WASHINGTON (July 19, 2023) - Howard University has had as profound effect on the growth of soccer locally and nationally as any institution in this country. A dominant soccer power in the late 60s with the National Association of Intercollegiate Association (NAIA) and later as member of the National Collegiate Athletics Assocation (NCAA) in the 1970s.
 
So, it was only fitting that Major League Soccer (MLS) pay tribute to the men's soccer program by honoring it as the Honorary Hometown Hero as part of the upcoming MLS All-Star Soccer event this week.
 
During a special ceremony at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., Howard legends Lincoln Phillips, Keith Tucker and Phillip Gyau were all cited for their contribution in the growth of the sport.
 
Phillips is the legendary coach who led the Bison program to a pair of National NCAA championships (1971 and 1974). It marked the first time that an HBCU won a national championship in Division I athletics.
 
"When I took over in 1968, they said that Blacks would not play soccer," said Phillips, a native of Trinidad and HU graduate. "I felt strongly that it could be done and Howard University was the perfect place to prove it."
 
Howard would go on to become one of the most respected programs in a sport that had not reached the level it has in the DMV area. Not only was Howard boasting annual national rankings, but it has also produced All-Americans and future professionals. With top student-athletes from the Caribbean and the Continent of Africa, Howard became a power and opened the door for others to recruit outside the US for some of the top players in the world. As a result, the sport began to flourish.
 
"I had a chance to talk with him earlier in the week," said Quincy Amarikwa, Founder of the Black Players for Change Foundation. "When you look at what he and Howard University have done for the sport, it is nothing short of remarkable. This award is a true testament to that success."
 
When Phillips decided to step down from his head coaching duties at the University, the legacy did not end. A native of Bermuda, Tucker, who had played for Phillips and served as an assistant, took over the reins and led the Bison to the national title game in 1988, producing several players who went on to play professionally, including Shaka Hislop, one of the top goalies of all time, amateur or professionally.
 
"It is certainly an honor to be recognized for what we accomplished at Howard University," said Tucker, 1988 NCAA National Coach of the Year and a member of the HU Hall of Fame, along with Phillips. "This means that we were part of something that created exposure for the sport. The foundation was already there; we just had to continue to maintain it."
 
Added Phillips of his successor, "From a technical standpoint, you could tell that Keith was special in his approach to the game as a player. Then, he proved to me as an assistant that he was ready for the challenge. A head coach is only as good as his assistants."
 
The legacy has continued under Gyau, current men's soccer head coach. 
 
Gyau, a native of Ghana, was introduced to Phillips at a very early age. He would go on to later play for Tucker and compete professionally before accepting the head coaching job at Howard.
 
"This is truly an honor to be a part of this," said Gyau, who is regarded as one of the top trainers in the DMV area. "Who ever thought that the sport would grow to this. We are happy to be a part of it."
 
The legacy that the program has created in the sport is well documented, but Phillips adds that academics is equally renown.
 
"Coach Gyau has been given the task of rebuilding the program," notes Phillips. "But I am so very proud that his team was the No. 1 program academically in the NEC (Northeast Conference)."
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.