NORMAL, Ill. - Drew Roff, the former head women's soccer coach at University of Indianapolis who turned around the program in just two years, was hired as Illinois State's head women's soccer coach, Illinois State director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger announced Monday. Roff's appointment is effective immediately.
Roff replaces Pete Kowall, who served as the head coach of the Redbirds from 1996 through the fall 2006 season. Kowall resigned on November 16.
Zenger emphasized Roff's diverse coaching experience and success and his ability to teach as primary reasons that Roff emerged as the leading candidate in the search.
"Drew's candidacy for this position came with high praise," said Zenger. "We are impressed with Drew's plan for success and especially the way he turned around the women's soccer program at Indianapolis. He has a great vision for women's soccer at Illinois State and what this program can accomplish in the Missouri Valley Conference and beyond. Drew is a great addition and we welcome him into the Illinois State family."
Roff was immediately impressed with the opportunity at Illinois State and looks to return the women's soccer program to prior levels of prominence.
"I was impressed with a lot of things when I was invited to visit Illinois State," said Roff. "The athletic department staff that I spent time with had an incredible vision for the future of ISU and specifically the athletic department. I really felt there was a family atmosphere and everyone I spoke to was very capable and excited about the future of the soccer program and the athletic department as a whole."
Serving as the head coach at Indianapolis for the past two seasons, Roff led the 2006 Greyhounds to a 17-5-1 overall record, setting the school record for wins in a single season. The team earned the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship and qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament, both firsts for the women's soccer program at Indianapolis. Ending the season with a national ranking of No. 18, Roff's team won a first round NCAA Tournament game, before being eliminated in the regional final by Grand Valley State, which later lost in overtime in the national championship match. In 2005, Roff's squad finished 9-9, with a seventh place finish in the conference, improving upon a 2004 team that went 6-9-1 and did not make the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament.
Prior to his stint at Indianapolis, Roff joined the staff at Dynamo FC where he coached the `89 girls to the Indiana state championship and the regional semi-finals. Beginning the 2004 season as the fifth ranked team in the state, Roff made an immediate impact as the same team garnered national recognition by the end of the same season, ranked as high as No. 17. In 2004, Roff was named the Indiana Youth Soccer Association's District 6 Girls Coach of the Year. He also served as the director for Dynamo Soccer Camps and holds a USSF National Coaching License. As an active club soccer coach, Roff joined the Indiana Olympic Development Program (ODP) in 2005 and has coached the '92 girls for the past two years.
Roff's teaching and coaching career began at Dowagiac Union High School in Michigan, where he taught physical education and headed up both the varsity girls and boys programs from 1998-2002, winning district Coach of the Year honors in 2001. Moving to Indianapolis in 2002, Roff took over the women's program at Roncalli High School and won sectional titles in 2002 and 2003 with the Rebels.
While coaching in the high school ranks for seven years, Roff also played and coached in the United Soccer League's Professional Development League. Roff played for the Mid-Michigan Bucks in 1997 and 1998. He then played for the Indiana Invaders, based out of South Bend, from 1999-2001 serving as player/coach for two of those seasons.
The Ann Arbor, Mich. native played collegiately at Michigan State University from 1991-94, where he was a four-year starter and amassed All-Big Ten honors and Regional All-American accolades as a senior. Roff graduated from MSU with a degree in Physical Education and Exercise Science.
"Obviously the Illinois State women's soccer program has had a lot of success in the past, which means the resources and the tradition are there to bring back that success," continued Roff. "I'm looking to bring a new energy to the team and my perspective of the game to the program. I'm definitely very excited about this new opportunity and have the immediate goal of getting the program back to the level it needs to be. We will compete for a conference championship each and every year, with the goals of earning MVC titles and making appearances in the NCAA tournament."
