Mild selected as Pacific men's coach
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| UC Davis athletics photo |
Eric Mild, a 17-year coaching veteran with a record of success at the NCAA Division I and Division II levels, has been selected as the eighth head coach of the Pacific University men's soccer program.
Mild was selected from a national search that drew over 70
applicants from all levels of the game. Mild succeeds Jim Brazeau,
who resigned in November to focus on his duties as director of
coaching for the Willamette United Soccer Club.
"I am thrilled that Eric will joining us and I believe he will be
an outstanding addition to our coaching staff," said athletic
director Ken Schumann. "Eric's valuable coaching experience at
both Division I and Division II provides the right person to
continue the growth of the program where Jim left off. I am excited
for the future of Pacific men's soccer."
"I am really excited to become part of the athletic department at
Pacific," Mild said. "The tradition and reputation of the
university, the location and the winning tradition of the men's
soccer program make this a perfect for me and my family. I feel
like it's a good fit and that I will integrate and be part of
something special here."
Mild comes to Pacific after five years as the top assistant coach
at UC Davis, where he helped lead the Aggies in their successful
transition to Division I play in his second stint with the program.
During his tenure, UC Davis qualified four times for the Big West
Tournament and won the conference's north division in 2012. The
Aggies' 2008 squad qualified for the NCAA Division I College Cup
and achieved a top-25 ranking after finishing with a 13-5-4
record.
Mild sees the potential to continue Pacific long tradition of
men's soccer success and return the Boxers to the upper half of the
Northwest Conference standings in short time.
"I want to emphasize and develop a 'team first' mentality within
the program," Mild said. "My hope is that we can incorporate
that and enhance with the current student-athletes. I want to make
sure we are all buying into that 'team first' mentality. The
recruits we bring in will enhance that even further."
Prior to returning to UC Davis, Mild spent seven seasons at
Division II Can State Stanislaus, developing the team into a
competitive program in the California Collegiate Athletic
Conference (CCAA). Mild's efforts culminated in 2006 with an
appearance in the CCAA Championship tournament. That year's
team finished with a 10-9-2 overall record, its best mark since
1991. Overall, Mild coached 11 all-conference selections and
boasted the program's first-ever all-region honorees.
Mild previously served as the top assistant coach at UC Davis from
1997 to 2001. That period was highlighted by a 1999 squad
that won a school-record 16 matches and qualified for the NCAA
Division II playoffs for the first time in 23 years. That team won
the west region championship and set a school mark with 13
consecutive victories.
Mild began his collegiate playing career at Santa Rosa (Calif.)
Junior College where he earned all-conference honors. He
finished his career at Division II Humboldt State, earning
all-conference and all-region honors while helping lead the
Lumberjacks to a Northern California Athletic Conference title.
Mild hiring continues a trend of UC Davis coaches coming north to
Pacific. Other UC Davis coaching alumni on the Boxers' staff
include head football coach Keith Buckley and football
co-offensive coordinator Matt Wade.
Mild graduated from Humboldt State in 1996 with a degree in
kinesiology. He earned his master's degree in kinesiology
from Sacramento State in 2002. He currently holds a United
States Soccer Federation "A" license.
Mild and his wife, Amy (a former UC Davis soccer player), are
proud parents of two children, Tessa and Grayson.
