Dr. Bob Contiguglia (center), at the 1998 U.S. Soccer AGM in Hawaii with former USSF president Alan I. Rothenberg (left) and ex-secretary general Hank Steinbrecher. (Photo by Michael Lewis)
Great Neck, N.Y. native Dr. Bob Contiguglia has been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame on the Builder’s ballot, it was announced Thursday afternoon.
Contiguglia was president of the U.S. Soccer Federation from 1998-2006, succeeding Alan I. Rothenberg and preceding Sunil Gulati. He served a U.S. Youth Soccer president from 1990-96.
During his tenure, the U.S. women’s national team captured the 1999 Women’s World Cup and rebounded from a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics to win the gold at the Athens Summer Games.
Affectionally known as Dr. Bob to many in the U.S. soccer community, Contiguglia secured his undergraduate degree at Columbia University before earning a medical degree at SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn to become a kidney specialist.
Contiguglia is a retired nephrologist who also is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Colorado. He was informed of his election by another Hall of Fame, former U.S. secretary general Hank Steinbrecher.
Dr. Bob will be inducted into the Hall at its grand opening during Hall of Fame weekend in Frisco, Texas Oct. 20-21.
Saturday, Oct. 20 will feature the Hall of Fame induction ceremony followed by a performance by the Grammy Award-winning band, Imagine Dragons, presented by Budweiser. On Sunday, Oct. 21, FC Dallas will host Sporting Kansas City in the National Soccer Hall of Fame Game.
NSHOF officials said on Twitter that there will be five announcements about the Class of 2018.
The schedule of Thursday’s announcements:
* Inductee 1 — 9 a.m. ET
* Inductee 2 — 11 a.m. ET
* Inductee 3 — 1 p.m. ET
* Inductee 4 — 2 p.m. ET
* Inductee 5 — 5 p.m. ET