Men's Soccer tabs Aaron Macke permanent head coach

January 30, 2003
Aaron Macke's soccer title is now shorter -- just call the Tommies' 2002 "Interim" head men's soccer coach simply the head coach.

St. Thomas athletics director Steve Fritz said Thursday that Macke has been upgraded to permanent head coach.

Under Macke's direction, the 2002 St. Thomas team received the MIAC Sportsmanship Award for best on-field and bench decorum and tied for third place in the conference standings with St. John's at 6-2-2. The Tommies went 5-0-1 in thier last six games to finish 10-4-3 overall. UST posted nine shutouts and allowed just 11 goals in 17 games. The previous four St. Thomas teams averaged 26.5 goals allowed per season.

"The team success in 2002 under Aaron was no surprise and no accident," Fritz said. "He's been a leader throughout his era at St. Thomas as a student and graduate student, player, assistant coach, interim head coach and Student Affairs Division staff person."

Macke called the promotion "a dream come true." Since coming to St. Thomas in 1993 as a student, he's received his undergraduate degree (Business) and an MBA, and is completing work on his Ed.D Educational Leadership degree. He's also served as a graduate assistant in the office of Multicultural Student Services, and now holds a full-time position as Coordinator of Student Involvement and Retention.

"Throughout my nearly 10 years at St. Thomas, the soccer program has been my true love," Macke said. "In my first season as a volunteer assistant coach in 1998, I witnessed the first losing season in the soccer program's 30-plus years of existence. Other dedicated players and coaches and I vowed to return the program to its winning ways. As interim coach in the 2002 season, the team had its strongest season since 1995. As a head coach, I am determined to build upon that success and bring championships back to the program. Even more importantly, I will open the program up to the community, to the alumni, and to the staff, faculty and students of St. Thomas.

"I thank Denzil Lue, founding father of the program and longtime friend, for entrusting in me the responsibilities of head coach. I thank (UST Vice-President) Greg Roberts, Steve Fritz and (associate AD) Jo Ann Andregg for their continued support of me and confidence in me as a student, as the interim head coach and as the head coach."