The job is not easy and it is demanding. It requires many hours of work, the pay is not that great, and much travel is often required. Regardless, most college assistant soccer coaches approach their job with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm. In many cases college soccer assistant coaches seek t advance to a head coaching position but that is not always the case. In some cases the goal is simply to make a contribution and to stay involved in a sport that they enjoy. Successful head coaches, not unlike successful leaders in corporate America, would be the first to tell you that any success that they enjoy is due in large part to the effectiveness of those who assist them.
Having said that we wanted to recognize some very good assistants before we go any further into the 2001 season. Some have been in their positions for several years, others are just starting out. WE know upfront that it is likely that we are leaving out some very good assistant coaches. ON the other hand we believe that the assistant coaches that we have identified deserve to be recognized. You will likely see some of them in head coaching positions at some point in the future. In fact, three of the ten assistant coaches we recognized last year have moved on to head coaching jobs. The assistant coaches identified are all involved in various activities that contribute to the development of youth soccer in this country in addition to their duties at the collegiate level. Our selections are listed below in no particular order.
Mike Freitag – Indiana University – Freitag enters his ninth season as an assistant coach at Indiana. A member of the Hoosier family, Freitag played as a defender at Indiana from 1976 to 1979 and was an All-American selection his senior year. Freitag holds a US Soccer Federation A coaching license and a Scottish Football Association B coaching license. He also has been an active youth soccer coach in this country. The Hoosiers have had a 152-27-6 record during the eight seasons that he has assisted head coach Jerry Yeagley.
Mike Sorber – Saint Louis University – Sorber retired from Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire to join the Billiken staff under new head coach Dan Donigan. Sorber is one of the most capped players in U.S. history with sixty-seven appearances for the National Team. Sorber, a member of the Saint Louis family, had a stellar career as a player at Saint Louis. Sorber stated upon accepting the position, “This is something that I’ve always wanted to do, and it was important for me to take advantage of it and mover forward into the next chapter of my life.” Saint Louis University was the springboard for me to reach the National Team and play in the World Cup. It’s like family to me, and it will be great to give back to the community.” Sorber’s vast playing experience and his desire to contribute to the community will benefit the Saint Louis program immediately.
Kevin Doyle – Creighton University – Doyle is a former Creighton Bluejay goalkeeper. Doyle was a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection as a player at Creighton. He still holds numerous Creighton records as a keeper including the record for saves in a match with eighteen. Prior to returning to Creighton to serve under Bob Warming this year he served as an assistant at William and Mary for two years and at Penn State for two seasons. Doyle has a USSF A License and has been involved in Olympic Development Programs in Georgia, Nebraska, and Ohio. Creighton head coach Bob Warming stated, “He (Doyle) has proven himself as one of the top assistants in the country over the past few years and his dedication to excellence is a great asset to our program.”
Cameron Rast – Santa Clara University – Rast enters his eighth season in 2001 as an assistant at Santa Clara under head coach Mitch Murray. The 2001 season is his first in the position of Associate Head Coach. He is a former player and an All-America selection as a sweeper for the Broncos. After graduation from Santa Clara, Rast helped lead the United States to a gold medal at the Pan-American games and in 1992 he was the captain of the 1992 Olympic Team in Barcelona. He also played in the 1993 World University games. Rast’s contribution to soccer goes beyond Santa Clara. In 1997 he was named an assistant coach with the U.S. U-17 National Team and is an executive member of U.S. Soccer’s Board of Directors. His experience, competitive spirit, and love for the game contribute to his effectiveness as a coach.
Frank Speth – Ohio State University – Speth enters his third season as an assistant coach under head coach John Bluem. Speth was also an assistant coach under Bluem at Fresno State. Prior to joining Bluem at Ohio State in 1999, Speth served as Director of Coaching for the Illinois Youth Soccer Association. Speth played collegiate soccer for Illinois State where he was an All-Midwest selection as a senior. He also played professionally after exhausting his collegiate eligibility. Speth is a graduate of Fresno State University. The teams that he works with are usually very successful.
Brian Wiese – Notre Dame – Wiese joins head coach Bobby Clark at Notre Dame after serving as an assistant under Clark for five seasons at Stanford. Wiese primarily works with keepers. He helped to develop the Stanford defense into a unit that was among the best, if not the best, in the country. As a player Wiese was a three-time All-Ivy League goalkeeper at Dartmouth. Wiese joins Notre Dame assistant coach Mike Avery to give Clark a very solid coaching staff that will produce a talented team.
Darren Powell – UNC Greensboro – UNC Greensboro head coach Michael Parker added Powell as his top assistant for the 2001 season. For the past three years, Powell has served as the head coach at Greensboro College during which time he took Greensboro to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances recording an overall record of 50-12-3. Regarding Powell, Parker stated, “I’m very excited to have Darren back on our staff. He has had tremendous success at Greensboro College and I know he will do a great job here.” Powell served as an assistant at UNC Greensboro in 1997 before taking the position at Greensboro College. A member of the UNCG family, Powell played for the Spartans from 1991 through 1994 and became the first player there to score more than one hundred career points at the NCAA Division I level. Powell’s coaching experience and his success a player will yield dividends for the UNC Greensboro program.
