Jim Pollihan Death, Obituary – Former U.S. soccer player, Jim Pollihan who was an outstanding collegiate forward with Quincy University but moved to defense as a professional sadly passed away on Friday, February 10, 2023. He earned fifteen caps with the U.S. national team between 1976 and 1979. The cause of death is currently unknown as his family has not released a statement.
Jim Pollihan Early Career
Between 1972 and 1976, Pollihan was a standout forward for the Quincy University soccer squad. From the late 1960s until the 1980s, Quincy was the undisputed champion of the NAIA’s men’s soccer league. Quincy reached the final game in 1970, Pollihan’s first season with the squad, but lost to Davis & Elkins College. The All-Tournament team included Pollihan. Quincy began to dominate in 1973, winning the following three championships.
In 1973, 1974, and 1975, Pollihan was named the competition’s Outstanding Forward. When he was chosen as the 1974 tournament MVP, he added to his list of accomplishments. He also earned honorable mention and second-team All-American status from the NAIA in 1975 and 1974, respectively. [1] Pollihan was named into the NAIA’s Hall of Fame for soccer in 1982. Additionally, he was honored with a spot in the Quincy University Hall of Fame.
Jim Pollihan Professional Career
In the first round of the NASL College Draft on January 14, 1976, the Rochester Lancers of the North American Soccer League (NASL) selected Pollihan. Pollihan was selected by both the Lancers and the Los Angeles Skyhawks of the American Soccer League. Before the Lancers disbanded at the conclusion of the 1980 season, Pollihan played for them for five seasons. The Major Indoor Soccer League’s (MISL) New York Arrows started getting ready for both their first season and the inaugural season of the league in 1978. The team elected to sign the Rochester Lancers players as its team rather than creating a roster from scratch.
He was selected for the Rochester Lancers Team of the Decade in 1977. The league’s inaugural match was played on December 22, 1978, between the Cincinnati Kids and the Arrows. Despite playing defense, Pollihan scored the opening goal of the match, the team, and the league. With the Arrows that year, Pollihan won the league title, and he afterward played five more seasons in the MISL. He played for the Houston Summit from 1979 to 1980 and the Baltimore Blast from 1980 to 1984.
National team
Between 1976 and 1979, Pollihan played in fifteen international matches for the United States. On September 24, 1976, he started his debut game against Canada. After playing one more game a month later, he did not play for the United States once more for another 12 months. Between 1977 and 1979, he participated in roughly half of all US games. On May 2, 1979, he received his final cap in a humiliating 6-0 loss to France.
Jim Pollihan Coaching Career
As early as the fall of 1986, Pollihan served as a Baltimore Blast assistant coach. On August 16, 1991, he announced his resignation from the Blast in order to take the helm of the Harrisburg Heat. Pollihan was hired as the club’s first coach in 1991 by the Harrisburg Heat, an expansion team in the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). In each of his seven seasons as Heat head coach, he led the team into the playoffs. The Heat lost to St. Louis Ambush in the final series in 1995 after making it that far.
Pollihan was also the 1991–1992 NPSL Coach of the Year. After handing over the coaching reins to Richard Chinapoo in 1999, Pollihan moved into the team’s front office as the Vice President of Soccer Operations, a position he held until January 2003. He is fourth on the NPSL list of coaching victories with 155.
Funeral arrangements will be officially released by the family.
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