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Under the guidance of Elmar Bolowich, the North Carolina men's soccer team has entrenched itself among the nation's elite, staking that claim by winning the 2001 NCAA championship and finishing ranked No. 1 in at least one national poll twice since 2000. With a career record of 226-122-26, Bolowich has the most wins in the history of the program and surpassed the 200-victory mark against Richmond Sept. 4, 2005. Now entering his 19th season as the head coach in Chapel Hill, Bolowich and the Tar Heels have enjoyed the most successful run in program history, which includes 106 victories over the last seven seasons, as well as the 2000 ACC and 2001 NCAA titles. Additionally, Bolowich has led UNC to a school-record eight straight NCAA postseason appearances, including three trips to the quarterfinal round (2000, 2001, 2005) over the last seven seasons. The Tar Heels are one of just eight teams to reach the postseason each year since 1999 and have ended the year ranked among the nation's top 10 four times in the last seven seasons. For his efforts, Bolowich was named the 2000 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year, the 2001 NSCAA National Coach of the Year and the NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year in both 2000 and `01. Bolowich was honored in January 1999, with the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association National Merit award, which is given annually to one college coach whose reputation is recognized by soccer officials as praiseworthy and reflective of the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior. Bolowich, 53, has been associated with the Tar Heel program since 1986. He was named head coach on March 2, 1989, by former Director of Athletics John Swofford and is only the fourth head coach in North Carolina's 60-year men's soccer history. In addition to excellence on the field, Bolowich's teams have also excelled in the classroom. The men's soccer team's grade point average consistently has been among the highest of any men's team on the Carolina campus, and was 3.006 for the 2007 spring semester. Additionally, eight Tar Heels earned a spot on the ACC's Academic Honor Roll for 2006-07, three were named to the league's All-Academic Team and Blake Beach and David Boole were selected to the ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District III Team. Also among the most impressive items on Bolowich's coaching resume is his track record of producing fine international and professional players. Nineteen Bolowich-coached Tar Heels are playing professionally in 2007, including 12 in Major League Soccer, five in the United Soccer Leagues and two in Germany. Highlighting the list of UNC products in the professional ranks, are MLS all-star defender Eddie Pope and Gregg Berhalter, a standout defender for Germany's Energie Cottbus. Both Pope and Berhalter were members of the 2006 United States World Cup squad. Pope was making his third World Cup appearance with the team, Berhalter his second. Midfielder Kerry Zavagnin of the Kansas City Wizards is also a member of the U.S. National Team pool. In all, Bolowich-coached players have been selected 24 times in the various forms of the MLS draft since 1996, with 17 players selected since 2000. A UNC-record four players were chosen in 2007 with Michael Harrington going third overall to the Kansas City Wizards. Bolowich joined former UNC head coach Anson Dorrance's staff as a part-time assistant coach in 1986 and a year later he was appointed to the position of full-time assistant coach with the men's team. A native of Edenkoben, Germany, Bolowich played and coached on the semi-professional level in his native country. Prior to entering college, Bolowich served two years in the German Luftwaffe (Air Force). Collegiately in Germany, Bolowich played at the University of Mainz from 1976-80. He graduated from Mainz in 1981 with a diploma in Sports Education. During and following his collegiate career, Bolowich played for club teams in Wiesbaden, Mainz and Cuxhaven. In addition to holding a USSF A-License, Bolowich received his coaching license from the German Football Association in 1981. Bolowich has served as a regional staff coach with the U.S. Soccer Federation's Olympic Development Program for Region III. Bolowich also coached the Durham-Chapel Hill under-19 club team to the 1990 Maguire Cup Final Four. He serves as the director of the Carolina Soccer Camp. During the summer of 1999, Bolowich became a member of the Chapel Hill Flying Club and a certified private pilot. Bolowich and his wife, Nina, have a daughter, Alya, and a son, Alex. |
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