Former Columbus Crew head coach Tom Fitzgerald died Saturday from injuries suffered when his motorcycle was struck by an SUV while he was en route to the Nike Friendlies in Bradenton, Fla.
Fitzgerald, who was 52, coached MLS's Crew in 1996-2001. He was an assistant for the Crew when it began play in 1996 and took over Timo Liekoski late in the first season. He was fired after the first six games of the 20001 season.
Fiztgerald won national titles at the NCAA Division I and II levels,
He returned to the college game in 2002, taking UCLA to its fourth Division I men's title in his first year. He was the first coach to lead a team to a Division I title in his first year at the school. After the 2003 season, he returned to the University of Tampa, where he had begun his college coaching career. He led UT to a NCAA Division II men's title in 1984.
FitzgeraldÆs first head coaching experience was at Jesuit High School in Tampa (1978-1981). He was an assistant at the University of Tampa before becoming its head coach in 1987.
Fitzgerald played soccer as a junior at the University of South Florida after transferring from Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y.
Fitzgerald earned a BachelorÆs Degree from South Florida in 1974. He is survived by his wife, Debi, have two sons, Shane and Jesse.
COACHING RECORD:
COLLEGE
1987 Tampa 16-3-1
1988 Tampa 11-8-2
1989 Tampa 12-6-2
1990 Tampa 14-3-1
1991 Tampa 17-4-1
1992 Tampa 15-4-0
1993 Tampa 14-3-1
1994 Tampa 15-2-1
1995 Tampa 18-1-2
2002 UCLA 18-3-3
2003 UCLA 20-2-1
2004 Tampa 6-9-1
MLS
1996 Columbus 15-17-0
1997 Columbus 15-17-0
1998 Columbus 15-17-0
1999 Columbus 19-13-0
2000 Columbus 11-16-5
2001 Columbus 13-7-6