Full name Derek James Armstrong 1959–1961 Morecambe Place of birth Carlisle, England Name Derek Armstrong | Years Team Role Footballer 1958–1959 Blackpool | |
Date of birth (1939-03-16) 16 March 1939 (age 76) | ||
Derek James Armstrong (born 16 March 1939) is an English former professional footballer and current Director of Coaching of the Nomads soccer Club in San Diego California . He played as an inside-left, including Football League appearances for both Blackpool and Carlisle United.
Managerial and coaching career
Derek started coaching at Fleetwood FC in the inaugural season of the Northern premier league as player manager .He was there for 5 seasons and left after winning the Northern Premier league cup beating Wigan in semi final, and Maccelsfield in the final . He had coaching/manager positions with Chorley,Netherfield,Blackpool Mechs, and Lancaster before joining Allan Brown at Blackpool FC in 1975/76 season as reserve coach.In 1n 1979 he was moved to first team coach for 8 games when Jimmy Meadows had a short spell as manager before returning to coaching the reserves again when Bobby Collins joined the staff .In 1980, he worked for Notts County FC for a season scouting upcoming opponents for the championships season in which Notts County were promoted to Div 1 . After a brief visit to USA in 1980 he obtained the position as assistant coach with Columbus Magic in Columbus Ohio where he stayed a few months before moving to Nomads Soccer Club in La Jolla California in 1981.United States He became the first paid youth soccer coach in the United States when he joined the staff of the La Jolla Nomads. In 1986, Armstrong helped to found the San Diego Nomads in the new Western Soccer Alliance . The Nomads won the Western Soccer Alliance titles in 1987 and 1989 and in 1989 were runners-up to Fort Lauderdale in the National Professional Championship. In 2001 the Nomads were asked to manage the San Diego Flash franchise in the A-leagueby the league, the side under Armstrong reaching the play-offs. He continues to work for the Nomads, currently as Director of Coaching and Board Member.
UCSD College Soccer He was also coach of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) men's soccer team from 1983 to 2007, during which time the Tritons won three national titles. In the fifth game of the 2007 season, he coached his 500th game with UCSD. Prior to taking over as coach in 1983, the Tritons had had only won season with more wins than defeats in their seven-year history. Armstrong transformed the side to the extent that the first season with more defeats than wins under his tenure did not come until the 2001 season. His cumulative record of 326-138-48 makes him the winningest coach in UCSD history. He retired as Tritons coach in September 2007 with the advent of the US SOCCER academy starting that season. Also contributing to his retirment from UCSD was the fact he had an impending knee operation which could not be put off . . . US Club soccer He was one of the founding members and chairman of US Club Soccer in its early years, he retired from this in January 2009. USA coach U20 In 1987 Armstrong was the coach of the United States under-20 side in the World Youth Championship (now known as the FIFA U-20 World Cup) in Chile. Derek holds the unique distinction of being the first USA coach to beat Mexico at world cup level . They knocked our Mexico 3-0 in the 1987 Concacaf tournament in Trinidad . The team qualified for the World cup in Chile .