Longtime Columbia High School (CHS) soccer and volleyball coach Gene Chyzowych passed away on Saturday night at the age of 78, reports say.
Chyzowych, who retired in 2013 after 51 years of coaching soccer at CHS, died after a long illness. In January, he received the 2014 Walt Chyzowych Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is named after his brother, the late U.S. national coach Walter Chyzowych.
Chyzowych led the CHS soccer team to 757 victories, which ranks third in the nation all-time high school win list, four New Jersey State championships titles and 13 Essex County titles. He also coached the girls high school volleyball team at CHS, reaching a 227-0 career record.
Known as “Coach C” to legions of student athletes, Chyzowych graduated more than 1,500 players, many of whom went on to coach soccer.
Funeral services will be held between 6 and 9 p.m. on Monday at the Quinn Hopping Funeral Home (145 E Mt.Pleasant Ave., Livingston, N.J, 07039 (973) 992 1414).
A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Saint John’s Ukrainian Catholic Church (60 North Jefferson Road, Whippany, N.J. 07981).
