When Notre Dame went searching for a women's soccer coach in 1999, the University was looking for an experienced tactician and motivator to lead the NCAA's second-winningest program of the 1990s. Notre Dame found exactly what it was looking for in Randy Waldrum, a veteran of coaching at nearly every level who built Notre Dame into the 2004 national champions and has kept the Irish among the nation's elite.

From his first coaching job at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, to leading Notre Dame to the NCAA title, Waldrum has been recognized by U.S. Soccer as one of the game's top soccer minds at any level. He has held a position on the U.S. national team coaching staff since 1992 and recently rotated into the spot of second vicepresident of the 18,000-member National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Randy Waldrum

Waldrum - who has directed Notre Dame to the most victories (72-5-2; .924) of any women's soccer program over the past three seasons (2004-06) - is able to draw on the lessons learned from 25 combined seasons in the college coaching ranks (349-129-25 record/.719), providing the Irish program with the full package in its head coaching position. A respected student of the game, Waldrum has combined with his staff to consistently attract some of the nation's top talent. In the past five years alone, Notre Dame's incoming classes all have been rated among the top-10 in the nation - highlighted by several elite individuals who have quickly made the transition to the college game.

Waldrum's .773 career winning percentage is tied for fourth all-time among women's soccer coaches with 10-plus seasons on the Division I level (third among active coaches; see chart). During his years at Notre Dame, Waldrum has matched wits versus seven other coaches who are ranked among the top-10 on that list and the Irish own an impressive 20-7-3 record (.717) in those games featuring matchups of top national coaches.

Randy Waldrum

In Notre Dame games versus teams led by coaches currently among the top-10 career leaders in D-I win percentage, Waldrum has guided the Irish to winning records versus Len Tsantiris and his UConn squad (9-2-2), Jerry Smith's Santa Clara team (7-3-0) and John Walker's Nebraska unit (1-0- 1) - plus a convincing 2005 win (4-1) over Becky Burleigh's Florida program in the first-ever meeting between the Irish and the Gators, an earlier win over the Texas A&M team led by G. Guerrieri, and a split of two games versus Portland when they were directed by the late Clive Charles. Notre Dame's 2004 NCAA title-game win over UCLA (coached by Jillian Ellis, yet another on the top-10 list) was decided in penalty kicks, with the Irish officially awarded the victory for that game.

Waldrum's first eight Notre Dame teams (1999- 2006) continued the program's tradition of excellence by combining for a 166-24-6 record (.862) while winning seven BIG EAST regular-season and five BIG EAST Tournament titles and advancing to the NCAAs each year - including a runner-up finish in 1999, another trip to the College Cup semifinals in 2000, the 2004 national title and a runner-up finish in 2006. The Irish also posted a 49-16-2 record versus NSCAA top-25 teams in the first eight years of the Waldrum era (.746).

Despite narrowly missing another national title in 2006, Waldrum further solidified his spot on the short list of elite coaches in the history of collegiate women's soccer. The 2006 College Cup final weekend marked the fourth time in Waldrum's eight-year tenure with the Irish that he has guided Notre Dame to a spot in the national semifinals. Only six coaches in Division I history have taken more of their teams to the Women's College Cup's final weekend than Waldrum, whose three appearances in the title game trail only Dorrance and Tsantiris (the duo that rank 1- 2 in total career victories).

Randy Waldrum

Waldrum's Notre Dame players have combined for 17 All-America honors - led by 2000 national player of the year Anne Makinen, high-scoring forward standout Katie Thorlakson (who received 2004 player-of-the-year honors) and a third player of the year in current junior forward Kerri Hanks (for 2006). Irish players in the Waldrum era also have combined for 12 Academic All-America awards, including rare double honors (All- America and Academic All-America) for 2001 defender Monica Gonzalez. The 2003 squad became the first in Division I women's soccer history to produce three Academic All-Americans, as defender Vanessa Pruzinsky was named Academic All-American of the Year while forward Mary Boland and goalkeeper Erika Bohn were second-team selections. Bohn later was a firstteamer in 2004 and 2005, joining Pruzinsky and former basketball standout Bob Arnzen as Notre Dame's only three-year Academic All-Americans.

