Clarksville, Ark.-Adam Nirenberg has been named Head Women's Soccer Coach at the University of the Ozarks, announced by Athletics Director Dave De Hart on Tuesday.
Nirenberg, 31, has been the assistant men’s and women’s soccer coach at Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois, for the past two seasons. At Concordia last season, Nirenberg helped the Lady Cougars reach double-digit wins for the first time in just their third season as an NCAA Division III program. The Lady Cougars finished with a mark of 10-9-1 and had three players named to the all-conference team. Nirenberg was also part of a men’s program at Concordia that advanced to the finals of the conference tournament last season while having four players earn all-conference honors. "First and foremost, I was instantly drawn to the quality of education here and was impressed by the friendliness of the people at Ozarks," said Nirenberg. "The campus can sell itself with its beauty. I want my players to have a positive and well-balanced experience as a student-athlete and I believe Ozarks can provide that. They will choose Ozarks to participate in sports, but the main reason to attend here will be to obtain an education. My passion is coaching and teaching young people the game of soccer and I look forward to helping my athletes achieve success on and off the field." Nirenberg wants to instill in his players a life-long love for the game. "I want my players to have fun and always enjoy the game of soccer," said Nirenberg. "The amount of fun they have participating in soccer will lead to a greater interest in the game and I believe that will lead to a strong work ethic and a desire to succeed. The more work one puts into their game, the more benefits one reaps and I want that to turn into a way of life." Nirenberg served as the girl’s assistant coach at Pulaski High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for one season and as the boy’s assistant coach at Schaumburg High School in Schaumburg, Illinois, for one season prior to Concordia. A native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Nirenberg graduated from Marquette University in 1995 where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and Sociology. Nirenberg earned his Master of Arts in Teaching from Concordia University in 2004. Nirenberg holds a Coaching License with the United States Soccer Federation. "Adam’s excitement, enthusiasm and passion for the game of soccer is evident," said De Hart. "I’m excited to have someone take over the position that is a proven recruiter and proven winner at the NCAA Division III collegiate soccer level. He was professional, organized and energetic during the interview process. And I believe all of those things will lead to an ability to recruit quality student-athletes and will give the program a much needed shot in the arm." "His experience working with a quality head coach and helping build Concordia’s program to a competitive level is certainly valuable. Our women’s soccer program has never really reached its potential as we have had six coaches in our eight years of existence. So, we are eager to have Adam here to build some consistency and stability in the program." Nirenberg was chosen from a nation-wide search of over eighty candidates.
Topics: Athletics