Waad Hirmez

Who is Waad Hirmez?

Waad Hirmez is a retired Iraqi-American football player who spent most of his professional career in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League.

In 1979, Hirmez, a Roman Catholic native of Iraq, moved to San Diego, California to live with an uncle he was in high school. When he arrived in the United States, he changed his name from Waad Ajou to Waad Hirmez. In 1981, he graduated from Point Loma High School. Two weeks after his graduation, he signed with the San Diego Sockers of the North American Soccer League for $18,000. He played seventeen minutes of one game for the Sockers in 1981 before being released. He then attended National University where he played on the school's club team. In 1982, he played for the amateur San Diego Falcons. In 1983, the Sockers signed Hirmez again and he played eleven games, scoring one goal. He did not play professionally in 1984 after a series of unsuccessful trials with the Tacoma Stars, Phoenix Inferno and Wichita Wings. In February 1985, the Sockers signed Hirmez to a ten day contract after the team Kaz Deyna suffered a potentially season ending knee injury. His contract was extended to the end of the season as the Sockers won the league championship. The Sockers then retained Hirmez for the next three seasons as the Sockers won another two championships. Hirmez became a free agent in 1988 and he moved to the Los Angeles Lazers. On February 21, 1989, the Lazers traded him to the Sockers in exchange for Poli Garcia. He would play two and a half indoor seasons with the Sockers. In addition to his time playing indoor soccer with the Sockers, Hirmez also played for the San Diego Nomads of the outdoor Western Soccer League. Although the Nomads went to the league championship, Hirmez had returned to the Sockers before that game. In 1989, Hirmez also became an American citizen. In September 1991, the Sockers waived Hirmez. On September 20, 1991, he signed with the Baltimore Blast. On November 16, 1991, the Blast placed Hirmez on waivers. On November 30, Hirmez joined the St. Louis Storm. The Storm released him at the end of the season. In 1993, Hirmez rejoined the Sockers who were now playing in the Continental Indoor Soccer League. In January 1994, he signed with the Kansas City Attack of the National Professional Soccer League. He then moved to Mexico where he played for Puebla in the Futbol Rapido league, helping the team win the league championship. He then returned to the Sockers for the 1994 CISL season. The Sockers waived him at the end of the season and Hirmez moved to the Monterrey La Raza for the 1995 season. After retiring from playing, Hirmez coached the Fallbrook Union High School boys team and the Southwest Soccer Club, both beginning in 2001. In 2002, Hirmez left Fallbrook for Mission Viejo High School.