Bud Lewis (soccer) explained

Bud Lewis
Manageryears1:1975–2017
Clubs2:Buffalo Blazers
Years2:1976–1977
Birth Date:29 January 1953
Birth Place:Penfield, New York, United States
College1:Bowling Green State University
Years1:1975
Collegeyears1:1971–1975
Youthclubs1:Penfield High School
Youthyears1:1967–1971
Position:Midfielder, forward
Clubs1:Cincinnati Comets
Fullname:Leon "Bud" Lewis
Managerclubs1:Wilmington College

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.

Playing career

Early career

High school

Lewis, a native of Penfield, New York, began his competitive soccer career at Penfield High School in 1967. 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. As a result of his outstanding performance on the field, Lewis was named a National High School All-American following his senior season.

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.[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.

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. After only one season with the Comets, he joined the Buffalo Blazers of the Canadian National Soccer League in 1976.[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.

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. 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. 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.[10] [11] In 2021, Lewis was inducted into the Wilmington College Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his coaching achievements.

Coaching statistics

Team! rowspan="2"
FromToRecord
P
Wilmington CollegeAugust 1, 1975December 1, 20178435065827960.02
Total8435065827960.02

Honors

Player

Penfield High School

Bowling Green State University

Individual

Coach

Wilmington College

Individual

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Leon "Bud" Lewis (2000) - Hall of Fame. 2021-10-16. Bowling Green State University Athletics. en.
  2. Web site: Bud Lewis. live. 2021-10-16. Wilmington College. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20151021073040/http://www.wilmingtonquakers.com:80/sports/msoc/coaches/bud_lewis?view=bio . 2015-10-21 .
  3. Web site: Cincinnati Comets Rosters. 2021-10-16. www.nasljerseys.com.
  4. Web site: 2016 BGSU Men's Soccer Media Guide. 2021-10-18. Issuu. en.
  5. Web site: Cochrane Stadium - Bud Lewis. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211016213223/https://s3.amazonaws.com/bgsufalcons.com/documents/2019/8/27/2019msg44to72.pdf . 2021-10-16 .
  6. Web site: 2021-02-15. June 5, 1977: Buffalo Blazers 1, Lazio 6. 2021-10-16. National Soccer League. en.
  7. Web site: Falcon Hall-Of-Famer Bud Lewis Reaches Collegiate Coaching Milestone . 2021-10-20 . Bowling Green State University Athletics . en.
  8. Web site: Bud Lewis: More Lives Impacted Than Wins . 2021-10-16 . Wilmington.
  9. Web site: 2021-09-24 . Being a coach: What an honor - Times Gazette . 2021-10-16 . www.timesgazette.com . en-US.
  10. Web site: Bud Lewis . 2021-10-16 . Wilmington.
  11. Web site: 2018-01-16 . WC soccer coaches at Kiwanis - Wilmington News Journal . 2021-10-16 . www.wnewsj.com . en-US.
  12. Web site: The Year in American Soccer - 1973. 2021-10-20. soccerhistoryusa.org.
  13. Web site: Bowling Green Men's Soccer - History and Tradition. BGSU Falcons.
  14. 2014-08-27 . Lewis celebrates 40 seasons . en.
  15. Wilmington Men's Soccer Year-by-Year Results. en.
  16. Web site: Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). 2021-10-20. Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). en.
  17. Web site: 2011 Media Guide - Wilmington College. 2021-10-20. yumpu.com. en.
  18. Wilmington Men's Soccer All-Conference Honorees. en.
  19. Web site: [PDF] COLLEGE ALMANAC College Soccer Almanac - Free Download PDF ]. 2022-12-21 . silo.tips . en.
  20. Web site: 2021-07-05. Lewis leads WC's newest Athletics Hall of Fame class - Wilmington News Journal. 2021-10-16. www.wnewsj.com. en-US.

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