With the resignation of five-year coach Steve Springthorpe at the beginning of January, Fresno State has finally landed their man to lead the women̢۪s soccer team.
His name is Brian Zwaschka, a former two-year assistant coach at UC Berkeley.
“I’m thrilled. I think there is an excellent opportunity for success here,â€Â said Zwaschka at a press conference on April 7. “With the forward thinking of the administration there is no doubt in my mind that this place has great potential.â€Â
Zwaschka has big shoes to fill as Springthorpe led the Bulldogs to great success in his tenure in Fresno.
He won two WAC Tournament Championships, a regular season WAC title and led the ̢۪Dogs to two NCAA tournament championship appearances and ended his career in Fresno with a 53-39-13 record.
One of the most successful seasons in the team̢۪s history came this past season finishing with an 11-9-2 record. The team won the WAC Tournament and also made an NCAA Regional first round appearance, where they were defeated 5-0 by UCLA.
With the season over, Springthorpe then accepted an offer to be the new head coach at North Carolina State.
And while Springthorpe̢۪s presence will be missed by players and members of the athletic department, Zwaschka is offering new hope and excitement for the future.
“The program’s potential is already at a peak,â€Â said Zwaschka. “Realizing that potential is the job I am most excited about.â€Â
As an assistant at Berkeley, Zwaschka had numerous responsibilities in helping the program̢۪s development.
Everything from scouting to equipment to video to player development was listed in his job description.
His first season with the Golden Bears was a great success as Zwaschka helped head coach Neil McGuire lead their team to a 15-5-1 record, a No. 11 national ranking and an appearance in the second round of NCAA playoffs.
Following his career as a player, Zwaschka got into coaching most of which began at the club level. He was part of the Waukee Soccer Club in 1995 before heading to the Iowa United Soccer Club for two years where he led a team to a state championship.
With some experience under his belt, Zwaschka was an assistant at a high school for one year before heading to be the assistant coach of his alma mater Grand View College from 2005-07.
His team earned a ranking of No. 11 in the nation one year and was able to capture two league championships. He also has two years experience at Texas Tech as an assistant coach, but his new gig in Fresno will be his first opportunity for him to do what he wants with a program.
“If you ask me four years ago when I took my first Division I women’s job period, I’d would have told you I’d be really surprised to be in this position this quickly,â€Â Zwaschka said.