Photo courtesy of Athletic Media Relations
After five seasons of success for the Bulldog soccer team, under head coach Steve Springthorpe, the athletics department was on the search for the next coach and leader of the program.
Springthorpe led the ̢۪Dogs to two consecutive WAC titles and trips to the NCAA Tournament. His success didn̢۪t go unnoticed as Springthorpe left for the draw of the ACC and North Carolina State last December.
It took the Bulldogs a fair amount of time to find a suitable replacement for Springthrope, but they seem to have found their man in Brian Zwaschka, former Cal Bears assistant coach.
The Collegian caught up with Zwaschka to talk about the pressures to come, his coaching staff and the Fresno community.
QUESTION: Out of all the Division I schools with vacant head coaching jobs, why did you chose Fresno State?
ANSWER: There are a couple of reasons I chose Fresno. I was in a good situation at Cal and enjoyed working there, but I didn̢۪t want to go into just any situations. I wanted what was best for me and my family. This is a great place for me to bring up a family, and professionally the athletic department has really impressed me. This program has been left in good shape and has great potential.
Q: Do you feel a sense of pressure in following the success Steve Springthorpe had here?
A: There is no question Steve put together a quality team. It̢۪s a great opportunity to continue that, because this team already has that built-in desire to succeed.
Q: Why did you decide to keep assistant coach Christine Johnson on your staff?
A: It speaks volumes that Christine was compelled to stick around. I know that she was compelled to stick around and stay by the team, so there was some glue there. I have had the opportunity to interact with her on the recruiting trail, but realizing what she did to make sure the ship kept sailing with a lot of unknowns was great. I can lean on her very heavily.
Q: Are you surprised that you were able to get a head coaching job so quickly?
A: I am really excited that this has worked for me. I don̢۪t think it surprises me, because I have done the right things to prepare and really put in the time. It is a major jump though.
Q: What do you want to be able to do with the soccer community as a whole in the Central Valley?
A: There are a lot of things that can be done. As a soccer coach, at any level, you have to be a representative of the community as a whole. I think it is an opportunity to create lifeskills with the team and help them to get involved. It is important that people who grow up in the Valley feel like they have opportunities as well; making connections with the community. It is definitely about getting involved and meeting the needs of community.