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DU adding Freitag to coaching staff
Mike Freitag, one of the most well-respected coaches in American soccer, has joined the University of Denver men’s soccer staff, head coach Bobby Muuss announced today.
“Coach Freitag and the experiences he has had as a coach instantly make the University of Denver men’s soccer program better,” Muuss said. “Competing for national championships is this program’s ultimate goal, and Coach Freitag has been a part of five NCAA titles at Indiana – experience that our program can certainly benefit from. We are honored to have Coach Freitag join us here at DU, and the entire staff looks forward to working with, and learning from, such a great coach.”
Freitag, who will serve as DU’s volunteer assistant coach, spent 24 years at Indiana as a player, assistant coach and head coach. Freitag is one of just three coaches in the history of the NCAA to lead his team to a national title in his first season as head coach, guiding the Hoosiers to the 2004 NCAA title, IU’s fifth with Freitag in the program. Freitag was part of three national titles as the head assistant for long-time head coach Jerry Yeagley in 1998, 1999 and 2003. He was also part of the 1983 national title as a graduate assistant.
Freitag was 86-32-19 (.697) in six seasons as head coach at Indiana, coaching nine National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas All-Americans and earning Big 10 Coach of the Year honors in 2006 and 2007. Under Freitag, 13 Indiana players signed professional contracts, including 11 Major League Soccer draft selections.
The Hoosiers compiled a 202-38-14 record in Freitag’s tenure as a full-time assistant coach from 1993 to 2003. In 2002, Freitag was recognized by College Soccer News as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches. In addition, AFLAC included him in its list of the 500 best assistant coaches, in any sport, across the United States in 2002.
“A lot of our education as soccer coaches comes from learning, watching and listening to other coaches,” Muuss said. “Coach Freitag’s eye for talent, his winning mentality, his passion and his overall experiences in the sport of soccer will help me, our staff and our program in a big way. Again, we are delighted to have him with us.”
In addition to his time at Indiana, Freitag also has spent time as the assistant coach of the U-17 National Team and currently holds the post of Executive Director of Colorado Youth Soccer. In 2009, Freitag was honored with induction into the Colorado Youth Soccer Hall of Fame.
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