Education
The Billikens also finished as runners-up in 1961.
The Billikens also finished as runners-up in 1961.
He coached 24 years at the collegiate level, including coaching Saint Louis University to five championships (1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965). He coached the United States. teams at both the 1971 Pan American Games and the 1972 Summer Olympics. After graduating from Saint Louis University (SLU), Guelker coached soccer at Saint Louis Preparatory Seminary.
In 1958, he approached SLU regarding establishing a men’s soccer team
The university agreed and Guelker, working on a shoestring budget of $200 played five club (4-1 record) games that season. In 1959, the school took the sport to the intercollegiate level
Guelker continued to coach Saint Louis through the 1966 season, taking the team to a 95-10-5 record and winning five championships (1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965). He was inducted into the Saint Louis University Hall of Fame in 1979.
On September 30, 2009, Guelker was named to SLU"s Half-Century Team.
In 1966, Guelker left SLU and moved to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) to establish the soccer program and serve as the Cougars" athletic director Guelker"s role as SIUE"s head coach ended with his death in February 1986, after having compiled a 216-67-21 record with SIUE. In 2005, SIUE inducted Guelker into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame. In 1971, Guelker coached the United States. soccer team at the Pan American Games, and a year later, he coached the United States. at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
He also coached the United States. Under 19 national team
In addition to coaching, Guelker held various executive positions at the local and national levels. In 1946, he became the Secretary for the Catholic Youth Council, Archdiocese of Saint Louis, a position he held until 1969. He was the president of the United States Soccer Football Association from 1967 to 1969.
He was also the Chair of the National Junior Cup Competition Committee, USSF Olympic Development Committee, Missouri Soccer Federation, and Missouri Senior Soccer Association. The Catholic Youth Council of Saint Louis holds an annual “Bob Guelker Soccer Tournament” in his honor.
He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Saint Louis Soccer Hall of Fame in 1986 and the National Soccer es Association of America’s Hall of Fame in 1993.
He was president of the United States Soccer Football Association from 1967 to 1969 and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.