Thomas Rongen

Rongen began his playing career with Amsterdamsche FC, with whom he played as defensive midfielder and defender from 1973 to 1979.

In 1979, Rongen moved to the United States, joining the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League. Rongen spent the entire 1979 season with the Aztecs. He then began the 1980 season in Los Angeles. On 12 July 1980, the Aztecs sold his contract to the Washington Diplomats. The team folded at the end of the season and Rongen moved to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers where he would remain for the next three seasons. In 1984, Joe Robbie, owner of the Strikers, moved the team to Minneapolis, Minnesota where it was renamed the Minnesota Strikers. Rongen moved with the team and spent the 1984 outdoor season there. The league collapsed at the end of the season. The Strikers moved to the Major Indoor Soccer League for the 1984–1985 season. On 22 May 1985, Rongen joined the South Florida Sun of the United Soccer League. The league lasted six games, then collapsed. In October 1985, Rongen signed as a free agent with the Chicago Sting of MISL. At the end of the season, he moved to Florida to coach youth and high school soccer. In 1987, he played for the Houston Dynamos of the Lone Star Soccer Alliance. On 8 January 1988, he became the first player to sign with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the newly established American Soccer League. He continued to play for the Strikers until 1993.

Rongen began his coaching career as an assistant with the Pope John Paul II High School boys' team in 1984. On 27 June 1986, he was named as head coach. During his tenure coaching PJPII, he took the team to a 32–6–5 record and he was a two time Sun-Sentinel Coach of the Year. He resigned from his position on 16 May 1988. He also coached with the Plantation Eagles Soccer Club. This led to his selection as coach of the Florida U-23 soccer team which defeated the United States national team with goals from Zen Luzniak and Henry Gutierrez in an 8 March 1987 scrimmage. Rongen also served as an assistant with the Nova Southeastern University men's soccer team. In August 1988, he was hired to coach the South Plantation High School boys' team. On 8 February 1989, he replaced Wim Suurbier as head coach of the Strikers. He took the Strikers to the 1989 ASL title and then skippered the team to a victory over the San Diego Nomads in the national championship game. He was the 1990 APSL Coach of the Year. In August 1994, he resigned as head coach. In November 1990, he replaced Hal Henderson as head coach of Nova Southeastern University. He coached the team for five seasons, compiling a 50–35–8 record.

Major League Soccer

Tampa Bay Mutiny

Rongen was one of the inaugural coaches in MLS, coaching the Tampa Bay Mutiny in their first season in 1996, with whom he won the MLS regular season (and what would retrospectively become the Supporters' Shield), and also…

Rongen married Gail Megaloudis in 1996. He is stepfather to Gail's children with Nicky Megaloudis, Nicole and Chris. In 2004, Nicole died in a single car accident on I-64 West in Goochland County, Virginia, aged 19. Rongen wore his stepdaughter's baseball cap during American Samoa's win over Tonga, as shown in Next Goal Wins.

Fort Lauderdale Strikers

American Soccer League: 1989 Tampa Bay Mutiny

Supporters' Shield: 1996 D.C. United

MLS Cup: 1999 Supporters' Shield: 1999 United States U20

CONCACAF Under-20 Championship: 2009 Individual

American Professional Soccer League Coach of the Year: 1990 MLS Coach of the Year Award: 1996