{{Short description|American soccer player and coach}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Use American English|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name= Kazbek Tambi | fullname = | image = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|12|8}} | birth_place = [[Paterson, New Jersey]], [[United States]] | height = | position = [[Midfield]] | youthyears1 = 1979–1983 | youthclubs1 = [[Columbia University]] | years1 = 1983–1984 | years2 = 1984 | years3 = 1984–1985 | years4 = 1985–1986 | years5 = 1986–1987 | years6 = 1988 | clubs1 = [[New York Cosmos (1970–85)|New York Cosmos]] ''(indoor)'' | clubs2 = [[New York Cosmos (1970–85)|New York Cosmos]] | clubs3 = [[New York Cosmos (1970–85)|New York Cosmos]] ''(indoor)'' | clubs4 = [[Minnesota Strikers]] ''(indoor)'' | clubs5 = [[New York Express]] ''(indoor)'' | clubs6 = [[New Jersey Eagles]] | caps1 = 5 | caps2 = 5 | caps3 = 24 | caps4 = 26 | caps5 = 3 | goals1 = 0 | goals2 = 0 | goals3 = 4 | goals4 = 3 | goals5 = 0 | manageryears1 = 1998–2006 | manageryears2 = 2002–2004 | manageryears3 = 2005– | manageryears4 = 2007– | managerclubs1 = [[Seton Hall University|Seton Hall men]] ''(assistant)'' | managerclubs2 = [[New Jersey Stallions|New Jersey Stallions Women]] | managerclubs3 = United States U16 women | managerclubs4 = [[Seton Hall University|Seton Hall women]] }} '''Kazbek Tambi''' is a retired American [[Association football|soccer]] [[midfielder]] who formerly coached both [[Seton Hall University]] women's soccer team and the United States U-17 women's soccer team. He spent two seasons in the [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|North American Soccer League]], four in the [[Major Soccer League|Major Indoor Soccer League]] and one in the [[American Soccer League (1988–89)|American Soccer League]]. He was also a member of the U.S. Olympic soccer team at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]].
==Player==
===Youth=== Tambi was born in [[Paterson, New Jersey]] and attended [[Ridgewood High School (New Jersey)|Ridgewood High School]] in [[Ridgewood, New Jersey]], graduating in 1979.<ref name=RHS/> He is [[Karachays|Karachay]] and his family was originally from the [[North Caucasus]] region of [[Karachayevo-Cherkessia]], which they fled as refugees during [[World War II]] to [[Turkey]] before settling in Paterson.<ref>[http://www.forumgazetem.com/2013/06/21/milli-takim-antrenoru-kazbek-tambi-ile-spor-degerleri-uzerine-soylesi/ ''Milli Takım antrenörü Kazbek Tambi ile spor değerleri üzerine söyleşi'' Forum: Turkish-American Newspaper (Turkish)]</ref> He was a four-year starter on the school's soccer team, earning All State his senior year. After graduating from high school, he attended [[Columbia University]] from 1979 to 1983 where he played on the men's soccer team. He was the team captain and was part of the team which reached the 1983 Final Four. He graduated from Columbia with a [[Bachelor of Arts|bachelor's degree]] in [[economics]] in 1983.
===National team=== In 1983, Tambi was the captain of the U.S. team at the [[Football at the 1983 Pan American Games|1983 Pan American games]]. In 1984, he was a member of the [[United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics|U.S. team]] at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] in Los Angeles. He was originally named as an alternate to the team, but earned a roster spot when [[Dan Canter]] was injured just before the tournament.
===Professional=== The [[New York Cosmos (1970–85)|New York Cosmos]] of the [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|North American Soccer League]] drafted Tambi and he signed with the team on October 15, 1984. At the end of that season, the league folded and the Cosmos moved to the [[Major Soccer League|Major Indoor Soccer League]]. However, they were unable to complete the 1984–1985 MISL season before folding. On September 17, 1985, Tambi signed with the [[Minnesota Strikers]] of MISL.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9807E1D61639F934A2575AC0A963948260 SPORTS PEOPLE; Comings and Goings – New York Times]</ref> On September 5, 1986, the Strikers released Tambi.<ref>''Strikers release defender'' Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities – Saturday, September 6, 1986</ref> He then signed with the [[New York Express]] in November. The Express released him on January 3, 1987.<ref>''EXPRESS CUTS TAMBI, ADDS 2 EX-COSMOS'', ''[[The Record (Bergen County)]]'', January 4, 1987</ref> Tambi began law school in 1987, but returned to soccer in the spring of 1988 when he signed with the [[New Jersey Eagles]] of the [[American Soccer League (1988–89)|American Soccer League]].
