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2005 NCAA Division I Men's All-Americans
2005 NCAA Division I Women's All-Americans
Tabatznik resigns as coach at Georgetown after 22 years.
Porter becomes sixth Akron coach after Lolla moves to Louisville.
Hennessy hopes to end Delaware losing streak as new coach.
Columbia makes Ficken retire after 27 years as coach.
Rammel resigns at Saint Mary's to join MLS Galaxy.
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NCAA men Chappel takes over as Columbia coach, promising return to success.
SoccerTimes (Wednesday, February 22, 2006) -- Chances are Columbia won't reside among the top NCAA Division I men's teams next season, but it's a safe bet the Lions will be among those in the best shape. Leo Chappel takes over as Columbia's coach, promising a return to the considerable success the school had experienced over the last three decades. Chappel replaces Dieter Ficken, who was pushed into retirement after 27 years on the New York City campus following two bad seasons. "I know that (success) starts with fitness and establishing a work ethic," said Chappel, 40, who spent the last five years as an assistant coach at California-Santa Barbara. "I think there's a lot to get out of these players." Chappel flew cross-country to meet with his new team Sunday through yesterday. He will move his wife Amy and three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Marley to the New York area some time around March 1, he said. "He's really enthusiastic about coaching us," junior striker Scott Waddell said. "He seems real concerned about fitness. He's a fitness guru. We'll be very fit and he wants us to very aggressive on offense and defense." Chappel plans to evaluate his players' abilities before designing a strategy for success. "It makes no sense to pre-plan," said the author of an article on soccer-specific workouts in the April 2005 issue of Training and Conditioning magazine. "I'm not married to a system of play. The players have to be fit and ready to play. . . We're going to be an attacking team, a pressure team. We'll always be looking to be forward." High pressure in all parts of the field and the conditioning to support it were the trademarks at UCSB in his five years assisting Tim Vom Steeg, a period in which the Gauchos rose to national prominence. During Chappel's tenure, UCSB compiled a 79-21-6 (.774) and advanced to the 2004 NCAA Division I championship game, finishing 21-2-2 after falling to defending champion Indiana 3-2 in penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw in the final.
"We all know that (Chappel) will do well at Columbia and help return their program to one of the tops in the nation," Vom Steeg said. Ficken arrived at Columbia in 1979 and led the Lions to a 252-139-53 (.627) overall record, eight Ivy League titles, 11 NCAA tournament berths and one national championship match. Only five of his 27 teams had losing records, but the two worst marks came in the last two seasons -- 4-10-3 in 2004 and 4-12-1 last fall. Still, Ficken was reluctant to leave, believing a couple of strong recruiting classes would make the 2006 Lions one of the best versions since the 1983 side finished 18-1, losing only to Indiana 1-0 in a second overtime period of the NCAA title match. Despite the poor record, Columbia was competitive in 2005. Nine of its 12 losses were by one goal -- seven by 1-0 scores -- and the other three setbacks were by two goals. "We were used to (Ficken's) style," Waddell said. "It was tough (to see the veteran coach go), but it happened and we have to deal with it." Chappel refuses to put any limit on his expectations. "To be honest, I'm real excited," he said. "We can make an immediate impact. Everyone says this is a really good team. I think we'll complete in the Ivy League and then the NCAAs. I'm looking forward to getting Columbia back on the map." Before his time at UCSB, Chappel spent three seasons as an assistant at North Carolina-Charlotte. UNC-Charlotte. From 1996-98, he served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Ohio Wesleyan, helping the Battling Bishops to become the Division III national runnerup in 1997, and then he was an assistant for a year at Wake Forest. M. Dianne Murphy, Columbia director of athletics and physical education, could not be reached for comment, but said on the school's web site: "Leo Chappel is exactly what we were seeking in a head coach. He has proven success at the highest levels of collegiate soccer. He brings energy, enthusiasm and integrity as a leader. I have the utmost confidence Leo will reestablish Columbia men's soccer as one of the best in the nation."
Gary Davidson is SoccerTimes managing editor. E-mail Gary Davidson. Do you have a comment on this story or something to say about soccer in general? Send us a letter. |
