EXERT & EXHALE
under American soccer legend, Walt Chyzowych.
The Ukrainian-born Chyzowych was an
accomplished player in his time but is most
remembered as a preeminent soccer coaching
luminary in the sport of soccer in America. He
touched innumerable lives, including Hackworth’s
during his time at Wake Forest.
By the end of Hack’s schooling in 1992, the flashy
and popularly-supported North American Soccer
League was nearly seven years defunct, and the
professional prospects in the country were not as
lucrative as they once were. Hackworth graduated
from Wake Forest with his eye on its Bowman Gray
Medical School, while also furthering his playing
career professionally at local side Carolina Crunch.
After seeing Hackworth coach children in soccer
camps and lead the Demon Deacons in the locker
room, Chyzowych implored him to start coaching.
Hack quickly took on a coaching role with the newly-
formed Wake Forest women’s team a year before
they started formally playing, with the goal to join
the NCAA ranks the following season.
Walter Chyzowych unexpectedly died after
suffering a heart attack on Sept. 2, 1994. His death
sent ripples through the United States’ soccer world.
Many people’s lives were touched by the titan of
the sport, and Hackworth’s was no different. Before
Chyzowych’s death, coaching was a side job for
Hack. After, it became his sole focus, and Hackworth
dedicated his life to coaching the sport.
In the breech left behind, Wake Forest assistant-
turned-head coach Jay Vidovich needed help
managing the team in his new capacity. Hackworth
assumed the assistant coach role for the men’s
program. Over the ensuing three seasons, he started
to build his reputation as a developmentally-minded
coach. He also started a family with his wife, Tricia.
In 1998 and at just 28 years old, Hackworth became
the youngest coach in the NCAA when he was hired
by the University of South Florida (USF), a move
that returned him to his native Tampa Bay locale.
His career has been heralded and impressive.
But it was the combination of youth experience, the
tactical acumen and far more that made Hackworth
such an attractive prospect for the Louisville City
FC task force assembled to hire their next coach.
Hackworth’s resume – which has been widely
reported – spoke for itself, but it was a delicate
situation to drop into. “You have to be careful
about any time you make changes,” he said. “From
a philosophical standpoint, I didn’t want to come in
here … and blow it up, because it was a good team
and a good culture.”
Hack quickly earned the respect of the locker
room, sooner than even he expected: “The players
and the openness and the way that we seemed to
develop between the players and the coaching staff
allowed us to go a lot further than I thought before
we got done with the season last year.”
The team heads into 2019 with a sizeable target
on its back, but Hack would not have it any other
way. “I think it’s a daunting challenge, but at the
same time, on a personal level, I love that. I think
it’s great that our league is getting better and that
the clubs are getting better. Stadiums are getting
built, (and) it’s a wonderful sign of growth and
development of our sport in this country,” he said.
“I was never one to say I want to go compete in
something that I knew I could win. I always try to
challenge myself with the belief that you’ve gotta
get out of your comfort zone.”
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