U.S. men's national team head coach and technical director Bruce Arena name four coaches to head the four U.S. boys national youth teams. While John Ellinger continues in his role as the U.S.
under-17 men's national team coach, Arena added German Wolfgang Suhnholz (U-20s), Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch (U-18s) and Akron head coach Ken Lolla (U-16). U.S. Soccer also formally
named Keith Tozer as head coach of the U.S. futsal team.
Wolfgang Suhnholz
Suhnholz had a long playing career in both the German Bundesliga and the North American Soccer League. In
recent years, he has been a successful youth coach in Austin, Texas. He most recently assisted Sigi Schmid with the U.S. U-20s at the 1999 World Youth Championship in Nigeria. The 53-year-old
German native has made his home in Texas for a number of years, where he helped develop the United Soccer Leagues' Austin Lone Stars as well as the Austin Capitals youth club.
BIO Wolfgang
Suhnholz Born: September 14, 1946 Hometown: Austin, Texas Coach: Most recently served U.S. Soccer as an assistant with the U-20s in the 1999 FIFA World Championship in Nigeria. ... Served as
technical director of coaching and co-owner of the Austin Lone Stars in the USL's D3 Pro League ... Began the Austin Capitals youth club in 1983 with just one team and has seen it grow to over 18
teams. ... His coaching highlights include a U-18 third-place finish at the 1988 national championship and being named the 1988 South Texas Coach of the Year. ... Suhnholz has served as a Region III
and South Texas ODP staff coach. ... He received his U.S. Soccer "A" coaching license in 1989 Player: Played in Germany with Oberhausen before moving to powerhouse Bayern Munich in 1971. ... After
a brief stint with Grasshoppers (Switzerland), Suhnholz moved to the United States, where he played six seasons in the NASL with the Boston Minutemen (1975), Toronto Metros-Croatia ('76), Las Vegas
Quicksilvers ('77), LA Aztecs ('78) and the California Surf (1978-80). ... During his professional career in the NASL, Suhnholz played as a player/assistant coach with Boston, Las Vegas and
California. ... Awarded the 1976 Most Valuable Player of the NASL Soccer Bowl.
George Gelnovatch
Gelnovatch played for Arena and served as his assistant before becoming head coach when
Arena left to coach D.C. United in 1996. He has already served as an assistant with Arena with the men's national team during the past year and will now take over the U-18 squad, the team preparing
for qualifying for the 2003 U-20 World Cup.
BIO George Gelnovatch Born: Feb. 12, 1965 Hometown: Charlottesville, Va. Coach: Served as an assistant for Bruce Arena on a number of
occasions with the full national team in 1999. ... In his fourth season as the head coach at the University of Virginia (1996-present), he has lead the Cavaliers to an overall record of 51-11-9
(.782). ... His 16 victories during his first year as head coach were the most-ever by a first-year coach at Virginia (surpassing Arena's previous mark of nine) and earned him the 1996 ACC Coach of
the Year award. ... Began his coaching career at UVa in 1989 as a part-time assistant then became a full-time assistant coach in 1992. Player: Drafted by the Minnesota Strikers of the Major Indoor
Soccer League (MISL) following his collegiate career at Virginia. ... Spent three years (1990-92) in APSL followed by a brief stint as a fill-in player with Arena at D.C. United during MLS's inaugural
season in 1996. ... Ranks fifth on UVa's career scoring list (118 points).
John Ellinger
Ellinger has been with U.S. Soccer in a number of capacities since 1992, and will continue in
his role with Under-17s, which are preparing for the 1999 Under-17 World Championship in New Zealand in November. The team has currently won 18 consecutive matches and has helped develop a number
of young professionals (Landon Donovan with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, and DaMarcus Beasley and Seth Trembly with MLS Project-40).
BIO John Ellinger Born: October 4, 1951 Hometown:
Ellicott City, Md. Coach: John Ellinger is currently in his second year as the U.S. U-17 coach, as well as Clive Charles' assistant with the U.S. U-23 Men's team. ... During his seven-year tenure
with U.S. Soccer, he has also served as head coach of the National "B" Team and as Region I (East) U-14 coordinator. ... Ellinger will lead the U.S. team at the 1999 U-17 World Championship to be held
in New Zealand, Nov. 10-27. ... Head coach of U.S. Soccer's first-ever full-time youth residency program that began Jan. 17, 1999, in Bradenton, Fla. ... Winningest U-17 head coach in U.S. Soccer
history (.702) with a two-year combined international record of 23-7-7. ... Coached the U.S. selection to third place at the 1997 World University Games in Italy, the best-finish ever for a U.S. team
in the competition. ... Head coach at Montgomery-Rockville (Md.) Junior College from 1979-81. ... Assumed the head coaching duties at University of Maryland-Baltimore County, a post he held from
1981-90. ... In addition to his duties with U.S. Soccer, Ellinger served as the assistant coach of MLS's Columbus Crew during part of the league's inaugural season.
Ken Lolla
Lolla,
the new head coach of the U-16 team preparing for qualifying for the 2003 U-17 World Cup, has enjoyed success at Akron, where he is in his seventh season. Lolla was named the 1998 Great Lakes
Region Coach of the Year, and has been honored three times as the Mid Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year (1993, '95 and '98).
BIO Ken Lolla Born: Aug. 13, 1962 Hometown:
Uniontown, Ohio Coach: Currently in his seventh season as head coach of the men's program at the University of Akron. .... Named the 1998 Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year, was three times the
Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year (1993, '95 and '98) and compiled a 76-31-8 overall record in his first six seasons at Akron ... Head coach at Belmont Abby College (1990-92) where he was
named the NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1992. ... Posted a 49-16-3 record during his three seasons at Belmont Abby, including a 19-3-2 mark and a sixth-place NAIA ranking in 1992. ... Lolla began
coaching as an assistant at his alma mater Duke (1988-89) Player: Played professionally with the Charlotte Gold (1984) of the old United Soccer League, then spent four seasons with the Canton
Invaders of the National Professional Soccer League. ... Finished his playing career with the New Jersey Eagles (1988) and the Penn-Jersey Spirit of the ASL (1989). ... Four-year starter at Duke,
where he was captain his senior year and named an All-American in 1981 and 1983. ... Lolla (CBA) also played against Gelnovatch (Wall Township) in the high school ranks on the Jersey Shore area, a
soccer hotbed in the late '70s and early '80s.
