Playing position Name Mike Freitag 1976–1979 Indiana Hoosiers Role Coach | Years Team Position Defender 1980 San Diego Sockers | |
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Date of birth (1958-05-05) May 5, 1958 (age 57) Place of birth St. Louis, Missouri, United States Education Indiana University Bloomington | ||
Mike Freitag is a retired American soccer defender who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He served six seasons as the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers men's soccer team.
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Youth
Freitag graduated from Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He then attended Indiana University where he played on the men's soccer team from 1976 to 1979. He was a 1979 First Team All American. He graduated with bachelor's degree in physical education and earned a master's degree in sports administration from Indiana in 1986.
Professional
In 1980, Freitag signed with the San Diego Sockers of the North American Soccer League, but played no first team games. That fall, he moved to the Denver Avalanche of the Major Indoor Soccer League.
Coach
After retiring from professional soccer in 1982, Freitag remained in Colorado where he coached at the youth level. He was a member of the U.S. Soccer Federation Coaching Committee from 1990–91. He also spent time as the head coach of both the Colorado State Olympic Development Program (1987) and the Region IV Olympic Development Program (1989–90) .
In 1993, Freitag returned to Indiana University to become an assistant coach with the men's soccer team. In 2004, he replaced Jerry Yeagley as head coach and promptly took the team to the 2004 Division I Men's College Cup championship. He was named the 2006 and 2007 Big Ten Coach of the Year. After the Hoosiers lost 10 games in 2009, the university announced on December 2, 2009 that they would not renew Freitag's contract. In his six seasons as head coach, Frietag compiled a 86–32–19 record. Freitag spent a total of 24 years at Indiana as a player, graduate assistant, assistant coach and head coach and was involved in five of Indiana's seven national championships.