Now entering his 40th year coaching as he started as an assistant at NYU in 1970. He enters his 38th year as a head coach and 12th season at the helm of the Roadrunner program, Coach Ramirez celebrated his 300th career win in 2004 while leading the Roadrunners to an 11-0 victory over Medgar Evers College.
Coach Ramirez has 340 career victories coming into the 2010 season and has 81 wins at Ramapo. He has led the Roadrunners to three ECAC Championship appearances (2000 and 2005) the latest coming in 2007 where they made it to the semifinals.
Coach Ramirez’s record speaks for itself. Prior to his coaching post at Ramapo College, he was the Head Men’s Coach at Long Island University. During his tenure at L.I.U., Coach Ramirez was the winningest coach in the university’s 75-year soccer history. He led the Blackbirds to nine post-season tournament bids including four NCAA Tournament appearances; two New York Region Championships; two ECAC Tournament appearances (with the title in 1979); four Metropolitan Conference Championships; consecutive ECAC Metro Conference flags and the Northeast Conference Championship in 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1997. He trained former US national team captain and current youth director for the USSF, Claudio Reyna and Gregg Berhalter now with the Los Angeles Galaxy. He also coached Giovanni Savarese at LIU. Coach Ramirez was inducted into the L.I.U Hall of Fame in February of 2006. A United States Soccer Federation A-license holder, Coach Ramirez has developed a total of nine All-Americans, was named Coach of the Year in the Metropolitan Conference three times and was selected Coach of the Year by his peers in the New York Region in 1985. A former staff coach for the Eastern New York coaching staff, Coach Ramirez is credited with being the first coach to offer bi-lingual D-license coaching courses.
Recognized as an ambassador to the word’s most popular sport, Coach Ramirez has been called upon several times throughout his successful career to serve in different roles internationally. He was the Technical Director of the Puerto Rican National Team, liaison for the Bolivian National Team at World Cup ’94 and liaison for the Mexican National Team at the ’96 Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA. In 1993, Coach Ramirez was invited by Pele, his friend of over 30 years, and former New York Cosmos Coach Professor Julio Mazzei, to accompany them to Japan to give instructional clinics to Japanese youngsters during a visit extended to them by the Japan World Cup 2002 bidding committee. The trio returned to Japan in 1996 to give more clinics. Coach Ramirez has also traveled to Europe, Africa, South America, and Bermuda to conduct clinics.
Among other international career highlights, Coach Ramirez was honored by former Bolivian President, the late Hugo Banzer, for being the first coach to bring players from the acclaimed Tahuichi Soccer Academy to America. On January 2, 1999, Coach Ramirez was bestowed with the highest honor granted by the late Tahuichi President, Rolly Aguilera for his commitment and dedication to the academy and its players.
At home, Coach Ramirez has devoted his career to promoting soccer from the youth level to the college and professional levels. He has coached youth teams sponsored by the Bergen Kickers, in Union City, NJ and Clarkstown, NY, where he trained former U.S. National Team Captain and current Red Bulls star, Claudio Reyna and his National Team teammate Greg Berhalter. Coach Ramirez also served as the Director of the Pele Soccer Camps from 1978 to 1982. In 1996, he was one of eight coaches commissioned to participate in the MLS Combine to evaluate and select players for the new professional league. A U.S. Army Veteran, Ramirez played for the 24th Infantry and for Schwaben Augsburg of the German Regional League from 1964-66.
Coach Ramirez graduated from Long island University in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and in 1974 he earned his Master’s degree in Health Education from City College. For the past nine years he taught adapted physical education at (PS 811M) the Mickey Mantle School in Manhattan, NY, he retired from teaching in the NYC Board of Ed in 2009.
He and his wife of 43 years, Julia, reside in Manhattan.
10-11 Season
