Newman Participates in a Game of ‘What If’ : In Final Year of Contract, Socker Coach Discusses His Career Possibilities

The John Madden of soccer telecasts? Commissioner of the Major Indoor Soccer League? International ambassador for indoor soccer?

In the final year of his three-year contract, Socker Coach Ron Newman has no desire to leave the Sockers or get out of coaching, but in a recent conversation, the winningest professional soccer coach in this country said he might someday want to consider a new challenge.

Broadcasting: If Newman displays the same acerbic wit on the air as he does in interviews, he has the makings of a colorful color man.

A couple of Newmanisms:

After being fined $2,000 by the MISL and being notified that Los Angeles Lazer official Ron Weinstein could not attend Socker-Lazer games in San Diego this season:

“That’s (Weinstein going to the Sports Arena) really a recreational activity for him. I told the commissioner, ‘I’ll forgo the $2,000 fine and he can ban me from Sea World for a year.’ ”

When Branko Segota refused to sign a six-year, $1.2-million contract, thus canceling a news conference:

“Branko thinks he’s upset. I’m the one who had to shell out $7.50 to dry - clean my suit for this bloody news conference.”

Newman has been taking a correspondence course through the Columbia School of Broadcasting in San Diego since September. A natural with one-liners, Newman is working on voice projection, speech and delivery.

Said Mary Testa, the director of the school’s communications center: “He has a wonderful sense of humor and knowledge. He’s lucky to be blessed with a British accent. His speech is precise . . .

“He’s a very talented man. The way in which he delivers words and puts an edge on them is great.”

Wonder if MISL officials--who are often taunted by Newman--would agree with that assessment?

Commissioner: “I think I’ve been around the game long enough to know the right level of professionalism needed to present the league to the people,” Newman said.

Newman, 52, has been involved with soccer his entire life and has played or coached in the United States since he joined the Atlanta Chiefs of the North American Soccer League as a defender in 1967.

He is familiar with fines and possible suspensions.

Can you imagine Newman dealing with such coaching adversaries as Alan Hinton of Tacoma and Peter Wall of Los Angeles?

Newman becoming MISL commissioner would be a little like Al Davis replacing Pete Rozelle as the commissioner of the National Football League.

International Ambassador: How about taking American indoor soccer--sideboards and all--to Japan, Italy, France, Switzerland or Yugoslavia?

“I would be responsible for taking this game into different countries,” Newman said. “Nobody in the rest of the world realizes what happens on an indoor field. Playing this game is an art.”

It’s an art that Newman helped develop in indoor soccer. He invented soccer’s “Super Power Play,” whereby the goalkeeper is removed in favor of an extra attacker. Newman has been instrumental in revolutionizing line changes so that they can be used as an offensive weapon.

“The beauty of indoor soccer is that the sport is so new,” Newman said. “We’re learning all the time. Every coach is developing a new strategy or approach.”

Newman said that during the 1984 Olympics he realized he would have liked to have been the U.S. National soccer coach.

Newman doesn’t foresee himself being the U.S. Olympic coach in 1988, but hopes to help make indoor soccer an Olympic sport that would be played in the Winter Games.

Referee? Owner? General Manager?

These are less likely career choices for Newman, but ones that he has still entertained thoughts about. Or laughed about.

Referee: Can you imagine Ron Newman with a whistle? The zebra fraternity would never be the same.

Even Newman had to smile at the thought.

“I’m already too old for that,” Newman said.

Too old and too accustomed to baiting referees.

Owner: “I would have to have a lot more money than soccer coaches earn,” Newman said.

General Manager: Newman’s ego tells him this might not be the best position for him.

“I might want to be too involved in the coaching side,” Newman said.

Coaching: Newman has won championships in four professional leagues.

He won the North American Soccer League title with the Dallas Tornado in 1971, the American Soccer League title with the Los Angeles Skyhawks in 1976, the NASL indoor titles with the Sockers in the 1981-82 and 1983-84 seasons and MISL indoor titles in 1982-83, 1984-85 and 1985-86.

With his success, Newman has been courted by other teams. But he wants to stay with the Sockers.

His agent, David Kessler, will start negotiations with Socker managing general partner Bob Bell soon.

“I was hoping to do something before the season,” said Newman, who has coached the Sockers since 1980. “I was in the best position, having won five championships. We don’t want it to come to the end of the season and have it up in the air.”

Bell says he will turn his attention to Newman’s new contract as soon as he completes contract negotiations with midfielder Branko Segota.

“I hope to sign Ron to a long-term contract,” Bell said. “Four or five years. . . . And I don’t anticipate any problems.”

Said Newman: “I really have to consider everything. But I’m not a gypsy coach. I haven’t jumped ship to make an extra $20,000. Much to my downfall. It’s probably more clinical a way of doing it.”

Newman likes San Diego and has been an instrumental part of the Sockers’ dynasty. In addition to continuing as coach, Newman hopes to play an active role in developing young players on the reserve team.

“I’m bullish on the second-team concept,” Newman said. “But if I’m not here, it’s a lot of time and wasted effort. When you hear rumors that another team might be interested in you (Newman), that puts doubts in your mind that take away interest in development.”

Wherever Newman goes, he wants some security. Unlike many successful coaches in major professional sports in the United States, soccer coaches are not set for life when they retire.

“I worry about pensions,” said Newman, who earns in the neighborhood of $100,000 a year. “There is nothing set up to look after the soccer coaches of the world. You have to look after yourself. That part of my future is something I’m really concerned with. Security is a big factor.”

Right now, that means signing a long-term coaching deal.

“I enjoy the coaching so much,” Newman said. “Maybe it’s because I’m winning so much. I would like to continue to be associated with a club. I don’t know what too old is in coaching.”