NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State head soccer coach Raleigh DeRose has announced that Kurt Albrecht has been promoted to Associate Head Coach ahead of the 2026 campaign.
"I'm excited to announce that Kurt now has the title of Associate Head Coach. His knowledge of the game, ability to connect and communicate effectively, and commitment to developing our team beyond the field will be a tremendous asset to the program. I look forward to building this coaching partnership and continuing the growth of Redbird soccer." DeRose added.
"I am deeply honored to accept the promotion to Associate Head Coach." Albrecht expressed. "I want to sincerely thank Coach Raleigh DeRose and the athletic administration for their trust in my abilities and for this incredible opportunity. I have truly valued my time working alongside this team and am excited to take on higher responsibilities to help drive our program to new heights. Go Redbirds!"
Albrecht will enter his second season with Illinois State after helping guide the Redbirds back to prominence in the Missouri Valley Conference. In 2025, Albrecht played a pivotal role in leading Illinois State to its first MVC Tournament title game appearance since 2019.
In his first season with the Redbirds, Albrecht helped shape one of the nation's best defenses. Illinois State recorded 13 shutouts across the campaign, marking the most in Illinois State history and matching the most in MVC history. In 2025, the Redbirds tallied a six-game shutout streak and were one of four teams in the nation to accomplish the feat this season.
Along with the Redbirds' defensive prowess across 2025, Albrecht played a pivotal role in the development of instant impact freshman Rylann Law and Grace Petrie. Law and Petrie each earned All-MVC Freshman team selections to become the first freshman pairing to secure the award since 2017.
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