The nation's only repeat honoree as his region's NSCAA coach of the year in 2003 and '04, Waldrum's clever use of personnel played a key role in the 2004 team's sustained success and postseason push. He guided that team to the best winning percentage in the program's history (.944, 25-1-1), with only three previous Division I teams winning more games in a season.

The 2004 team finished fourth in the nation with a 0.51 season goals-against average while totaling nearly as many goals (70) as opponent shots on goal (71) and trailing only 102 minutes all season. On the way to the title, Notre Dame beat three top teams twice (Santa Clara, Boston College and Connecticut), adding noteworthy wins over Portland, Stanford, West Virginia, Villanova, Michigan and Arizona State.

Waldrum made efficient use of the 2004 team's roster, utilizing the team's depth to keep the top players fresh for the postseason (19 different players started in 2004). He used a variety of formations and made a key decision to install veteran Candace Chapman at forward, following a broken leg suffered by her classmate Boland. Chapman had not played forward since high school but she responded with an all-BIG EAST season as the team's second-leading scorer (12G-8A).

The 2003 and 2004 teams combined to win more than 90 percent of their games (45-4-2) - a two-year mark that was bettered by the 2005 and 2006 Irish teams (47-4-1) - and the Irish have totaled nearly a +150 win-to-loss margin in the Waldrum era (166-24-6; .862), also winning nearly 85 percent of their "big games" when facing an NSCAA top-25 or postseason opponents (70-16-3, .803). Four of the top-five goals-against averages in Irish history have been posted by Waldrum's teams (0.39 in 2000, 0.40 in '06, 0.49 in '03 and 0.51 in 2004, with the record of 0.36 set in 1997).

Waldrum's 2005 team turned in another historic season, entering the year ranked numberone and leading the nation in scoring (4.40 goals per game). More impressively, the 2005 team's goal total (110, good for 10th in NCAA history) was more than twice the number of shots on goal allowed by the Irish for the entire season (54, with only 15 opponent goals). The Irish rolled up a 60-3 scoring margin during a 13-game winning streak late in the 2005 season. The streak - which saw the Irish allow only two opponent shots on goal - ended in an NCAA quarterfinal loss at eventual champion Portland.

The 2005 season also featured four All- Americans - Thorlakson, Chapman, Hanks and Jen Buczkowski - who were among the final-15 candidates for the Hermann Trophy. Those players each received top BIG EAST honors in 2005 (Thorlakson on offense, Chapman on defense, Buczkowski as best midfielder, Hanks as top rookie), marking the first time that one team had claimed four major BIG EAST player awards.

Thorlakson (18G-35A) and Hanks (28G-15A) became the second pair of teammates in Division I history to eclipse 70 points in the same season, with Thorlakson joining three previous Notre Dame players among 18 in D-I history to reach 50 career goals (55) and 50 assists (73; second in NCAA history behind former ND alum Holly Manthei's 144).

Waldrum and his staff coached a 2006 squad that rates among the most dominant in Notre Dame history. The Irish held the nation's top ranking for most of the season and did not lose until the national title game, tying the team record for wins in a season (25-1-1) while becoming just the second women's soccer program ever to reach 25 wins in multiple seasons. Only five teams in the 25-year history of Division I women's soccer have totaled more than 25 wins in a season.

The 2006 squad led the nation with a team-record 19 shutouts while the 0.40 goalsagainst average ranked third nationally and was just shy of the Notre Dame record (0.36). The Irish also compiled the nation's top scoring margin (+74; 85-11) and had 28 more goals than their opponents' combined shots on goal (57). Notre Dame allowed a per-game average of only 2.11 shots on goal - setting another team record - and the Irish did not face a deficit for 16 straight games prior to the NCAA title game.

