Ian Sawyers was happy as a golf pro.

Over the last several years, he has kept himself busy by playing golf and following his wife’s career with the U.S. national team. Sawyers is married to Julie Foudy, whom he wed in 1995.

Sawyers was an assistant coach at Stanford for three years during Foudy’s time there, and he became Stanford’s head coach after Foudy left, remaining in charge three seasons (1993-95). He also coached Foudy as the head coach of the WPSL’s Sacramento Storm in 1993-98.

After leaving Stanford, Sawyers tried to become a professional golfer. He played in several mini-tours around the country and coached for Mike McGettrick Golf Academy. Last year, he entered qualifying school but didn’t get past the final stage.

“I was playing so good going in, but right when I got there, I was playing with somebody else’s golf swing,” he said. “I didn’t get that far, but I got far enough for me. It was a neat experience.”

The creation of the WUSA piqued his interest in coaching again, but Sawyers didn’t want to coach in his wife’s league if it would hurt their marriage. Foudy plays for the San Diego Spirit.

“If I chased a job and I was on the East Coast, it would be crazy,” he said. “I wanted to be around her, because our lifestyles have obviously been crazy for the last 10 years. I was pretty happy doing what I was doing. It would have to be a special situation for me to change what I was doing, and, unfortunately, it was.”

Sawyers helped CyberRays general manager Marlene Bjornsrud out of a bind when Notre Dame coach Randy Waldrum pulled out of the Bay Area job in early December. Sawyers handled the club’s Dec. 10-11 draft before Bjornsrud named him head coach on Dec. 15.

COACHING AGAINST FOUDY. The competitive Sawyers won’t have any trouble coaching against his wife’s team.

“It’s going to be kind of fun,” said Sawyers, whose club plays San Diego three times this season. “You should see us play one-on-one basketball. I’m bloody. We can handle it professionally from that standpoint. But in terms of the competitive element, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

What if Foudy played for Sawyers instead of against him? The WUSA does not have a rule precluding coaches from coaching their wives, but it does discourage it. WUSA chief operating officer Tony DiCicco said two teams inquired about a nepotism rule before they hired their coaches. He advised against it but admits the league doesn’t have restrictions in writing.

“I’m not real confident you can keep a good team chemistry when making decisions on players [when a coach’s wife plays for him],” DiCicco said. “I don’t know that we can make it a rule and don’t even know if it’s legal.”

Sawyers will commute to see his wife

“It’s only an hour away,” he said. “I’m going to try, and she’s going to try, too. We’re doing what we love to do, and we can handle it.”

by Soccer America associate editor Dean Caparaz