James J. Reed (1903 â April 1, 1994) was an American multi-sport athlete and coach, best known for his lengthy tenure at Princeton University where he served as the head coach for both the men's soccer and wrestling teams. He also served as the head coach of the United States men's national soccer team from 1959 to 1961.
Reed was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. He attended Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1923. He went on to attend Lehigh University, where he was a standout dual-sport athlete, competing for four seasons on the wrestling team and three seasons on the soccer team before graduating in 1927. Following his collegiate career, he was selected as an alternate for the United States Olympic Wrestling Team for the 1928 Summer Olympics.
Reed also played semi-professional American football for the Bethlehem Panthers (an early team in the Anthracite League era).
Reed joined the athletic staff at Princeton University in 1929 as an assistant wrestling coach. In September 1934, he succeeded Clarence Foster as the head wrestling coach, a position he held for 30 years until 1964. During his wrestling tenure, he compiled a career record of 109âÂÂ106âÂÂ14.
In 1938, Reed took on additional duties as the head coach of the Princeton Tigers men's soccer team. He led the program for 29 seasons (1938âÂÂ1966), compiling a record of 136âÂÂ95âÂÂ29. He remains the longest-tenured soccer coach in the university's history.
Reed was appointed head coach of the United States men's national soccer team in 1959. He managed the team through 1961, overseeing four matches with a record of 0 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses. His tenure included World Cup qualifiers against Mexico.
Starting in the 1950s, Reed served as a part-time wrestling coach at the Hun School of Princeton. After retiring from Princeton University in 1969, he joined the Hun School as a full-time wrestling and soccer coach. He was inducted into the Hun School's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
Reed was a prominent figure in American collegiate athletics administration. He served as the President of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) in 1938 and 1947 and as President of the American Wrestling Coaches Association in 1942. He chaired the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee from 1949 to 1950 and the NCAA Soccer Rules Committee in 1952.
In soccer administration, he served as the secretary-treasurer of the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association (1960âÂÂ1963) and as president of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in 1962.