Brad Agoos. SU Athletics photo.

by David Falk, www.GOALSeattle.com

Brad Agoos came to the Seattle University Redhawks program in 2006. We recently talked via email about how it has gone for him as head coach of the Men's soccer team, and where he sees them heading as they get ready for the transition to NCAA Division One status. More on the Redhawks:  Coach Agoos' Bio   Team Page

How did your second year as head coach at SU compare to your first?

I think both were great years. The first year we were up and down but we had a good run in the tournament which made it special. This past year I felt we were much more consistent (only losing two games all regular season) and we felt like we had established ourselves without a doubt as one of the top teams in the country, but our tournament experience was short, which always is disappointing.

Spring scrimmage matches will start soon. Who do you guys play? What's the role these matches play in developing your program?

We take our spring very seriously. This is a time when players can really grow in their roles, or find them. We also don’t have to worry so much about results so team and individual development are huge during this time. We will play the Sounders twice, Seattle Pacific, Western, and the Seattle Wolves.

Last season was a pretty good one for the Redhawks, until the early defeat in the playoffs. What were the highlights for you?

I think our California trip was a great one because we were on the road so long that it would’ve been easy to have let down. While we lost one game to Dominguez, they are an excellent team and we still came away from the trip in very good shape.

Looking at 2008, you've got some big shoes to fill with the graduation of John Fishbaugher, Jason Cascio, Eric Forner and Dustin Allberry. What challenges will that present?

Those are great people and players to have to replace but ask any coach and that is the nature of college sports. The excellent programs are the ones that can replace great players year in year out and that is the real test of the integrity of the program. We are excited to see the players who didn’t get as much time last year really get to step up and get a chance to prove themselves and grow in their roles. I don’t think the transition will be seamless but I believe we have such quality kids in the program that they will rise to the challenge.
 

The Redhawks celebrate their 2007 overtime win over Incarnate Word of Texas. David Falk photo.

Talk about the new recruits. What hopes do you have for them?

The class is small in size (4 commitments) and we could get one or two more in the next couple weeks, but we are extremely happy with the guys we have coming in. They are all great people and hard working, committed players. I think they are going to really be able to fit into our team culture well here and will be in the mix to get minutes right away.

Your program is in a very interesting transition. The move up to Division One will really change your club's road in the next few years. How are you working out a schedule for this year? What angle will you take with the players while coaching a club that is in this transition? Who are you guys going to face on the pitch in 2008?

The schedule is in a lot of flux since we got the notification a bit late that we were going D1. We will most likely play a mix of Division 1, 2 and NAIA teams. I think it will be a good way to transition and it is going to be a great test for us to keep focused because we aren’t eligible for the NCAA tournament for the next two seasons and will have to play solely for our program and school’s pride every week without a tournament birth at stake. It is one of those things that will show us all who has it in them to keep grinding and driving when it will be easy to let down.
 

Redhawks fans cheer at the recently re-designed Championship Field. David Falk photo.

Is your goal to be the dominant Division One club in the Seattle area? How are you going to go about getting there?

Our goal is to be the best program in the entire country. Of course that starts with the Seattle area, but we are a program with a great tradition and part of a school we are tremendously proud to represent. I think players from all over the country are going to want to be part of Seattle U in the coming years. We will work to get top players from the Northwest and the rest of the country that match our culture and will be great representatives of Seattle University.

What are your impressions of the "Seattle soccer scene" from youth, to academy, to colleges, to the Sounders...to MLS?

I think Seattle has a tremendous soccer culture. I have been really impressed with the scene here so far. The clubs here have done an amazing job at being really relevant nationally and getting a ton out of the local talent we have in Washington. Saying that, I am not surprised because there are so many ex pro’s that are still in the area from the NASL days and active in coaching. I also think that says a lot about the area that the guys who moved here 25 years ago liked it so much that they stayed.

Now with the MLS coming  I think that the future for soccer here is even brighter. We feel unbelievably fortunate to be in one of the few cities in the country that will have an MLS team, and it will be literally in our backyard. Not only will our players be seen by the MLS Seattle staff weekly, the new team’s presence here is going to help us attract even more quality players and also give our players a chance to see the game at the highest level in this country every week.