Major League Soccer coach Sigi Schmid died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 65.
Schmid was in need of a heart transplant, and was hospitalized three weeks ago, the Los Angeles Times reports. Schmid coached three MLS teams — the Seattle Sounders, the L.A. Galaxy, and the Columbus Crew — and had the most wins of any league coach in history, with 266 regular and postseason victories over 18 seasons. In 2015, he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Born in Germany, Schmid moved to Southern California with his family when he was 4 years old. He earned a degree in economics from UCLA, and went on to coach the school's men's soccer team for 19 years, leading the Bruins to three NCAA championships. In September, he was fired from the Galaxy while the team was on a six-game losing streak, and at the time he said he was thinking about writing a book. "I know I've accomplished some things and I know I've won some titles, others have won more titles than me and that's fine," he said earlier this season. "What I'm the most proud of are players that I found or players that I've helped get to the next level. That's my greatest joy." He is survived by his wife, Valerie, four children, and several grandchildren.
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