NORMAL, Ill. – Eric Golz has proven his ability to compete on a national stage with 12 years of coaching experience, and he will aim to lead Illinois State to similar success in his new role as the head coach of the Redbird soccer program, as announced by ISU Director of Athletics Larry Lyons Friday.
"I am very humbled, honored and privileged to have been named the next head women's soccer coach at Illinois State University," Golz said. "This is an absolutely incredible opportunity, and one that is a perfect fit for me personally and professionally. I would like to thank Larry Lyons, Leanna Bordner and the entire search committee. I was incredibly impressed by their vision, the culture of the athletics department, and the Redbird pride that was so evident throughout this process. We have it all at ISU. It is a highly regarded academic institution, one of the best college towns in America, and a soccer program that has consistently won MVC championships and qualified for the NCAA Tournament."
Golz arrives at Illinois State following three seasons at Maryland as the women's assistant soccer coach, where he helped a Terrapins' defense that gave up the fewest goals for the program in the last seven years. The 2014 season also marked the sixth-straight season in which Maryland notched a victory against a National College Soccer Coaches Association of America (NCSCAA) national top-25 opponent. Throughout his 10 seasons as an assistant college coach, Golz demonstrated that his coaching ability made him one of the nation's top assistant coaches.
"We are going to strive for excellence in all capacities of the student-athlete experience, and we are going to put in a tremendous amount of work to build on our storied history and ensure that our future is even brighter," Golz continued. "There is a great current group of players, and I am eager to meet, coach and build relationships with all of them. I am proud to be joining the Redbird family, and cannot wait to get to campus and get started."
In addition to his collegiate experiences, Golz has significant experience as a head and assistant coach for both state and regional ODP (Olympic Development Program) programs, a variety of clubs, and also served as the head coach for a semi-professional franchise with the Iowa Rush in the Women's Professional Soccer League (WPSL). As the head coach of the Rush, Golz ran all aspects of the team, including recruitment, training and fiscal management.
"I am pleased to announce that Eric Golz has accepted the position of head coach for our women's soccer program," Lyons said. "There was significant interest from head coaches and high level assistant coaches from across the country. Our search process was thorough, and Eric emerged as the right person to lead our program. His passion for the sport of soccer, as well as his exceptional ability to teach and coach and develop the student-athlete stood out. He has significant ties to the Midwest, which will be crucial to his ability to recruit high level talent. He will be a great fit in our department, on campus and in our community. Illinois State soccer is in good hands and we are very excited about the future under Eric's leadership."
At Maryland, Golz was also the team's recruiting coordinator, where he put together three-straight top-25 recruiting classes. The Terps finished the 2012 season in second place of the Atlantic Coast Conference, which tied the highest conference finish in program history. During his three seasons at Maryland, Golz helped the team to two ACC Tournament appearances, including a conference championship berth in 2012, as well as one NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2012, the Terrapins were ranked No. 16 in the final NSCAA national poll, while Golz coached five All-ACC student-athletes during his tenure at Maryland.
Prior to Maryland, Golz was an assistant coach at Dayton, where he also served as the team's recruiting coordinator. In addition, he was responsible for coordinating scouting reports and designing and organizing training sessions for the Flyers. Under Golz's tutelage, the Flyers, which were ranked as high as No. 14 by the NSCAA during the season, won the Atlantic 10 Tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Dayton finished the 2011 season with the 11th-best scoring offense in the nation, averaging 2.52 goals per game.
Coaching at Maryland was not Golz's first time with the ACC or Big Ten conference, as he spent the 2009 season as an assistant coach at Clemson, where he also served as the recruiting and video coordinator. While with the Tigers, Golz created and implemented Team Desktop Recruiting Software, which allowed for more efficient organization and maintenance of contact with prospective student-athletes. Under Golz's coordination, the Tigers' 2011 recruiting class featured verbal commitments from players in each of the four regions of the United States.
Golz is also no stranger to the Midwest and the Big Ten, as he spent three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Iowa. In his three seasons, he helped recruit three classes, which included eight Region II ODP members and one National Team player. Golz also served as the Hawkeyes' equipment coordinator and camp coordinator.
Golz spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons as an assistant coach at Bowling Green, helping the Falcons to their first two NCAA tournament berths, thanks to back-to-back MAC tournament championships. He also served as Bowling Green's recruiting, academic and travel coordinator. Prior to working at BGSU, Golz spent a season as the assistant men's coach at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.
A native of Wadsworth, Ohio, Golz was a standout goalkeeper at Grove City College and was an All-Presidents Athletic Conference selection. He earned his bachelor's degree in finance in 2002.
Golz holds a USSF "A" and USSF National Goalkeeping license, as well as a Level 1 Goalkeeping License from the NSCAA and has been a member of the USYSA Region II Olympic Development Program since 2004.
Golz is engaged to be married in June to Kailey Corken. The couple will reside in the Bloomington-Normal area.
What Everyone is Saying about Eric Golz
Jonathan Morgan – Head Coach at Maryland
"I want to congratulate Illinois State on making a terrific hire. In Eric Golz, the Redbirds are getting a very knowledgeable and passionate young coach. Eric is an excellent recruiter, who has many ties to the Midwest and there's no doubt he will continue building upon the excellence already established in the women's soccer program. It's bittersweet for Maryland, because he's been such an integral part in all facets of our program over the last three years, but we couldn't be more happy and excited for Eric as he takes on this new endeavor."
Eric Bell – Head Coach at Texas Christian
"Eric is a future star in our business and has paid his dues as an assistant coach. He is a great hire for Illinois State University. I have no doubt he will take the program to new levels."
Mike Tucker – Head Coach at Dayton
"Eric was a fantastic assistant coach for me. I have never heard anything but good things about Eric as a person and a coach from anyone in the soccer world. I am very happy that he is getting an opportunity to be a head coach in a very good program and have the opportunity to show what he can do. I think it is a great hire by Illinois State and I am thrilled because I think a lot of Eric as a person and a coach. You like to see good things happen to good people."
Ron Rainey – Head Coach at Dartmouth College
"I am very excited for Eric to take this step in his career. Illinois State has found a coach who is going to work as hard as possible to keep the tradition and success of Redbird soccer going forward. The future will be very bright with Eric leading the program."
Emily Moran – Former soccer player at Iowa
"He has always wanted a head coaching job, and it is awesome that he is getting to do what he wants to do at Illinois State. I think it is great that all of his hard work has paid off. As a coach, he is always energetic and looks for hard work. He is someone who wants the best out of his players, and he will find creative and fun ways to get that."
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