Men's Soccer Head Coach Manfred Schellscheidt To Retire
11/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Manfred Schellscheidt announced today that he will step down after 24 years as the head coach of the Seton Hall men's soccer program. With accomplishments that span youth, college, professional, and international soccer, Schellscheidt leaves the Pirates as the program's all-time winningest coach.
"Manfred has been the face of this program for more than two decades," said Patrick Lyons, Seton Hall Director of Athletics. "Throughout his historic tenure, he has represented this University with great class and character. We are indebted to him for his years, not only as a coach, but as a mentor and molder of men. We wish him all the best in his future."
A national search to fill the position will begin immediately.
"Those who know me well know that, while I may be retiring from full-time coaching, I will not be retiring from soccer or my interest in Seton Hall. I plan to watch games next fall with former players and colleagues ... and I'm already looking forward to playing in next year's alumni game," quipped the seventy-year-old Schellscheidt. "Seton Hall has given me the opportunity to coach remarkably talented young men for more than two decades and for that I will always be thankful."
A committed and long-time teacher of the game of soccer, Schellscheidt is notably the first coach in the United States to earn an "A" license. Throughout his career, he has worked with some of the country's most respected coaches, including Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley, and mentored countless players who have risen to the professional and international stage.
Schellscheidt's coaching philosophy is to have his players learn by playing, which has led to him becoming the winningest coach in Seton Hall history, compiling a 232-177-48 record and a 104-85-16 mark in BIG EAST Conference play. He has guided the Pirates to two BIG EAST Championships, nine NCAA Tournament berths, seven conference title game appearances and a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2001.
Known for his ability to nurture and develop talent, Schellscheidt has coached five All-Americans at Seton Hall, including two-time first team selection Pat O'Kelly in 1988 and 1989. Sacha Kljestan became the second repeat All-American under Schellscheidt, earning first team honors in 2004 and third team recognition in 2005. Schellscheidt helped Tom Houston earn second team honors in 1994, while Hector Zamora earned first team status in 1992. Gerson Echeverry was a third team pick in 1991. Zamora (1992), O'Kelly (1990) and Greg Strohmann (2002) were also recipients of the prestigious BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.
"Knowing that I could offer young student-athletes a Division I soccer experience along with a top-notch education made my move to Seton Hall in 1988 an easy one," reflected Schellscheidt. "In keeping with its mission to prepare tomorrow's leaders both academically and ethically, Seton Hall University was unwavering in its support of my coaching and mentoring efforts. In other words, Seton Hall really does focus on the whole person, not just the student ... not just the athlete. I feel blessed to have been part of such a worthwhile tradition."
