SFU Athletics announced last Tuesday that they have promoted associate head coach Clint Schneider to be head coach of the men’s soccer team, a position made vacant by Alan Koch’s departure for the Whitecaps FC 2.
Athletics director Milt Richards explained that with the success of the men’s soccer team under Alan Koch, that it made sense to keep the program going in the same direction: “I just felt that when the program is going really well, why not promote from within, and Clint has worked his whole life to do this, so I’m really excited.”
Schneider served as an assistant under Koch during the five years that SFU has been in the NCAA, starting in 2010. Unlike most of the Clan teams that suffered — and often are still suffering — growing pains in their transition to the NCAA, under Koch and Schneider the team bolted to success, going 85-12-6 and making two final four appearances over the first five years.
This wasn’t the first time the two coaches had worked together, either — the former goalkeeper from San Angelo, TX worked as an assistant under Koch at Brown University, an NAIA program.
“[Schneider] will bring stability, he’ll bring a proven methodology. He’s going to know exactly what we’ve been doing and what it takes to maintain the success that we’ve had,” said Koch. “He’s an accomplished coach and thoroughly deserving of this opportunity.”
For his part, Coach Schneider is excited with the potential of the team, and hopes to continue what Koch had started.
“The program’s set up for success,” he said. “Now it’s just putting my own personal spin on it, having players buy in, and establish a culture where we can get the most out of every player.”
Schneider’s main strength, according to Koch, is his ability to communicate and motivate.
“It’s my upbringing, my core values that I believe in: hard work and selflessness,” Schneider said, explaining what he hopes to impart to the team. “That the team is bigger than themselves and you sacrifice for each other on the field. And not just because the coach asks you; you do it for your teammates.”
Although he has previous experience being the head coach in the Pacific Coast Soccer League, a men’s league, this will be Schneider’s first crack at being a head coach in the university circuit.
It is an enviable position for a first-time head coach to take over — with the team built to compete, and win — and it will be up to him to continue that success.
