John collaborates closely with the Olympiacos Soccer Club Chicago Board and staff, overseeing day-to-day operations and long-term planning. Born in Athens, Greece, he moved to Chicago in 1981 at age fourteen and attended Amundsen High School, where he played four years of soccer and captained the varsity team to the 1985 city championship. After high school, he continued playing with local clubs—including Kefaliniakos SC, Hellas SC, Hellenic United AC (co-founded in 2008), and Olympiacos Chicago (co-founded in 2011). He has also coached multiple adult teams to championships and honors in Chicago’s National & Premier Soccer Leagues, and he coaches the club’s Tiny Legends program. John holds a B.A. in Information Technology from Northeastern Illinois University. He and his wife, Angela, live in Niles, Illinois, and are the proud parents of two sons, Panagiotis and Christos, and grandparents to Amelia—future Olympiacos Chicago player.
Year Joined Olympiacos Chicago: 2011
Philosophy
“My goal is to instill a true love for soccer in every child I train. There’s nothing more rewarding than watching them grow up with a lasting passion for the game.”
Licenses
- USSF “D” License
Certifications
- American Red Cross
- Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Heads Up – Concussion In Youth Sports
- U.S. Center for SafeSport
- Emotional and Physical Misconduct
- Mandatory Reporting
- Sexual Misconduct Awareness
Continuing Education
- Olympiacos Football Club
- Coaching Seminar – 2017, 2018 (Piraeus, Greece)