Bud Lewis (soccer)

Leon "Bud" Lewis (born January 29, 1953) is an American former professional soccer player and coach. Known for his versatility on the field as a midfielder and forward, Lewis represented the Cincinnati Comets in the American Soccer League and the Buffalo Blazers in the Canadian National Soccer League in the mid-1970s. After retiring as a player, he served as the head coach for the men's soccer team at Wilmington College between 1975 and 2017.

Bud Lewis
Personal information
Full name Leon "Bud" Lewis
Date of birth (1953-01-29) January 29, 1953
Place of birth Penfield, New York, United States
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Midfielder, forward
Youth career
1967–1971 Penfield High School
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1971–1975 Bowling Green State University
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1975 Cincinnati Comets
1976–1977 Buffalo Blazers
Managerial career
1975–2017 Wilmington College
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

High school

Lewis, a native of Penfield, New York, began his competitive soccer career at Penfield High School in 1967.[1][2] He was a standout player for the school's soccer team and helped lead them to a New York State Section V championship in 1970.[1][2] As a result of his outstanding performance on the field, Lewis was named a National High School All-American following his senior season.[1][2]

College

In 1971, Lewis won an athletic scholarship to attend Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.[1][2] A four-year letter winner with the Bowling Green Falcons men's soccer team, he was named an NSCAA All-American in 1974.[1][2][3] He also served as the team captain during the same season, alongside defender Steve Cabalka.[4] Lewis' contributions to the Bowling Green Falcons soccer team were recognized in 2000 when he was inducted into the Bowling Green State University Athletic Hall of Fame.[1]

Professional career

Following a successful collegiate career, Lewis signed his first professional contract with the American Soccer League side the Cincinnati Comets for the 1975 ASL season.[1][2] After only one season with the Comets, he joined the Buffalo Blazers of the Canadian National Soccer League in 1976.[1][2][5] In 1977, he was part of the Blazers team that played a friendly against the Serie A team Lazio at the War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo, New York.[6] Lewis started as a forward in a 1–6 loss.[6]

Coaching career

While still actively playing professional soccer, Lewis took on the role of part-time coach for the Wilmington College men's soccer team in 1975.[7] In 1977, he became the full-time head coach for the team, known as the Fightin' Quakers.[7] Lewis' tenure as head coach was highly successful, leading the team to multiple NAIA District 22, Association of Mideast Colleges, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, and Ohio Athletic Conference titles during the years.[8][9] In 2004, Lewis was awarded the Bill Jeffrey Award for reaching more than 400 victories and for his services to the NSCAA’s All-America program.[10] He retired from coaching after the 2017 NCAA season, having served as head coach at Wilmington College for 43 consecutive seasons and racking up 506 victories in 843 games.[1][11][12] In 2021, Lewis was inducted into the Wilmington College Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his coaching achievements.[13]

Coaching statistics
Coaching record by team and tenure[14]
Team Nat. From To Record
P W D L Win %
Wilmington College United States August 1, 1975 December 1, 2017 843 506 58 279 60.02
Total 843 506 58 279 60.02

Honors

Player

Penfield High School

Bowling Green State University

Individual

Coach

Wilmington College

Individual

  • NAIA District 22 Coach of the Year: 8 times[17]
  • NSCAA Mideast Coach of the Year: 6 times[17]
  • Ohio Coach of the Year: 3 times[17]
  • Association of Mideast Colleges (AMC) Coach of the Year: 3 times[17]
  • Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Coach of the Year: 2004,[21] 2017[21]
  • Bill Jeffrey Award: 2004[10]
  • Wilmington College Athletic Hall of Fame: 2021[13]

References
  1. "Leon "Bud" Lewis (2000) - Hall of Fame". Bowling Green State University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  2. "Bud Lewis". Wilmington College. Archived from the original on 2015-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  3. "Cincinnati Comets Rosters". www.nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  4. "2016 BGSU Men's Soccer Media Guide". Issuu. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  5. "Cochrane Stadium - Bud Lewis" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-10-16.
  6. "June 5, 1977: Buffalo Blazers 1, Lazio 6". National Soccer League. 2021-02-15. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  7. "Falcon Hall-Of-Famer Bud Lewis Reaches Collegiate Coaching Milestone". Bowling Green State University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  8. "Bud Lewis: More Lives Impacted Than Wins". Wilmington. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  9. "Being a coach: What an honor - Times Gazette". www.timesgazette.com. 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  10. "[PDF] COLLEGE ALMANAC College Soccer Almanac - Free Download PDF". silo.tips. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  11. "Bud Lewis". Wilmington. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  12. "WC soccer coaches at Kiwanis - Wilmington News Journal". www.wnewsj.com. 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  13. "Lewis leads WC's newest Athletics Hall of Fame class - Wilmington News Journal". www.wnewsj.com. 2021-07-05. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  14. "Wilmington Men's Soccer All-Time Coaching Records". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. "The Year in American Soccer - 1973". soccerhistoryusa.org. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  16. "Bowling Green Men's Soccer - History and Tradition" (PDF). BGSU Falcons.
  17. "2011 Media Guide - Wilmington College". yumpu.com. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  18. "Lewis celebrates 40 seasons". 2014-08-27. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  19. "Wilmington Men's Soccer Year-by-Year Results". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  20. "Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC)" (PDF). Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  21. "Wilmington Men's Soccer All-Conference Honorees". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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