Tony DiCicco, former U.S. women's soccer coach, dies

Tony DiCicco, 68, the coach of the U.S. women's soccer team during its groundbreaking run to the 1999 Women's World Cup title, died Monday night, his son announced Tuesday on Twitter. The cause of death was not immediately apparent, but  DiCicco spoke of his father's "health challenges" in his statement.

Mr. DiCicco was lauded by his players for tailoring his coaching style toward women, making sure his players with children were getting enough family time and cognizant of the relationships that needed to be built between him and his players.

"There is so much more to them than just being players," Mr. DiCicco said in a profile written by The Washington Post's Amy Shipley ahead of the 1999 World Cup final against China. "Guys love identifying themselves as just a player. Don't ask me to  explain that. Maybe are just higher Homo sapiens."

Said goalkeeper Brianna Scurry: "Tony's really in tune with how we feel. You have to deal with a more emotional side for women. You can't be a tyrant, for example, and Tony is far from that. Women don't respond well to that. We take things personally.

"He's found a good way to convey what he wants us to do, but not to the point of being harsh, which would make people shut down. He's bridged the gap very well."

Indeed, when Mr. DiCicco announced his sudden resignation as the USWNT's coach nearly four months after the 1999 World Cup title, he said it was because he couldn't subject his family - wife Diane and four sons - to another year of disruption ahead of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

"It's just too much travel," said Mr. DiCicco, who finished with a 103-8-8 record as USWNT coach. "I can't balance it. . . . I wanted to be a world-class father more than a world-class coach."

His former players reacted to his death on Tuesday.