OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha head men's soccer coach Bob Warming announced his retirement Wednesday afternoon, concluding a legendary career that spanned 44 seasons at eight schools resulting in 485 wins.
 
Though leaving the sideline, his impact on the sport and legacy of leadership will continue to be felt across the country.
 
"In my experience, who you work for and who you work with are everything for happiness... and for rewarding success," said Warming. "I have been fortunate, in my coaching life, to have been around amazing people - wonderful coaches, inspirational mentors, talented and competitive players, exceptional athletic directors and assistant athletic directors, generous donors, passionate supporters, caring academic support staff, fun sports information folks, compassionate athletic trainers, hardworking maintenance people, friendly custodians, great youth coaches, and parents of players supporting the process of helping their sons become exceptional.
 
"I have been so blessed to be a part of the journey and grateful for everyone who has made this coaching journey amazing. Thank you all for everything you have done and for sharing the laughs, joys, and heartbreaks. Of all the great people I have been around, my favorite people in the world are, and will always be my family, and I am really looking forward to being around them a lot more in this next chapter!"
 
Since 2018, Warming led the Mavericks to 24 wins at the helm, including their first ever NCAA Tournament win vs. No. 23 UNC-Greensboro in the 2020 season. Warming also led Omaha to a 2-0 shutout win at Denver last season marking the first time the Mavericks took down their league rival on the Pioneers' home turf.
 
He coached the program's first All-American in 2020 along with two All-Region, one Summit League Newcomer of the Year, one Summit League Defensive Player of the Year, nine All-Summit First Team, eight All-Summit Second Team, 11 Newcomer Team, and eight All-Tournament selections over his tenure at Omaha.
 
"Bob will be missed at Omaha," said Mike Kemp, executive associate athletic director. "His selfless act of coming out of retirement in 2018 to lead the program in its transition from the Jason Mims era helped to enhance the image of Omaha Men's Soccer. The involvement of a 'Hall of Fame Coach' insured the continued growth and success of our young men's soccer program."
 
Warming's success isn't exclusive to Omaha. He's compiled 485 career wins and was the all-time winningest active coach in Division I soccer prior to his retirement and currently ranks seventh all-time for career wins in the NCAA record books.
 
His winning ways extended into the postseason, becoming the first DI coach in NCAA history to lead four different schools to a victory in the national tournament. He also led two teams to the College Cup. His first trip was with Saint Louis in 1997 followed by Creighton in 2002.
 
From 2010-17, Warming was the head coach at Penn State. He led the Nittany Lions to back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 2012 and 2013, earning Big Ten Coach of the Year accolades both years. Warming directed Penn State to three NCAA Tournament berths including trips to the Sweet 16 in 2010 and 2013.
 
Prior to Penn State, Warming served his second stint at Creighton. He led the Bluejays from 1990-94 and again in 2001-09. Warming is the winningest coach in Creighton history. He led them to seven MVC regular season and tournament championships, 11 NCAA Championship appearances and the 2002 College Cup. Warming, a three-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year honoree, was named the MVC All-Centennial Team Coach in 2006. 
 
In between his stints at Creighton, Warming was the head coach at Saint Louis University, where he guided SLU to four Conference USA championships, four NCAA Championship berths, and the 1997 College Cup. Warming also previously held head coaching positions at Old Dominion (1996), Charlotte (1982-88), Berry College (1977-81), and Transylvania University (1976).
 
During his distinguished career, Warming saw more than 60 of his players play professionally. His most recent players to ink professional contracts were 2021 seniors, Hugo Kametani and Ed Gordon, who both signed with Union Omaha earlier this year.
 
"This is a bittersweet moment as we lose the incredible leader of our men's soccer program, yet we are also excited for Bob as his retirement allows him to spend more time with his family," said Adrian Dowell, vice chancellor/director of athletics. "Bob's legacy extends well beyond the numerous accolades and championships, and his tenure will have a lasting impact on Omaha Soccer and the industry. We are very thankful to Bob for his leadership as his success here continued the elevation of program's stature and has cemented a strong foundation. We are excited about the future of the program and will immediately begin a national search for the next leader of Omaha soccer."