Reputations of CA college coaches and programs?

Discussion in 'College & Amateur Soccer' started by dorset, Feb 18, 2009.

  1. dorset

    dorset New Member

    Mar 21, 2005
    Santa Cruz
    Club:
    ACF Fiorentina
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I am particularly interested in hearing anything about the reputations of college coaches and their programs for California/Pac 10 D1 schools.

    My son is starting the recruitment process but apart from looking at playing records and watching a few games, it is hard to learn much about the different coaches and programs.

    What are their coaching styles?
    Do they berate or support players?
    Do they value academics?
    Do they focus on tall and physical or more skilled players when recruiting?
    Would you recommend the coach or program?

    Thanks, Dorset
     
  2. Monarch Bay Beachbum

    Apr 5, 2004
    The OC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I went through the recruiting process with my son last year. Two coaches that we had very good experiences with and we have heard no bad stories about are George Kunz at UC-Irvine and Paul Holoher at Cal Poly-SLO.
    I have also heard very good things about Coach Grimes at Cal-Berkley. I have met him but he did not recruit my son so I do not have first hand knowledge.
     
  3. *Oracle*

    *Oracle* Member

    Apr 11, 2008
    Lancaster
  4. virtuallock

    virtuallock New Member

    Feb 20, 2009
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Pac-10 coaches, programs.
    UCLA Jorge Salcedo - players play for the after-college market rather than for him. known to berate a player. played the game but marginal as a coach. puts good players on the field and lets them do his job. program nationally ranked, known for smart, skillful play

    Cal Kevin Grimes - players love this program. respect his tactical knowledge. a little too professorial as a coach. Never yells. program a force regionally, looking to make a mark nationally

    UW Dean Wurzberger - players enjoy this program. players run this program although Dean doesn't realize it. program trying to make a mark regionally but never quite makes it.

    SDS Lev Kirshner - players hate him. respect his tactical knowledge. program known for physical play. Yells at players and they yell back at him. Almost had a player revolt last season.

    Oregon St Dana Taylor - players endure this program. always bottom or near bottom of the pac-10. Dana is overly aggressive in dealing with players and they don't respond to him well.

    Stanford Bret Simon - players endure this program. Bret is a very poor people person and gets under his players skin. program largely run by 1st assistant but either way, it manages to lose and lose big. this is a program that Bobby Clark took to the top of college soccer and Bret has dismantled. Should be his last year.
     
  5. Soccaholic

    Soccaholic New Member

    Dec 16, 2004
    I would like to hear the same analysis for Colonial (CAA) and the A-10 if anyone has input.
     
  6. collegesoccer

    collegesoccer Member+

    Apr 11, 2005
    Do all the conferences while you are at it. Interesting observations.
     
  7. wonderplayer

    wonderplayer New Member

    Sep 25, 2005
    I think you should add in the NAIA/DII/DIII schools. in particular, the Wolf brothers (Phil/Azusa and Dave/Westmont). Both have tremendous success and their players love playing for them, as so it seems. Now, the ins and outs, I do not know.
     
  8. VTX Jay

    VTX Jay New Member

    Nov 11, 2005
    The other coast
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If you are looking for a great education, and an oppotunity to grow as a soccer player, look at Creighton. Bob Warming has been to the NCAA's every year for the last 15-16 years and has done it by developing players that fly under the radar for the most part. Selected as the National coach of the year for the second time this year. Great set of assistant coaches as well.


    The team is senior heavy this year so a lot will open up next year as this class matriculates through. Great opportunity for a talented player who is willing to work hard and learn the game of football.

    They have had at least one player selected in the draft every year for the past 13- 14 years. This is a collection of players from across the country who learn to play the game well. Bob is demanding and will call a player out if it is warrented but doesn't rant and belittle the players. He has an open door policy and is a lot like Tim Fitzgerald (RIP).

    Omaha is a great midwestern town and Creighton is an expanding campus in the heart of downtown Omaha.
     
  9. WineKeeper

    WineKeeper New Member

    Feb 9, 2009
    It would be great to learn about the DIII programs like Whittier, Redlands, Pomona, Oxy and Claremont McKenna.
     
  10. Soccaholic

    Soccaholic New Member

    Dec 16, 2004

    Still would like a breakdown on these two conferences....forget d2 and d3.....maybe a st.louis rep can shed some light.
     
  11. Gaucho95

    Gaucho95 Member

    Dec 13, 2004
    Oakland, Ca
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Try starting a new thread. This thread is regarding California schools.
     
  12. USAClash

    USAClash Member

    Feb 9, 1999
    UCSB is the school you want to go to if you're looking for a big time feel. At most schools across the country, you'll be playing in front of your family and friends, and that's it. At UCSB, the students and community are gaga over the team. They draw huge crowds (biggest in the nation), and the students create a true soccer atmosphere.

    They recruit players who want to win the national championship.....that's the main thing they look for.

    Tim Vom Steeg got the reputation for coaching a very direct and physical style of play. This was largely because the 2004 team that burst onto the scene played that way. In reality, the style of play as change a lot from year to year. Tim is very flexible, and the teams plays some wild formations sometimes, which have often worked. The team is much more possession oriented in recent years. Tim is ultra competetive and can be a little arrogant.

