Head Coach: U.S. Under-17 Girls’ National Team
Hometown: Paramus, New Jersey

Kazbek Tambi was named the head coach of the U.S. Under-16 Girls’ National Team in June of 2005, taking over from Sue Patberg, who coached the team for the previous two and half years, and this year moved with the team to the U-17 level in preparation for the run to the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, the first-ever for FIFA competition for women at that age level.

Tambi will oversea the U-17 program, which has been adjusted to include the U.S. Under-16 age group as well, with the team attempting to compete for the U-17 Women’s World Cup title every two years.

Tambi, who is currently the head women’s soccer coach at Seton Hall in Tambi has coached youth girls’ club soccer for the past 12 years and has been the head coach of the Arsenal World Class club in New Jersey since its inception. The club has produced numerous talented female players including three members of the U.S. team that participated in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship in midfielders Yael Averbuch, Sheree Gray and defender Nikki Krzysik. On the boys’ side, Tambi has coached Alecko Eskandarian of Toronto F.C. and Danny Szetela of the Columbus Crew, who played with the USA in the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship and the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.

He was the head coach of the New Jersey Stallions women’s team in the USL W-League for three seasons from 2002-2004 and was the assistant men’s coach at Seton Hall University under the legendary Manny Schellscheidt for nine years before becoming the Pirates head women’s soccer coach last January. Tambi, who holds a USSF “A” coaching license, has also coached in the New Jersey Olympic Development Program.

As a player, Tambi played with the New York Cosmos during the final NASL season in 1984 and then captained the Cosmos during their post-NASL international schedule in 1985. He also played professionally for the New Jersey Eagles in the ASL and with the Minnesota Strikers in the MISL. Tambi was a member of the USA’s 1984 Olympic Team in Los Angeles and captained the 1983 U.S. Pan American Team that played in Caracas, Venezuela.

In college, Tambi played at Columbia University where he was a team captain and an All-Ivy League selection as a senior, leading the Lions to four straight Ivy League crowns and into the NCAA Final Four in 1983.

Tambi, who is a practicing lawyer in New Jersey, earned a B.S. in Economics from Colombia in 1983 and his law degree from Seton Hall in 1990. Tambi is married to Suliko and they reside in Paramus, N.J.