Jim Reed (coach)

Jim Reed
Reed coached the Princeton Tigers for over three decades
Personal information
Full name James J. Reed
Date of birth 1903 (1903)
Place of birth Pottsville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Date of death 1 April 1994(1994-04-01) (aged 90–91)
Place of death United States
Managerial career
Years Team
1938–1966 Princeton Tigers
1959–1961 United States

James J. Reed (1903 – April 1, 1994) was an American multi-sport athlete and coach, best known for his lengthy tenure at Princeton University where he served as the head coach for both the men's soccer and wrestling teams. He also served as the head coach of the United States men's national soccer team from 1959 to 1961.

Early life and education

Reed was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. He attended Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1923. He went on to attend Lehigh University, where he was a standout dual-sport athlete, competing for four seasons on the wrestling team and three seasons on the soccer team before graduating in 1927. Following his collegiate career, he was selected as an alternate for the United States Olympic Wrestling Team for the 1928 Summer Olympics.[1]

Reed also played semi-professional American football for the Bethlehem Panthers (an early team in the Anthracite League era).

Coaching career

Princeton University

Reed joined the athletic staff at Princeton University in 1929 as an assistant wrestling coach. In September 1934, he succeeded Clarence Foster as the head wrestling coach, a position he held for 30 years until 1964. During his wrestling tenure, he compiled a career record of 109–106–14.[2]

In 1938, Reed took on additional duties as the head coach of the Princeton Tigers men's soccer team. He led the program for 29 seasons (1938–1966), compiling a record of 136–95–29. He remains the longest-tenured soccer coach in the university's history.[3]

United States national team

Reed was appointed head coach of the United States men's national soccer team in 1959. He managed the team through 1961, overseeing four matches with a record of 0 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses.[4] His tenure included World Cup qualifiers against Mexico.

Later career

Starting in the 1950s, Reed served as a part-time wrestling coach at the Hun School of Princeton. After retiring from Princeton University in 1969, he joined the Hun School as a full-time wrestling and soccer coach. He was inducted into the Hun School's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.

Administrative career

Reed was a prominent figure in American collegiate athletics administration. He served as the President of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) in 1938 and 1947 and as President of the American Wrestling Coaches Association in 1942. He chaired the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee from 1949 to 1950 and the NCAA Soccer Rules Committee in 1952.

In soccer administration, he served as the secretary-treasurer of the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association (1960–1963) and as president of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in 1962.

Awards and honors

References

  1. ^ a b "James Reed". National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  2. ^ "Princeton Wrestling Coach Honored by National Wrestling Hall of Fame". Princeton University Athletics. June 8, 2001. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  3. ^ "Men's Soccer Coaching History". Princeton University Athletics. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  4. ^ "USMNT Coaches". RSSSF. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
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