Hanks earned the prestigious Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy as 2006 national player of the year while joining former UNC great Mia Hamm as the only Division I players ever to end a season as the national leader in both goals (22) and assists (22).

Waldrum's 2007 squad will look to extend several noteworthy trends: a 32-game home winning streak and 41-game unbeaten streak at Alumni Field (both rank third-longest in NCAA history); a 72-game unbeaten streak at home versus BIG EAST opponents (71-0-1, since '95); and a 20- game unbeaten mark in overtime (14-0-6; dating back to an overtime loss in Waldrum's first game). Prior to the NCAA title game, the 2006 seniors had not played a game during their careers in which the Irish were outshot, ultimately racking up a 92-8-3 record during their four-year career.

The first five years of the Waldrum era coincided with the career of defensive enforcer Pruzinsky, the classic definition of student-athlete who graduated with a 4.00 cumulative GPA as a chemical engineering major while also competing for a spot on the final roster for the U.S. Under-21 National Team. Pruzinsky returned for a fifth year of eligibility in 2003 and was named the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for women's soccer, also receiving a prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarship.

Waldrum remains the only first-year coach in the 25 years of the NCAA women's soccer tournament to lead a team to the championship game, after guiding his 1999 squad to four straight wins in the NCAAs. Three previous firstyear coaches had reached the semifinals (doing so in the days of 12- and 16-team NCAA fields), but perhaps none had led a team through a harder route than Waldrum did against the 48- team draw in 1999. The Irish defeated Atlantic-10 Conference champion Dayton and 8th-ranked Stanford (the Pac-10 champ) before winning at 4th-ranked and Big 12 champion Nebraska in the quarterfinals.

The rookie coach had the 5th-seeded Irish clicking in their first three rounds of the 1999 NCAA tournament - with that momentum continuing at the College Cup. Earlier in the 1999 regular season, Notre Dame had suffered a 4-2 loss at topranked Santa Clara. In the rematch at the NCAA semifinals, Waldrum motivated his team with surprise green jerseys. The Irish responded with an inspired performance in a 1-0 win over the Broncos, as an NCAA-record total of 14,000 fans looked on. Despite a loss in the title game two days later, Waldrum had taken Notre Dame further than any first-year coach in Division I women's soccer history.

A new challenge awaited in 2000, as Notre Dame looked to replace five graduated starters - three of them All-Americans, and a fourth the team's all-time leading goalscorer. Under the veteran guidance of Waldrum, the Irish overcame the loss of two injured starters for good chunks of the 2000 season and returned to the top of the rankings, led by a stingy defense that led the nation in goals-against (0.39).

Makinen, the leader of the 2000 midfield unit, went on to earn national player-of-the-year honors while the 2000 Irish posted a 23-1-1 overall record, with the only blemishes being a scoreless battle at BIG EAST rival Connecticut and a 2-1 loss to North Carolina in the NCAA semifinals. The Irish trailed for just 35 minutes all season and captured another BIG EAST crown, with Waldrum repeating as BIG EAST coach of the year.

The 2001 squad then claimed the program's seventh straight BIG EAST title (only UConn women's basketball had won more consecutive BIG EAST titles, among team-oriented sports) while posting noteworthy wins over Penn State and Nebraska. A series of injuries to key players slowed the 2002 squad but the Irish rallied down the stretch before losing on a late goal at top-ranked Stanford in the NCAA round of 16.

The 2003 squad (20-3-1) returned atop the national scene, owning the number-two national ranking for most of the season while emerging as one of the nation's most balanced teams on both sides of the ball - led by a pair of All-Americans in forward Amy Warner and defender Melissa Tancredi.

