Temple University Athletics
Temple Mourns Passing of All-Time Men’s Soccer Great Len Oliver
7.27.22 | Men's Soccer
PHILADELPHIA – Len Oliver, who starred on Temple's two National Champion Men's Soccer teams in the 1950s, passed away in Washington, D.C. on July 24. He was 88.
Oliver, who was inducted into the Temple University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981 and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1996, was a three-time soccer All-American and standout performer on the Owls 1951 and 1953 teams that won the National Championship with undefeated seasons.
"Len Oliver was not only an amazing soccer player, but an amazing man," said Temple men's soccer coach Brian Rowland. "His accomplishments on the pitch were at the highest level, both at Temple and nationally. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time."
A midfielder, Oliver played for U.S. national amateur teams at the 1963 Pan-American Games and 1964 Olympic qualifiers. He also won an American Soccer League championship in 1956 with Uhrik Truckers of Philadelphia. Over his career, Oliver also played with Baltimore Pompei and Ludlow Lusitano in the ASL and also with the San Francisco Mercury. He also played for numerous teams with the U.S. Army in Europe in the 1950s.
A Philadelphia native, Oliver played for the Lighthouse Boys Club as a youth and would help the Lighthouse Juniors team win the National Junior Challenge Cup in 1948 and 1949. He also starred at Northeast High, winning All-Scholastic honors twice and making the All-Public League Team three times.
A baseball standout who earned three varsity letters and captained the 1955 Temple team, it was the soccer pitch where Oliver excelled. He earned All-American honors in 1951, 1953 and 1954. The Owls lost only three soccer games during his four varsity seasons. He started at center back for the Temple varsity as a freshman and captained the team at the 1952 Soccer Bowl where the Owls defeated San Francisco, 2-0.
In 1952, as a 17-year-old, Oliver was named an alternate for the US Olympic soccer team. In 1955 after graduating college, he signed with Philadelphia ASL side Uhrik Truckers, where he was coached by Jimmy Mills and played alongside Walt Bahr and Benny McLaughlin. His time with Uhrik Truckers was cut short when his leg was broken in a match against Ludlow Lusitano in October 1955. He returned to the team in 1956 before beginning a three-year enlistment in the US Army.
His soccer career continued during his military service, as he joined Ludlow Lusitano and then San Francisco Mercury as he was posted to different bases. Trained in Romanian, Oliver was sent to Germany in 1958 where he played with local Bavarian side Inn-Chimsee and also captained the US CISM (Conseil International du Sports Militaire) team. A case of mononucleosis in 1960 meant Oliver once again was unable to participate in Olympic tryouts. In 1962 he was selected for the US team at the Pan American Games in Brazil and in 1963 made the US team that played in Mexico in the qualifying rounds for the 1964 Olympics.
After his competitive playing career, Oliver would embark on a long career in coaching, earning a USSF 'A' License and training over 5,000 coaches from 91 countries in USSF-licensed coaching courses. He was active with DC Stoddart for over 25 years, including serving as the club's Director of Coaching.
Besides the National Soccer and Temple Halls of Fame, he was also inducted into the Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Virginia-DC Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001.
"The game has given me so much," Oliver said in 2013, "travel, an education, life-long friends, a spirit of accomplishment, cross-cultural experiences, and a sense of being part of 'the world's game.'"
"My greatest reward is seeing coaches I have trained over the years passing the game on to their young charges."
In 2016, Oliver pledged, upon death, to donate his brain and spinal cord to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, which studies brain trauma in former athletes.
At the time, he was believed to be the oldest person to decide to donate to the foundation. Even though he did not have symptoms consistent with those of former athletes who developed dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Oliver stressed the importance of researchers examining brains of those who competed many years before the lasting effects of head injuries became prevalent.
"Take an old guy. Take a guy who has been in the sport his entire life and take a look," he said in 2016. "If there's nothing there, good."
Oliver is survived by his wife Eleanor, his daughters Erika and Britt-Karin, and two granddaughters.
Oliver, who was inducted into the Temple University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981 and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1996, was a three-time soccer All-American and standout performer on the Owls 1951 and 1953 teams that won the National Championship with undefeated seasons.
"Len Oliver was not only an amazing soccer player, but an amazing man," said Temple men's soccer coach Brian Rowland. "His accomplishments on the pitch were at the highest level, both at Temple and nationally. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time."
A midfielder, Oliver played for U.S. national amateur teams at the 1963 Pan-American Games and 1964 Olympic qualifiers. He also won an American Soccer League championship in 1956 with Uhrik Truckers of Philadelphia. Over his career, Oliver also played with Baltimore Pompei and Ludlow Lusitano in the ASL and also with the San Francisco Mercury. He also played for numerous teams with the U.S. Army in Europe in the 1950s.
A Philadelphia native, Oliver played for the Lighthouse Boys Club as a youth and would help the Lighthouse Juniors team win the National Junior Challenge Cup in 1948 and 1949. He also starred at Northeast High, winning All-Scholastic honors twice and making the All-Public League Team three times.
A baseball standout who earned three varsity letters and captained the 1955 Temple team, it was the soccer pitch where Oliver excelled. He earned All-American honors in 1951, 1953 and 1954. The Owls lost only three soccer games during his four varsity seasons. He started at center back for the Temple varsity as a freshman and captained the team at the 1952 Soccer Bowl where the Owls defeated San Francisco, 2-0.
In 1952, as a 17-year-old, Oliver was named an alternate for the US Olympic soccer team. In 1955 after graduating college, he signed with Philadelphia ASL side Uhrik Truckers, where he was coached by Jimmy Mills and played alongside Walt Bahr and Benny McLaughlin. His time with Uhrik Truckers was cut short when his leg was broken in a match against Ludlow Lusitano in October 1955. He returned to the team in 1956 before beginning a three-year enlistment in the US Army.
His soccer career continued during his military service, as he joined Ludlow Lusitano and then San Francisco Mercury as he was posted to different bases. Trained in Romanian, Oliver was sent to Germany in 1958 where he played with local Bavarian side Inn-Chimsee and also captained the US CISM (Conseil International du Sports Militaire) team. A case of mononucleosis in 1960 meant Oliver once again was unable to participate in Olympic tryouts. In 1962 he was selected for the US team at the Pan American Games in Brazil and in 1963 made the US team that played in Mexico in the qualifying rounds for the 1964 Olympics.
After his competitive playing career, Oliver would embark on a long career in coaching, earning a USSF 'A' License and training over 5,000 coaches from 91 countries in USSF-licensed coaching courses. He was active with DC Stoddart for over 25 years, including serving as the club's Director of Coaching.
Besides the National Soccer and Temple Halls of Fame, he was also inducted into the Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Virginia-DC Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001.
"The game has given me so much," Oliver said in 2013, "travel, an education, life-long friends, a spirit of accomplishment, cross-cultural experiences, and a sense of being part of 'the world's game.'"
"My greatest reward is seeing coaches I have trained over the years passing the game on to their young charges."
In 2016, Oliver pledged, upon death, to donate his brain and spinal cord to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, which studies brain trauma in former athletes.
At the time, he was believed to be the oldest person to decide to donate to the foundation. Even though he did not have symptoms consistent with those of former athletes who developed dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Oliver stressed the importance of researchers examining brains of those who competed many years before the lasting effects of head injuries became prevalent.
"Take an old guy. Take a guy who has been in the sport his entire life and take a look," he said in 2016. "If there's nothing there, good."
Oliver is survived by his wife Eleanor, his daughters Erika and Britt-Karin, and two granddaughters.
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