Jay Primiano – University of Rhode Island – Primiano enters his eighth season as an assistant at Rhode Island. Under Ram head coach Ed Bradley he has helped to improve the level of play tactically and technically at Rhode Island. Primiano has an Advanced National Diploma from the NSCAA and a A license from the United States Soccer Federation. Primiano is a graduate of Rhode Island College where he played forward for thieri 1982 ECAC playoff team. He is the co-coordinator of the Rhode Island Soccer Academy and Director of Coaches and Player Development for the South County Soccer Association.
Anthony Adams – UMBC – Adams, a member of the UMBC family, earned four letters as a player at UMBC from 1992 to 1995. As a player under head coach Pete Caringi and now as an assistant coach, Adams has made a positive impact on the UMBC program. Regarding Adams, Caringi stated, “Anthony has contributed so much to the program, I’ve enjoyed working with him both as a player and as a coach. Caringi added, “He is one of the great up and coming coaches in the country.” Adams is actively involved in youth soccer in addition to his duties at UMBC. He has served as head coach of the Soccer Club of Baltimore Stars U-17 team.
Paul Blodgett – Rutgers University – Blodgett is a credit to the Rutgers program and collegiate soccer. Blodgett has been involved in the program at Rutgers along with head coach Bob Reasso for many years. Blogett works with the keepers and assists in the day to day operation of the program. He holds a USSF B license. Reasso stated, “Paul is the consummate professional. He embodies the finest characteristics of this program and is an excellent coach and has worked tremendously hard with our goalkeepers. He is a cornerstone of this program.”
Jeff Rohrman – Maryland – Rohrman enters his seventh season at Maryland. Rohrman is a talented coach and a very naural fit with the Maryland program and head coach Sasho Cirovski. They both share a genuine passion for the game that is reflected in the type of teams Maryland puts on the field. Rohrman is an excellent teacher and his knowledge of the games makes him a very valuable contributor at practice as well as on game days. Rohrman played at Wisconsin-Milwaukee and at Lutheran College earning numerous honors. He and Cirovski were teammates at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Michael O’Connell – Lehigh University – A long time member of the Mountain Hawk family, O’Connell enters his sixth season as an assistant at Lehigh. Lehigh head coach Dean Koski stated, “Having played at Lehigh for four years and then having continued to serve as an assistant coach, Mike knows the Lehigh soccer program as well as anyone. He has a great understanding of what it takes to succeed as a student-athlete here and appreciates what we are trying to accomplish.” Both Koski and O’Connell have been accomplishing a lot. The quality of play at Lehigh continues to improve yearly and they make a genuine effort to make the experience of playing collegiate soccer meaningful to their players.
John Deeley – University of Connecticut – Deeley enters his fifth season as an assistant coach at Connecticut. Prior to that he was an assistant with current Connecticut head coach Ray Reid at Southern Connecticut State University. Deeley played collegiate soccer at Southern as a midfielder. Reid stated, “Coach Deeley’s ability to analyze and break down th game is second to none. He has been extremely helpful in our preparation for opponents and our match analysis. Over the years, John’s tactical guidance has been a major reason for our successes.” Reid comments are a tribute to Deeley’s effectiveness as the Huskies have been one of the most successful teams in the country over the past few seasons.
Brad Agoos – University of California – Agoos enters his second season as an assistant at California under head coach Kevin Grimes. Agoos played at the University of Virginia as a midfielder and then played professionally. The Cavaliers won three national championships while he was there. He has had previous coaching experience at the University of San Francisco and at Charlotte when the 49ers advanced to the Final Four in 1996. Look for Agoos to become a head coach some day if that is the direction he wants to go in.
Zach Samol – Boston College – Samol enters his second season as an assistant at Boston College under the direction of head coach Ed Kelly. Samol’s focus has been on developing the team’s backline. He has made a contribution in that regard at Boston College. Samol played collegiate soccer for Dartmouth from 1994 to 1997 earning a spot on the All-Ivy League team as a marking back. He continues to play and is currently playing for the Boston Bulldogs of the D3-Pro League. Samol’s experience as a defender and his zest for the game add to his effectiveness. He and Dusan Obsajsnik round out Kelly’s staff at Boston College.
Chad Flanders – Akron – Flanders enters his second season as an assistant at Akron under head coach Ken Lolla. Prior to that he spent four years as an assistant at Bradley. Prior to that he was a volunteer assistant at Eastern Illinois. Flanders is a graduate of Illinois State where he earned three varsity letters. He has contributed as a coach in both the Illinois and Ohio ODP programs.
Craig Reynolds – University of Virginia – Reynolds enters his sixth season as an assistant a Virginia under head coach George Gelnovatch. Prior to that he was the head coach at Christopher Newport University. Reynolds played collegiate soccer for SUNY-Brockport where he earned All-Ameriacn honors in route to leading the school to its first ever Division III national title. Reynolds is an experienced and knowledgeable coach who has helped develop the talents of many players. He has also worked with the Virginia and Regional Olympic Development Programs.