Elvis Comrie
Encyclopedia
Elvis Comrie is an English-American football (soccer)
forward
. Comrie played three seasons in the North American Soccer League
, one in Major Indoor Soccer League
, one in the American Indoor Soccer Association, two in the American Soccer League
and one in the American Professional Soccer League
. He earned four caps with the U.S. national team in 1984. Comrie worked briefly as a stockbroker and was formerly a college soccer coach.
. He played for both his school team, the Bristol Boys and his club team, the Kingsford Rangers, part of the Bristol City
club system. When he was ten, Comrie’s father moved to the U.S. where he settled in Brooklyn
and worked to bring over his family. Comrie continued to live in Bristol where Rovers offered Comrie a contract when he was twelve. Comrie’s father refused to allow his son to sign with the club, insisting Comrie continue with school. Soon after, the Comrie family moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant
a particularly harsh neighborhood in Brooklyn to join his father. Comrie attended Fort Hamilton High School
where he continued to play soccer.
After high school, Comrie entered the University of Connecticut
where he majored in home economics
and played on the powerhouse Huskies soccer team from 1979 to 1982. The Huskies won the 1981 NCAA Championship
. Comrie was named a second team All American in 1981 and finished second on career points list with 145. While Comrie finished his collegiate career in 1982, he did not graduate with a bachelor’s degree in fashion design until 1986.
of the North American Soccer League
(NASL) drafted Comrie. That season, he was runner up to fellow UConn team mate Pedro DeBrito
for Rookie of the Year. The Manic folded at the end of the 1983 NASL season and Comrie moved to the Chicago Sting
for the 1984 season. The Sting won the 1984 NASL championship
. The NASL folded after the 1984 season and several of the league’s teams then jumped to the Major Indoor Soccer League
(MISL).
. His first game with the national team came in a scoreless tie with Italy
on May 30, 1984. While he started the game, he came off for Michael Fox
. He then played three games in October with his last national team game coming on October 17, 1984 in a 2-1 loss to Mexico
. He replaced Steve Sharp
at halftime.
. While the Cosmos began the 1984-1985 season, they folded after the All Star break.
of the American Indoor Soccer Association (AISA). The Shoccers folded at the end of the 1986-1987 season. Comrie retired from playing and became a stockbroker.
, Comrie suffered significant losses, as he found he had not diversified his investments properly, placing large bets on instruments that inevitably collapsed. This led to a re-evaluation of his career and his return to soccer.
of the American Soccer League
(ASL). He was a first team All Star. He moved to the Albany Capitals
for the 1989 and 1990 seasons. In 1991, he retired from playing professionally for a second time, this time permanently, to enter the coaching ranks.
through an old friend, Shaun Green, the head coach at the university. In 1991, was hired as the head coach of Holy Cross
. This position was not a full time job until 1996. He led the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2002, and won five Patriot League regular season titles, the last in 2007. Comrie finished with a career record of 125-158-34. He holds many school coaching records including most wins and most losses. On 24 December 2008, Comrie resigned as the head coach at Holy Cross. Comrie also runs the Elvis Comrie Soccer Academy.
He was inducted into the Connecticut Hall of Fame in 2005. Now he Coaches Valeo F.C.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. Comrie played three seasons in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
, one in Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
, one in the American Indoor Soccer Association, two in the American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
and one in the American Professional Soccer League
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...
. He earned four caps with the U.S. national team in 1984. Comrie worked briefly as a stockbroker and was formerly a college soccer coach.
Youth and college
Born in England to Jamaican parents, Comrie was named after Elvis PresleyElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. He played for both his school team, the Bristol Boys and his club team, the Kingsford Rangers, part of the Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
club system. When he was ten, Comrie’s father moved to the U.S. where he settled in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and worked to bring over his family. Comrie continued to live in Bristol where Rovers offered Comrie a contract when he was twelve. Comrie’s father refused to allow his son to sign with the club, insisting Comrie continue with school. Soon after, the Comrie family moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant
Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
Bedford-Stuyvesant is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Formed in 1930, the neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 3, Brooklyn Community Board 8 and Brooklyn Community Board 16. The neighborhood is patrolled by the NYPD's 79th and 81st...
a particularly harsh neighborhood in Brooklyn to join his father. Comrie attended Fort Hamilton High School
Fort Hamilton High School
Fort Hamilton High School is a public high school in Brooklyn, New York, USA, under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Education. Students in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park and Dyker Heights are zoned to Fort Hamilton HS. It has stood overlooking the Narrows and Lower New York Bay since...
where he continued to play soccer.
After high school, Comrie entered the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
where he majored in home economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
and played on the powerhouse Huskies soccer team from 1979 to 1982. The Huskies won the 1981 NCAA Championship
NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
The NCAA began conducting a Men's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1959 with an eight-team tournament. Currently, the tournament field consists of 48 teams...
