Hall of Fame
USF Career Years: 1978 - 1982
Birthdate: January 26, 1959
Hometown: Paramaribo, Suriname
High School: Alegemene Middlebare School
Glenn Van Straatum was born on January 26, 1959 in Paramaribo, Suriname and attended his local high school Alegemene Middlebare School. He played soccer as a midfielder and forward for the Dons at USF from 1978 to 1982. Prior to attending USF, he played for the SV Transvaal from 1973 to 1978.Â
As a junior, he scored a goal in USF's 3-2 victory over Washington in the 1982 NCAA Tournament game, which was played in a downpour at Negoesco Stadium. In his senior year, he led the team with 42 points, which ranked third all-time in school history. Van Straatum finished his Dons career in 1983 with 25 goals and 18 assists. He scored 16 goals, including five game-winners. Following USF he played for several semi-professional teams in the Bay Area: including the Greek-Americans FC, Hellas FC, San Francisco Italian Athletic Club, and San Francisco Glens in California. He played for the Suriname National Football team from 1976 to 1978.
In 2007, Van Straatum was appointed as the Manager of the California Victory, a new franchise in the USL Division 1. The club folded after one season and he became a free agent. Van Straatum was hired as Head Coach at Merritt College in August 2019. He has also served as the Director of Coaching with the East Bay Soccer Club, which serves over 2,500 members in competitive and recreational soccer U6-23.
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