Hellenic United AC | Chicago, IL

Hellenic United Athletic Club is pleased to announce that Mr. Minos Vlamakis has joined its soccer family and welcomes him as the Club's Major Division team head coach. His expertise, varied experiences, and passion for the game are without a doubt a perfect match to HUAC's vision and mission.
 
Minos Vlamakis is in his third season on staff with the UIC Flames this fall after being an integral part of the two most successful seasons in the team's history in 2007 and 2008. The 28-year old Elmwood Park native has spent the last two seasons monitoring everything from team training, administrative duties and exclusive work with the team's youngest players as they transition from high school to Division I college soccer.  In fact, several of these players have already made key contributions to the UIC Men's soccer team, helping the rest of the roster win the 2007 Horizon League tournament and the 2008 Horizon League regular-season championship while earing two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Prior to joining UIC, Vlamakis was an Assistant Coach at Oakton College for two years, helping guide the Raiders to two straight NJCAA Regional Finals as well as developing two NSCAA adidas All-Americans, four NSCAA adidas All-Region players and two Skyway Conference MVPs.

His arguably most well-known accomplishments thus far have come as head coach of the Illinois State Select Team.  Not having won a trophy in over 20 years, Vlamakis took over the program in 2004 and won four straight USASA Region II Championships (2004-2007) before winning the George F. Donnelly Cup - the USASA National Select Team Championship - in both 2006/2007 and 2007/2008. The 2007 triumph was the first USASA National Select Team Championship captured in the 90+ year history of the Illinois State Soccer Association.

Vlamakis first came on the coaching scene in 2004 while playing with the Assyrian Winged Bull in Chicago's National Soccer League before an injury opened the door to a new calling in coaching. Vlamakis helped guide the historic club to its first ever National Championship, winning the 2004 USASA Amateur Cup.  He finished his time with Winged Bull helping the club to two USASA Regional Championships, five NSL Regular-Season championships and four NSL Overall Championships in addition to the historic National title.

In 2006, Vlamakis signed on as head coach of RWB Adria and in nearly three years helped turn one of Illinois' most successful teams into a national powerhouse.  In his first season, Vlamakis helped lead the Croatian club to their first NSL Overall Championship in nearly 7 years before repeating the feat in 2007 and 2008.  During his three-year tenure there, Adria also captured three Illinois State Cups, three Illinois Open Cups and an Illinois Amateur Cup, including remarkable five trophy-winning season in 2008 that saw the club win the NSL Overall Championship, the Illinois State Cup, the Illinois Amateur Cup, the Illinois Open Cup and the USASA Region II Open Cup championships.  Upon leaving the Croatian club and the Amateur game in 2008, Vlamakis turned his efforts to the youth level, signing on as Staff Coach and currently as a Director of Chicago United Futbol Club, one of the Illinois' most up-and-coming and prominent youth clubs.

For his efforts, Vlamakis has been named the 2006 and 2007 NSL Coach of the Year, the 2006 and 2007 Illinois Coach of the Year, the 2007 USASA Region II (Midwest) Coach of the Year and the 2007 USASA National Coach of the Year, becoming the youngest coach in the history of U.S. Soccer to receive that prestigious award at the State, Regional and National levels.

In addition to his role as a coach in the youth, collegiate and Amateur game, Vlamakis has been a USSF Referee for 10 years and in 2006 was elected to the Illinois State Soccer Association's Executive Board, become the youngest board member in the history of the ISSA. Vlamakis currently resides in Wood Dale and is working on his Master's Degree in Education.

When asked to share his thoughts with his new affiliation, Mr Vlamakis states, "Not since being in Portugal at Euro 2004 to watch all of Greece's matches before they shocked the entire soccer world have I been so proud to be Greek.  The chance to help build and promote the Greek community through soccer has long been a dream of mine and after years of working with various ethnic clubs,  I am elated and proud to have found a "Hellenic home" within the game of soccer in Illinois and to be joining Hellenic United Athletic Club".
 
Everyone at HUAC is  looking forward to a great 2010 season!