GLAD BUGARIU

Professional Football / Soccer Coach

  Specializing in Women's, Youth and Goalkeeping Coaching and Development

Welcome to the website of Glad Bugariu, currently the head women's football coach at South Carolina State University in the first division (NCAA I) of the United States university league. After only one year in charge, Mr. Bugariu was able to place 3rd in their league in 2009, the highest finish in history, while also winning more games then the club had in the previous 4 seasons combined.

Mr. Bugariu has experience both domestically and internationally and was one of the youngest national team managers in the history of the game, with experience in three different countries before reaching 30 years of age. In the fall of 2000, at only 25 years of age, he was named Technical Director of the U.S. Virgin Islands in CONCACAF, a country with a population of only 108,000 people. Mr. Bugariu was responsible for the development of the game in the country, creating programs that resulted in a 120% rise in soccer participation, in addition to creating national teams at every level. International headlines were made with the formation of a women's program at both senior and Under 19 levels for the first in the history of the country. Both teams had significant success, with the senior women's national team reaching the second round of World Cup qualifying in the CONCACAF region. Additionally, he was in charge of all national teams concentrating on the youth programs. Using mostly players under the age of 20 for all senior national team games, Mr. Bugariu also achieved the first ever rise in the men's FIFA Rankings for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Following his departure from the Virgin Islands, Bugariu continued to work toward the development of soccer, this in the state of New Mexico in the United States. During his time in New Mexico, Bugariu served as Director of Coaching and Player Development for Northern FC, a club with over 1000 players. However, with the 2006 World Cup approaching, the Grenada Football Association came calling, hiring Bugariu as the assistant national team coach.

During his time in Grenada, the national team reached the second round of World Cup qualifying narrowly losing to the United States, in addition to advancing from the "Group of Death" during Gold Cup qualifying in Trinidad and Tobago. These achievements resulted in a 13-place rise in the FIFA rankings, the most significant advancement in the history of the country.

From a developmental standpoint, Mr. Bugariu created the Grenada National Goalkeeper Development Program and the goalkeeper coach education curriculum.

Upon his return to the United States he took over the women’s football program at Belmont Abbey College (NCAA II) and his contribution was significant, winning two league titles, two league tournament cups, and a cup runner up spot in just three years.

Over his career Glad Bugariu has had the chance to work with coaches such as Dave Sexton (England), Marcos Falopa (Brazil), Alex Hernandez (USA), Gary Stempel (England), Stuart Brown (USA), Laurentiu Daniel (Romania), Edmundo Chaves (Mexico), Michael Adams (England), Andrew Stokes (England/ USA) Jamaal Shabazz (Trinidad and Tobago), Thiago Cunha (Brazil) Clayton Morris (Trinidad and Tobago), Illia Tomajanov (Republic of Georgia), Lester Smith (Grenada).

Born in Bucharest, Romania Glad has extensive experience working at all levels of the game, holding coaching licenses from three different countries and specializing in the development of football, specifically with youth, women, and goalkeeping.