On a fall night decades ago, Craig Ewing stood on a sideline with more curiosity than certainty, still learning a sport he hadn’t grown up playing, still figuring out how to turn a handful of students into a team.  

Next week in Philadelphia, that same coach will walk into the United Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame — the first inductee from Kansas since the hall began in 1991 — carrying with him not just a résumé of championships, but a lifetime of relationships. 

“I was totally surprised,” Ewing said. “There aren’t hardly any high school honorees and most are college and professional. I had only been retired for a year. Was pretty baffled, but in a good way.” 

Ewing, the longtime architect of the Saint Thomas Aquinas boys and girls soccer programs, will be inducted during the United Soccer Coaches annual convention on Jan. 16. 

The numbers alone place Ewing among the game’s elite. Over more than three decades, he compiled a combined record of 1,027-298-59 (.763 winning percentage). His girls teams went 465-126-24 and captured 16 Kansas state championships, while his boys teams finished 562-172-35 with 17 state titles.  

His teams finished No. 1 nationally twice and appeared in the final national rankings a combined 29 times. However, the foundation was built long before the trophies arrived nearly 40 years ago.  

“We only had 11 guys signed up that first year,” Ewing said. “I called every boy in the school that wasn’t involved in sport and got us up to 24 guys. Had varsity and junior varsity that first year. Won one game and tied once.” 
 

Ewing started the Aquinas boys program during the 1988-89 school year after beginning his head coaching career at Bishop Miege. Aquinas took third at state in 1991, then won the first of five consecutive championships starting in 1992. When girls soccer became a sanctioned sport in Kansas in 1993, Ewing’s team won the first-ever girls state title and reeled off four straight championships. 

Brian White, now the head coach at Sumner Academy, spent nearly 20 years as Ewing’s assistant and saw firsthand how that early groundwork shaped everything that followed. 

“It was great,” White said. “We were very fortunate to have great kids, but a lot of that was built on the foundation he had built before I had gotten there. Very family oriented — you were always a part of the program, whether you are a student or an alum. Tradition spoke volumes of anything and everything we did.” 

What made Ewing’s rise even more remarkable was that he didn’t grow up immersed in the sport. 

“I didn’t grow up playing a lot of soccer,” Ewing said. “I was in the Peace Corps and played pickup games. When they started the program at Miege, I started working indoor and working every camp I could.” 

He once envisioned himself as a basketball coach, but the game’s rhythm felt familiar. 

“Soccer moves a lot like basketball and the game moves in a similar manner, especially with all the different angles,” he said. “So it wasn’t too difficult to learn. I just needed experience.” 

White said Ewing’s success stemmed from his willingness to evolve — and from an unmatched work ethic. 

“What Craig is great at is his selflessness,” White said. “Coaches put in more time than people ever know. People will never know how many hours, phone calls that Ewing did as the boss. Getting calls at 6 a.m., talking about practice, just addressing things that come up — being part of the kids’ lives. He has adapted and that is what has made him successful.” 

A pivotal chapter came in the early 1990s when Ewing took a sabbatical with the Kauffman Foundation’s STAR program, focusing on alcohol and drug awareness in schools. That time also allowed him to learn more about the game of soccer 

“The things I had learned with that program, I was able to use those kinds of things off the soccer field, and it was building an incredible team chemistry,” Ewing said. “They cared about one another. If you have team chemistry and have guys that can play soccer, you have an advantage over everyone else.” 

Ewing stepped down as girls coach in 2020 and retired from teaching, then coached the boys through the 2024 season. Even after stepping away, he remained deeply connected. 

“When I left girls, I still kept stats for them,” he said. “I always did a write-up and posted it online because I thought it was important that they be recognized for what they did.” 

Longtime assistant Chuck Hammons, who coached with Ewing for more than 30 years, said his optimism and attention to detail were defining traits. 
 

“He is fearlessly optimistic,” Hammons said. ““I remember seeing the first schedule that he handed out, and it had the state championship on it, and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s presumptuous. The bigger the challenge, the greater his enthusiasm, and it’s infectious. Playing games is what Craig loves to do. He always begins with the premise that he will win. 

“His contributions to soccer at Aquinas and the region are unmatched,” Hammons said. “But his impact is not limited to soccer and continues in the lives of his players and students he has influenced over his long career as a teacher and a coach. This honor is a capstone to that legacy.” 

White believes Ewing’s impact stretches far beyond Aquinas — and even beyond Kansas. 

“In the state of Kansas alone, you will not meet anyone that has done more for their program,” White said. “From a national perspective, he has been an advocate of others as well. I can’t tell you how many hours he spent on state and national polls.” 

“What will get lost,” White added, “is what he did for soccer in Kansas City. That 1994 national championship team really started to change the game and brought attention to the area. Aquinas’ sustained success helped set the tone for the rise of soccer in Kansas City.” 

One of Ewing’s proudest experiences came coaching alongside his son. Eric played for him at Aquinas and later returned as an assistant. He will be alongside his father at the ceremony in Philadelphia. 

“For him to come back and coach with me the last 10 years was very enjoyable,” Ewing said. “It was a treat.” 

Former players returning to coach became a constant theme, and a source of pride. 

“To see people come back every once in a while is really one of the great joys,” Ewing said. “It is so great to catch up with everyone.” 

As Ewing prepares to take his place in the Hall of Fame, White believes the honor is well deserved. 

“It’s a little overdue,” White said. “But it’s fantastic.”