. Comrie was named a second team All American in 1981 and finished second on career points list with 145. While Comrie finished his collegiate career in 1982, he did not graduate with a bachelor’s degree in fashion design until 1986.
NASL
In 1982, the Montreal ManicMontreal Manic
Montreal Manic were a soccer team based out of Montreal that played in the NASL. They played from 1981 to 1983. Their home field was Olympic Stadium...
of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
(NASL) drafted Comrie. That season, he was runner up to fellow UConn team mate Pedro DeBrito
Pedro DeBrito
Pedro Gomez DeBrito is a retired U.S.-Cape Verdean soccer midfielder. His career took him through multiple U.S. leagues including the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League and the National Professional Soccer League. He earned one cap with the U.S...
for Rookie of the Year. The Manic folded at the end of the 1983 NASL season and Comrie moved to the Chicago Sting
Chicago Sting
The Chicago Sting was an American professional soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from in the 1982-83 season and again from 1984 to 1988...
for the 1984 season. The Sting won the 1984 NASL championship
1984 NASL Season
The 1984 NASL season was the 72nd season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 17th with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, as well as the 17th and final season of the North American Soccer League...
. The NASL folded after the 1984 season and several of the league’s teams then jumped to the Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
(MISL).
National team
In 1984, Comrie earned four caps with the U.S. national teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. His first game with the national team came in a scoreless tie with Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
on May 30, 1984. While he started the game, he came off for Michael Fox
Mike Fox (soccer)
Michael “Mike” Fox is a retired American soccer midfielder. He began his professional career with the New York Cosmos in 1983 and ended it with the Los Angeles Heat in 1994. In between those two teams, he played for numerous teams in multiple indoor and outdoor league. He also earned seventeen...
. He then played three games in October with his last national team game coming on October 17, 1984 in a 2-1 loss to Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
. He replaced Steve Sharp
Steve Sharp
Steve Sharp is a former U.S. soccer forward who played in the Major Indoor Soccer League, Western Soccer Alliance and American Professional Soccer League. He also earned eight caps, scoring one goal, with the U.S. national team in 1984 and 1985....
at halftime.
MISL
Comrie now found himself in the MISL, but the Sting traded him to the New York CosmosNew York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
. While the Cosmos began the 1984-1985 season, they folded after the All Star break.
France
At the age of 27 Comrie left his stockbroker career and went to France for a try out where he spent six months playing for Montpellier HSC. He played alongside Carlos Valderrama and Roger Milla, however he eventually came back to United States where he began his coaching career at the Central Connecticut State University as an assistant to fellow Englishman Shaun Green but was later offered a head coach position at Holly Cross University where he coached for the following 18 years.AISA
In 1986, Comrie joined the Chicago ShoccersChicago Shoccers
The Chicago Vultures were an indoor soccer club based in Chicago, Illinois that competed in the American Indoor Soccer Association.After their first season, the club was renamed the Chicago Shoccers.-Former Players:...
of the American Indoor Soccer Association (AISA). The Shoccers folded at the end of the 1986-1987 season. Comrie retired from playing and became a stockbroker.
Stockbroker
On October 19, 1987, now known as Black MondayBlack Monday (1987)
In finance, Black Monday refers to Monday October 19, 1987, when stock markets around the world crashed, shedding a huge value in a very short time. The crash began in Hong Kong and spread west to Europe, hitting the United States after other markets had already declined by a significant margin...
, Comrie suffered significant losses, as he found he had not diversified his investments properly, placing large bets on instruments that inevitably collapsed. This led to a re-evaluation of his career and his return to soccer.
ASL
In 1988, he signed with the Maryland BaysMaryland Bays
The Maryland Bays were an inaugural franchise of the third incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1988.They were based in Catonsville, Maryland, and played their games at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. The team joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the ASL...
of the American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
(ASL). He was a first team All Star. He moved to the Albany Capitals
Albany Capitals
The Albany Capitals joined the third incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1989. The team joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the ASL merged with the Western Soccer League...
for the 1989 and 1990 seasons. In 1991, he retired from playing professionally for a second time, this time permanently, to enter the coaching ranks.
Coaching
Comrie gained his first coaching job as an assistant at Central Connecticut State UniversityCentral Connecticut State University
Central Connecticut State University is a state university in New Britain, Connecticut, United States.The school was moved to its present campus in 1922...
through an old friend, Shaun Green, the head coach at the university. In 1991, was hired as the head coach of Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
. This position was not a full time job until 1996. He led the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2002, and won five Patriot League regular season titles, the last in 2007. Comrie finished with a career record of 125-158-34. He holds many school coaching records including most wins and most losses. On 24 December 2008, Comrie resigned as the head coach at Holy Cross. Comrie also runs the Elvis Comrie Soccer Academy.
He was inducted into the Connecticut Hall of Fame in 2005. Now he Coaches Valeo F.C.