==Coach== Since retiring from playing professionally, Tambi has coached extensively at the club, collegiate, professional and national team levels. On the club level, Tambi has served as the head coach of Arsenal World Class. He has spent time with both girls and boys team associated with the club.
In 1998, [[Seton Hall University]] hired Tambi as an assistant coach to the men's soccer team. Tambi would remain in that position through the 2006 season. On January 25, 2007, Seton Hall announced Tambi would become the head coach of the women's soccer team.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.shupirates.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=753191&DB_OEM_ID=12600 |title=Kazbek Tambi Named New Head Women's Soccer Coach – Seton Hall |access-date=2007-03-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709214903/http://www.shupirates.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=753191&DB_OEM_ID=12600 |archive-date=2011-07-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Tambi completed his law degree from [[Seton Hall]] in 1990. He practices law in addition to his coaching duties.
Tambi has also coached at the professional level, spending three seasons (2002–2005) with the defunct [[New Jersey Stallions]] women's team which competed in the [[USL W-League (1995–2015)|W-League]]. In June 2005, the [[United States Soccer Federation|U.S. Soccer Federation]] hired Tambi as the coach for the U.S. U-16 girls national team.
In 2004, [[Ridgewood High School (New Jersey)|Ridgewood High School]] inducted Tambi into its Athletic Hall of Fame.<ref name=RHS>[http://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/index.cfm?sid=6&nav_id=10478&ArticleID=29682 RHS Athletic Hall of Fame: Kazbek Tambi – Class of 1979] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329072635/http://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/index.cfm?sid=6&nav_id=10478&ArticleID=29682 |date=2009-03-29 }}, Ridgewood High School. Accessed July 30, 2007.</ref> Tambi has been a resident of [[Paramus, New Jersey]].<ref>Bell, Jack. [http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/us-womens-coach-pleads-for-better-skilled-players/ "U.S. Women's Coach Pleads for Better Players"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 18, 2009. Accessed February 8, 2011. ""They've made a concerted effort to bring loads of Brazilian players and coaches and have followed the Brazilian philosophy, which is about having great technical skills and playing a beautiful game," Tambi said during a recent interview at his home in Paramus, N.J."</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090329072635/http://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/index.cfm?sid=6&nav_id=10478&ArticleID=29682 Ridgewood High School bio] * [https://ussoccer.com/bio/index.jsp_78612.html Biography on U.S. Soccer] * [https://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/T/Tambi.Kazbek.htm NASL/MISL stats]
{{United States squad 1984 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tambi, Kazbek}} [[Category:1961 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American people of Russian descent]] [[Category:American men's soccer players]] [[Category:American soccer coaches]] [[Category:American Soccer League (1988–89) players]] [[Category:Columbia Lions men's soccer players]] [[Category:Footballers at the 1984 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players]] [[Category:Minnesota Strikers (MISL) players]] [[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players]] [[Category:Seton Hall Pirates women's soccer coaches]] [[Category:New Jersey Eagles players]] [[Category:New York Express players]] [[Category:New York Cosmos (1970–1985) players]] [[Category:New York Cosmos (MISL) players]] [[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players]] [[Category:Pan American Games footballers for the United States]] [[Category:Footballers at the 1983 Pan American Games]] [[Category:Olympic soccer players for the United States]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Paramus, New Jersey]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Paterson, New Jersey]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Ridgewood, New Jersey]] [[Category:Soccer players from Bergen County, New Jersey]] [[Category:Ridgewood High School (New Jersey) alumni]] [[Category:Seton Hall Pirates men's soccer coaches]] [[Category:Men's association football midfielders]] [[Category:Seton Hall University School of Law alumni]] [[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]