| Elmar Bolowich |
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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, earning a National Finalist finish in 2008 and making a return trip to the College Cup in 2009. Bolowich has led the Tar Heels to a top three finish in at least one national poll four times since 2000. With a career record of 264-140-36, 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 22nd season as the head coach in Chapel Hill, Bolowich and the Tar Heels have enjoyed the most successful run in program history, which includes 144 victories over the last 10 seasons, as well as the 2000 ACC title, the 2001 NCAA crown and two straight NCAA College Cup appearances.
Additionally, Bolowich has led UNC to nine NCAA postseason appearances in the last 10 years, including five trips to the quarterfinal round (2000, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009) over the last 10 seasons. Additionally, the Tar Heels have ended the year ranked among the nation's top 10 six times in the last 10 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, 56, 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 61-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. Additionally, nine Tar Heels earned a spot on the ACC's Academic Honor Roll for 2009-10, with Kirk Urso being named to the league's All-Academic Team. Bill Dworsky earned a prestigious ACC Postgraduate Scholarship for his performance in the classroom.
Also among the most impressive items on Bolowich's coaching resume is his track record of producing fine international and professional players. Twenty-one Bolowich-coached Tar Heels played professionally in 2010, including 11 in Major League Soccer, seven in the United Soccer Leagues and three abroad.
Highlighting the list of Bolowich products in the professional ranks are former MLS all-star defender Eddie Pope and Gregg Berhalter, a standout defender for LA Galaxy after starring in Germany. 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.
Additionally, midfielder Logan Pause of the Chicago Fire saw action with the U.S. National Team in 2009, and midfielder Dax McCarty of FC Dallas was a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team and is a member of the U.S. 2010 Player Pool.
In all, Bolowich-coached players have been selected 28 times in the various forms of the MLS draft since 1996, with 21 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 at Wiesbaden, Mainz and Cuxhaven. 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.
In addition to holding a USSF A-License, Bolowich received his coaching license from the German Football Federation in 1981. Bolowich also has been active in yout soccer in North Carolina serving as a regional staff coach with the U.S. Soccer Federation's Olympic Development Program for Region III and as Director of Coaching for the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association. Bolowich coached the Durham-Chapel Hill Strikers U-19 club team to the 1990 Maguire Cup Final Four. Since 2007, he has coached the Traingle United Soccer Association's boys Gold team (U-15 to U-18) leading them to three state and regional championships. Bolowich has also led the Triangle United squads to two national finals and one national final four.
Bolowich and his wife of twenty-three years, Nina, have a daughter, Alya (21), and a son, Alex (18).
