age-appropriate training programs for both the individual youth player and youth teams.

He has implemented successful team tactics at the minor league level, with the South Jersey Barons professional soccer team, formally of the USL Pro League. There he won several conference titles, a Regular Session National Title and an appearance at the National Championship, making Matt the most successful team coach in the country at the USL Pro Level.

More recently, Matt was the First Assistant Coach with the MLS' New England Revolution. He took the team from last place in the Eastern Conference to Eastern Conference Champions. They then went on an amazing run in the MLS Cup, only to lose out to Los Angeles in a thrilling, overtime Championship game in front of 62,000 screaming New England fans at Gillette Stadium.

A former professional player with Bury Football Club, formerly of the English Third Division, and Burnley Football Club, formerly of the English Fourth Division, Driver also enjoyed a stint with S. C. Herford, formerly of the Second Division of the German Bundesliga. In addition, he played in the United States with the Albany Capitals and the Boston Bolts both of the American Professional Soccer League.

The Glasgow, Scotland, native has also served as Technical Director and Chief Operating Officer for the South Jersey Barons. He holds a USSF "A" License, an NSCAA Premier License, and an NSCAA Advanced National Diploma. In addition, he carries a Brazilian "A" License and a Scottish Football Association A-I License. He has also served as a State Director of Coaching for the NSCAA for the State of Delaware and Director of Olympic Development Program for the State of Delaware.

Bio courtesy of WPSL.info.

Tony McCall

National Sales Director, The Sport Source

Tony McCall serves as the National Sales Director for The Sport Source, a national organization designed to help to connect coaches, players, individuals, educational institutions, and organizations through its critically acclaimed college planning guides, workbooks, Web site, online products, and mentoring services. The Sport Source provides college planning tools and services to more than 4.4 million families annually when their goal is to pursue colleges or universities academically and athletically.

Born in Northern Ireland, Tony garnered International Honors for Northern Ireland at the schoolboy U15 and youth U18 levels. Tony comes to The Sport Source with over 20 years of coaching experience.

As the Northern Ireland Professional Sportswriters Association and Northern Ireland Professional Footballers Association "Young Player of the Year" in 1980, Tony had a distinguished playing career in the Irish First Division for over 10 years. After playing in both the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup, Tony attracted the attention of then European Cup Champions Liverpool FC.

After transitioning from playing to coaching in 1987 due to a career-ending knee injury, Tony came to the United States as an Assistant Coach at the University of South Alabama.

In 1993, Tony became the men's head coach at Stetson University, and in 1998 moved to Colorado as the Director of Coaching, and later Executive Director, of a large club in Denver. As a Region IV Boys ODP Head Coach, Tony also worked with numerous National team players from 2000-2005.

Tony holds a UEFA "A" License, IFA "A" License, NSCAA Premier Diploma and a USSF Pro "B" license. He is currently serving his second three-year term as the Boys Youth Rep on the NSCAA Board of Directors.

Bio courtest of TheSportSource.com.

Erica Walsh

Head Coach, Penn State University Women's Soccer Assistant Coach, U.S. Women's National Team

Erica Walsh in 2008 completed her second season at the helm of the Penn State women's soccer program. Her transition into the Nittany Lion family was as smooth as anyone could have hoped for as she led the squad to its 10th-straight Big Ten title and 13th NCAA appearance in 2007. The team finished 18-4-2, including a 9-1-0 mark in conference play and was ranked 12th in the final NSCAA poll of the season.

In January of 2008, Walsh was named as the assistant coach for Pia Sundhage of the U.S. National Team. Walsh brought with her a wealth of experience at both the international and collegiate levels having coached at six different universities, including three stints as head coach. Walsh also boasted significant experience with the U.S. National Team program, having served as an assistant for the U.S. U-19 team from March to December of 2004 and as head coach of the U-17 team from December 2004 to February of 2007.

Under Walsh's guidance, the U.S. team completed a historic run with a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

The head coach at Harvard University as well as the U.S. Under-17 team prior to her hiring, Walsh has consistently been active among the coaching ranks both at the Division-I level and with the U.S. Youth National Team program for nearly a decade. Prior to her time with the Harvard Crimson, she was part of a Florida State staff that led the Seminoles to its most successful year to date. FSU joined Penn State in the 2005 Women's Soccer College Cup, with both programs reaching the national semifinals.

Walsh's coaching path began in 1997 as a graduate assistant with Bucknell University. In 1998, she accepted a position at Dartmouth where she was an assistant coach for two seasons. After helping the team to a final NSCAA ranking of No. 8 at the conclusion of the team's 1998 NCAA quarterfinal run as well as an Ivy League championship in 1999, Walsh assumed the head coaching duties before the 2000 season.

As head coach, Walsh led the Big Green to back-to-back Ivy League co-championships in 2000 and 2001. Her squad was ranked in the NSCAA's top 25 each year, rising as high as No. 13 in 2001. In her three seasons as head coach, Dartmouth was invited to the NCAA Tournament each season and reached the round of 16 twice. All three of her teams earned the NSCAA's Academic Team Award. Walsh left Dartmouth to earn her MBA in Business Administration at Lehigh University where she served as a graduate assistant from 2003-04.

Beginning in the spring of 2004, Walsh joined the United States Under-19 team as an assistant coach where she helped with preparations for the Under-19 World Cup. The U.S. finished with the bronze medal in Thailand after defeating Brazil in the third place match. After the World Cup, Walsh was appointed the U.S. National Team's U-17 head coach, a position which she held for three years.

As a player, Walsh was an NSCAA all-region selection at William & Mary. A two-time first team All-CAA pick, she propelled her team to four NCAA Tournament appearances as well as two CAA regular season and two CAA league championships. A high school All-American at Lower Moreland, she was also a member of the U.S. Under-17 National Team. She earned her bachelor of science degree with a concentration in biology from William & Mary in 1997.

Bio courtesy of psusports.com.