Bob Lilley (soccer)
Robert "Bob" Lilley (born May 2, 1966) is an American soccer coach who is the head coach of USL Championship club Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. He has managed the Hershey Wildcats, Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps, Detroit Ignition, and Rochester Rhinos. A former midfielder, he played collegiately at George Mason before appearing at the professional level for Orlando Lions and Maryland Bays and indoors with Hershey Impact, Harrisburg Heat, and Pittsburgh Stingers. Early life Bob Lilley was born on May 2, 1966 in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. He grew up in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and attended Carlisle High School. He played for the Carlisle High varsity soccer team for all four years of high school, and usually featured as a forward or midfielder. Playing career Bob Lilley attended George Mason University and played for the George Mason Patriots from 1984 to 1987. As a freshman, he played in midfield, but moved to a defensive role starting in his sophomore year. He played in 82 games for the Patriots, which was the second-most appearances in school history Lilley served as team captain for the Patriots. Lilley graduated from George Mason in spring of 1988. In October 1988, Lilley signed with American Indoor Soccer Association expansion team Hershey Impact. In 1989, Lilley signed with the Orlando Lions of the American Soccer League. In 1990, the ASL merged with the Western Soccer Alliance to form the American Professional Soccer League. Lilley spent the 1990 season with the Lions in the new APSL. In the fall of 1990, he joined the Hershey Impact of the National Professional Soccer League. In 1992, he moved to the Harrisburg Heat. In 1994, he spent the summer indoor season with the Pittsburgh Stingers in the Continental Indoor Soccer League. Following the 1996–97 NPSL season, Lilley retired from playing and entered the coaching ranks. He played his final home match for the Heat on January 18, 1997. Coaching career Lilley officially became head coach of the USISL A-League expansion franchise Hershey Wildcats on January 20, 1997, immediately following his retirement as a player the weekend prior. He would remain the team's coach through its entire five-year existence. He led Hershey to the playoffs each year, as well winning A-League coach of the year in his rookie season. He was able to guide Hershey to one Northern Conference and three Atlantic Division titles as well as the 2001 A-League National Championship final, which they lost 2–0 to the Rochester Raging Rhinos. After the 2001 season, the team was folded by the ownership, having decided that the team would not be successful financially. On January 23, 2002 he was appointed the new head coach of the Montreal Impact signing on a two-year contract. His first season with the Impact, the team finished first in the Northeast Division, and also claimed the Voyageurs Cup. In 2003, he led Montreal to the Eastern Conference title and, the Voyageurs Cup for the second time in a row. And for the second time in his career he wins