George Gelnovatch (born February 12, 1965) is the men's soccer coach at the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
. He played professionally in the
Major Indoor Soccer League and
American Professional Soccer League. As head coach, he has led
Virginia men's soccer to the
College Cup Final Four in 1997, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014, and 2019. Under his leadership, Virginia won its sixth and seventh NCAA National Championships of the sport in
2009 and
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
.
Player
Gelnovatch grew up in
Wall Township, New Jersey
Wall Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It is located in the New York Metropolitan Area and is a bedroom community of New York. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 26,164, refl ...
and played soccer at
Wall High School, where he was part of three state champion teams. He attended the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
, playing on the men's soccer team from 1983 to 1986. He was a 1986
First Team All American. He ranks fifth on the school's all time lists for points (118) and goals (49). During his career, the Cavaliers went 67–14–4. In 1986, he earned first team all-ACC and first team all-American honors. In 1987, the
Minnesota Strikers
The Minnesota Strikers were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the 1984 season and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1984 through 1988. The team was based in Minneapolis/St. Paul metropol ...
selected Gelnovatch in the fourth round of the
Major Indoor Soccer League draft. He spent one season with Minnesota. In 1988, he moved to the
New Jersey Eagles The New Jersey Eagles were an American soccer team founded in 1987 as the Cosmopolitan Eagles. In 1988, they entered the third American Soccer League as the New Jersey Eagles. They folded following the 1990 American Professional Soccer League s ...
of the
American Soccer League. In 1990, Gelnovatch joined the
Penn-Jersey Spirit
Penn-Jersey Spirit played in the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 and 1991. The team's home stadium was Lions Stadium in Ewing, New Jersey, on the campus of Trenton State College (today known as the College of New Jersey). The team ...
of the
American Professional Soccer League. He was a first team All League defender that season. In April 1991, Gelnovatch moved to the
Maryland Bays
The Maryland Bays were an inaugural franchise of the third incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1988.They were based in Catonsville, Maryland, and played their games at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. The team joined the Ameri ...
. In 1996, he played a handful of games for
D.C. United
D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Supp ...
in
Major League Soccer.
Coach
In 1989, Gelnovatch served as a part-time assistant coach under
Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena (born September 21, 1951) is an American soccer coach who is the head coach and sporting director of the New England Revolution.
He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the NJCAA Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Arena has had ...
with the Virginia Cavaliers. In 1995, he became a full-time assistant at Virginia. On January 3, 1996, Gelnovatch replaced Arena as head coach. He is most notable for leading the Cavaliers to the
2009 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship where the Cavaliers won a penalty shoot-out against
Akron
Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city ...
. His teams have reached the NCAA tournament every year he's coached, except 2021. He has led the Cavaliers to three NCAA college cup appearances, four Atlantic Coast Conference tournament titles, and two Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles. In September 1999, Arena appointed Gelnovatch as the head coach of the United States U-18 men's national soccer team.
Arena Appoints Four U.S. Youth National Team Head Coaches
/ref> In 1999 and 2002, he also served as an assistant coach with the United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) represents the United States in men's international soccer competitions. The team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF.
The U.S. team h ...
.
Head coaching record
References
External links
Virginia prolife
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gelnovatch, George
1965 births
Living people
American soccer coaches
American soccer players
American Professional Soccer League players
American Soccer League (1988–89) players
Association football defenders
D.C. United players
Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players
Major League Soccer players
Maryland Bays players
Minnesota Strikers (MISL) players
New Jersey Eagles players
Penn-Jersey Spirit players
United States men's under-20 international soccer players
Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer coaches
Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer players
All-American men's college soccer players
Wall High School (New Jersey) alumni
People from Wall Township, New Jersey
Sportspeople from Monmouth County, New Jersey
Soccer players from New Jersey