    The program is very competetive, and there is a lot of battling for playing time.

    UCSB is a Top 50 academic school. The athletes don't get the breaks and the cushy treatment they might get at a Pac 10 school where the administration and professors are more aware of the importance the athletes play in marketing their university.
     
  13. *Oracle*

    *Oracle* Member

    Apr 11, 2008
    Lancaster
  14. GauchoSoccerManiac

    Sep 10, 2005
    Big deal Oracle.

    Athletes on Vom Steeg's teams know that participating in the party scene means they risk their scholarship money are not long for the team.
     
  15. USAClash

    USAClash Member

    Feb 9, 1999
  16. *Oracle*

    *Oracle* Member

    Apr 11, 2008
    Lancaster
  17. dorset

    dorset New Member

    Mar 21, 2005
    Santa Cruz
    Club:
    ACF Fiorentina
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Thanks for all the responses. Very helpful.

    I do think it is interesting to see how popular the sport is at each school based on the size of the crowds at the games. It seems that SLO and UCSB get very decent crowds. Much more fun to play in front of a few thousand than in front of a few hundred.

    Thanks, Dorset
     
  18. firestorm225

    firestorm225 Member

    Aug 25, 2006
    San Francisco
    That's a pretty poorly researched article. The US News ranking always has variance year to year, due to schools starting in the 20s to having very close overall ratings. Minor changes in the various categories that US News ranks on can vary a schools overall score. These are UCSB's rankings since 1999:

    46,47,47,44,45,48,47,45,45,45,47,44,44.

    So since that article was written (presumably in 2006), UCSB jumped back up 3 spaces. Is he going to write an article about how UCSB is all of a sudden getting better?

    Princeton Review's rankings come from interviewing a sample of students. Hardly any kind of scientific way at measuring the data.

    I'll try to analyze the graduation rate data as soon as I can find updated statistics for that.
     
  19. firestorm225

    firestorm225 Member

    Aug 25, 2006
    San Francisco
    Here's the average attendance figures for California schools that made the top 50 in attendance

    UCSB: 3,435
    Cal Poly: 2,092
    Santa Clara: 1,497
    UCLA: 1,386
    San Francisco: 936
    California: 775
    Stanford: 750
     
  20. GauchoYoungin

    GauchoYoungin Member

    Nov 18, 2004
    805
    Re: From the horses mouth

    I'm pretty sure he is asking for the reputations of the COACHES and the soccer PROGRAMS. He/she didn't mention the surrounding community. Stop trying to show how "amazing" UCLA is by running a smear campaign on UCSB. All UCLA has now to recruit on is their history, their alumni (from a few years back, no one of consequence has come out too recently with the exception of maybe Zizzo), and the fact that Bob Bradley's daughter goes there and he attends the games when he can.

    On the other hand more colleges are proving they can outdraw and out perform UCLA on the West Coast. This year alone was UCSB, Cal Poly, UC Davis, and UC Irvine. UC Berkeley has been good for year, but can't seem to get over that hump to go further in the tourney. Definitely more soccer love in the Big West now than in the Pac-10.
     
  21. USAClash

    USAClash Member

    Feb 9, 1999
    Re: From the horses mouth

    Wow. I never noticed Oracle on bigsoccer before, but after checking his post history, I don't think I've ever seen someone with such a permanent hard on for UCSB before. What gives? Every other post you make has to do with UCSB.
     
  22. jojoboom

    jojoboom New Member

    Jun 9, 2008
    Washington
    The best thing about UCSB is their big, enthusiastic crowds. Defensively they play 1 v. 1 club type soccer and are known for their late reckless tackling style and often they come in to hurt. They go after the best players they can get but also good soccer is secondary to their aggressive style. They have a solid reputation for being hacks. Since 2001 UCSB has had between 48-70 cards each year. They have huge recruiting classes- 17 last year and 10 plus 3 more possible walk-ons this year. As things stand they currently will have 43 on the roster in 2009 but many returning players will likely get cut to make room for the new additions. It’s pretty cut throat. Very typical of other teams in the Big West Conference such as Cal Poly and Davis.They beat each other up. They have one player whose doing a jail sentence for rape and another good player who wants to quit the team because soccer is no longer fun. Some players thrive in this environment and others don’t.
     
  23. jojoboom

    jojoboom New Member

    Jun 9, 2008
    Washington
    Re: From the horses mouth

    How can you say you've never noticed Oracle on bigsoccer before? You're a UCSB fan and you go after each other on the UCSB thread often enough.
     
  24. virtuallock

    virtuallock New Member

    Feb 20, 2009
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Tim is an emotional coach whose main 'tactic' is riling up his players - which isn't difficult to do, they're 18-23 year olds. He's been dogged by rumors of recruiting violations since his days as a Juco coach. One of his past assistants is very open about the rules he breaks. The UCSB fans/ex-players/current players think they are watching/playing quality soccer but they are playing the prototype college soccer that makes MLS coaches wince.
     
  25. USAClash

    USAClash Member

    Feb 9, 1999
    Re: From the horses mouth

    Because I never have. I rarely check bigsoccer for Gaucho/college soccer news. I check it mostly for MLS and US Soccer info. The Gaucholoco board is the best place to discuss Gaucho soccer.
     

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