This article was published in September 2005.

What motivated you to become a coach, and who were your biggest influences on you becoming a coach?
I enjoyed athletics and had success in high school. My high school coach, Barney Hoffman, had a passion for soccer and he passed that on to me. In college Mel Lorback was a huge influence. He taught me the importance of the administrative aspect of coaching. He taught me that in every detail, the organization, the motivational aspect and work ethic were extremely important to the success of a coach.

How would you describe your style as coach?
My personal style is "user-friendly." I like to have fun and I want the players to have fun. The reason they are playing is because they enjoy the game.

What do you emphasize in training sessons and have the sessions changed over the years?
Yes, the sesions have changed. As a coach you are always trying to tweak things and make them better. Since the IU team was a club first and the talent level was not too good, I had to rely on defense. I think one reason for the success at Indiana is the fact we worked constantly on defense and our players took pride in being accountable for playing good defense. The session has three phases. The first part is the warm-up, which will include some work with and without the ball and some light technical work. The second part of training may be small group activities that we have identified as a need for the team at that particular time. And finally we have a large group activity. I am a believer in playing 11 v. 11 in training. Soccer is fun to play and the players want to play. I think we can teach using 11 v. 11. 

Do you have certain coaching principles that you refuse to compromise?
Yes, accountability and team ownership are extremely important. The players must hold themselves accountable and they must develop leadership skills. The coach cannot do it alone. Coaches can set goals and make demands, but the players must buy into the philosophy and become accountable.

When you have a problem with a player do you talk to the team as a whole or pull the individual aside? How do you handle that type of problem situation?
I try to do it individually, but there are times I believe the team must know that everyone is held accountable by the coach. If the star player is not doing his share, for example, you need to point this out to the whole team. Sometimes players have a problem with being criticized in front of the whole team, so sometimes you have to send that player off or pull him aside and talk to him individually. Most situations are best handled on an individual basis.

Do you have a formation of choice? And if so, what is it and why do you like it?
The formation that we played out of was a 3-5-2. The numbers don't mean much; I think it is important for the players to know their roles within the framework of the team. We played many times when had more than two players up front and more than three players back. What I like about the 3-5-2 is that the formation is conducive to controlling the the center of the park. I think the team that wins the midfield has a better chance of winning games. I will give something up, perhaps a wide player, to get an advantage in the center. We use a combination of zonal defending and man to man. In the past few years, with better players, we have played more zone. The front seven mostly play zone but there are times when our backs might have to mark a good striker man to man. But whatever defense you play, it always breaks down to individual 1 v. 1 defending.

If you think team chemistry is important, what did you do on your team to foster team chemistry?
Team chemistry is very important. Soccer is a player's game and coaching is done before the game starts. That makes team chemistry, discipline and leadership more important. To do this we nurture leadership skills on the team. We have never had a good team without good leadership. When we get to the point in the season when we look on the field and can say "they have taken ownership of this team," then I know the team will be successful. The players are not looking over their shoulders to the bench. They know it is their team and they have become accountable for all actions on and off the field.

What are the main qualities that you look for in a young player that will lead to success at IU?
Talent, of course, is a given, but we look beyond talent to find the right players. Having technical ability, athleticism, speed, quickness and having a feel for the game are all very important. Then there are the intangible qualities, the winning qualities that make a player a real winner.

If you were the king of soccer and you could mandate two or three things that all youth coaches must teach young players, what would they be?
Again, coaches must never lose sight of why kids play soccer in the first place. They play because it is fun and they love the game. Youth coaches must create a passion for the game within their players. The players must want to come back to practice. Coaches must find a way to have every player on the team have some level of success. They do this by giving players opportunities to be successful within the team. Coaches must also be fair with each player and be honest with them.

What is the biggest obstacle to player development at the youth level today?
I think we are overcoming some of the problems from the past. The coaching has really advanced and with all of these super leagues, kids travel throughout the country and get much better competition. Role model heroes have now surfaced for soccer players as they have in basketball and football. The kids are trying to go out and do moves like Landon Donovan.

In terms of today and what's happening in U.S. soccer from grassroots up to the national teams, what concerns you most about the state of soccer in the United States today?
The numbers are there and the kids are playing. So a big concern would be burnout with some of the kids. Another concern is that we still haven't overcome the hurdles of respect and recognition. The media and interest is not at the level it should be. Reporters need to become more familiar with soccer and give it more attention. 

What tactical trends have you seen in the college game in the last few years?
The game has evolved recently to where we are becoming more like the old Dutch "clockwork orange." Now many players can play every position and that allows for more flexibility, more flow of the game and more interchange of players. That makes the game more enjoyable for fans and players.

What do you think might happen in the next few years tactically at the college level?
Crowds are larger and the entertainment is becoming better as the quality of soccer increases. There are fewer restrictions on players in terms of stifling counterattacking defensive-oriented performances. And we have to commit to attack and encourage more individual creativity.

Is there a right time for young player today to concentrate solely on soccer?
I get this question a lot. Look at my own son, Todd, who was a four-time all-America and played professionally for eight years. He loved to play basketball and hockey and I think there is carry-over from those sports. He played all three sports through junior high school. I think there is nothing wrong with that until the early teens. You don't need to specialize too early. We are, however, seeing more specialization with the demands of the club seasons. I don't like to see it at too early of an age, but certainly not before you are in your teen years.

Loking back over a tremendous college career, what gives you the most gratification?
Early on my most important reward was getting the wins. You have to win. I am now still as competitive as ever and the victories are still as important. The real reward to me now is when I talk to players who have played for me. It is a real tight-knit family. When someone says how much playing for Indiana was one of the best times and most influential times of their lives, that is the real reward. Each win is different and big in its own way, as is each team. Teams are different from one year to the next -- I can't say one team was better than the other.