Waldrum - who served as an assistant coach with the U.S. women's under-18 and under-20 national teams in the late 1990s - came to Notre Dame after beginning the Baylor women's soccer team from scratch in 1995, ultimately leading the Bears to a 9-0-1 Big 12 Conference record and their first Big 12 championship in any sport in 1998.

In three seasons at Baylor, Waldrum guided the Bears to a 46-14-3 record after he spent 1995- 96 starting up the program. He earned Big 12 Conference and NSCAA Central Region coach-ofthe- year honors after finishing with a 15-5-1 record in '98. The Bears posted wins over three ranked teams to earn their first NCAA bid and were ranked as high as 12th during the season.

He was named the 1996 national coach of the year for a first-year program and Baylor likewise was named by Soccer Buzz as the best 1996 firstyear program, after posting a 17-3-1 season.

Waldrum spent six seasons (1989-94) as head coach of the men's and women's teams at the University of Tulsa, compiling a 66-33-6 record with the men and a 61-36-9 mark with the women (he remains the winningest all-time coach of both programs). He was voted Central Region coach of the year in 1990 after the Golden Hurricane finished 9-6-1. His Tulsa women's teams produced four all-region players, six Academic All-Americans and two Olympic Festival players.

His 1993 Tulsa men's team finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference and fourth in the region with a 10-6-2 record, earning Waldrum MVC and Midwest Region coach-of- the-year honors. His 1991 MVC championship squad remains the only Tulsa men's soccer team to qualify for the NCAAs, finishing with a 14-3-0 record. Waldrum's men's teams produced seven All-Americans, two national team members, three U.S. Olympic Festival players and three Professional Indoor Soccer League draft selections.

While at Tulsa, Waldrum also served as the state coach for the Olympic Development Program.

Waldrum started a first-year men's program at Texas Wesleyan in 1988 and earlier had his first collegiate head coaching position at Austin College in 1982. He served as director of coaching for the Texas Longhorns Soccer Club from 1987- 89, coaching one of the seven teams in the club while overseeing the other teams. His team went 53-4-1 and finished third in the country, with Waldrum coaching and developing two Parade All- Americans, two national team players and one Youth World Cup player while with the Longhorns.

Waldrum earned all-district honors all four years of his playing career at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, graduating in 1981 as a physical education major and political science minor. He then played professionally for the Los Angeles Skyhawks and the Indianapolis Daredevils of the American Soccer League.

Born Sept. 25, 1956, the Irving, Texas, native and his wife Dianna have one son, 26-year-old Ben, who has competed in professional soccer with the El Paso Patriots of the A-League and with the MISL's Dallas Sidekicks. Ben has served on his father's Notre Dame staff since 2003 (see p. 27 for Ben Waldrum bio and Randy Waldrum's coaching record versus all-time opponents).

What They've Said About Randy Waldrum

"I have known Randy Waldrum for the last 18 years and he has been a winner at every level he's coached. Randy's knowledge and experiences makes him one of the premier college coaches in the country. Coach Waldrum's teams all have similar characteristics: he lets them play with a lot of freedom and they play with confidence. His teams are always entertaining to watch."
Schellas Hyndman
Head men's soccer coach
Southern Methodist University

"One of the great things about Randy as a coach is how he handles each player individually and gives players the chances to prove themselves. He also has a calm manner in dealing with players, but he still wants to get the most out of you. Everyone respects him for that and they believe and trust in him. The program is in great hands with Randy leading the way."
Kelly Lindsey '01
Former two-time Notre Dame captain,
Member of Bay Area CyberRays

"We at Notre Dame feel very fortunate to have Randy Waldrum leading our women's soccer program. In speaking with people throughout the soccer community - including former and current players - it became readily evident how well-respected Randy is for his coaching style and knowledge of the game. He's a proven winner and we look forward to many more great years of Notre Dame women's soccer with Randy at the helm."
Kevin White
Notre Dame athletic director

"Randy Waldrum is one of the top American soccer coaches in the game today. His success at every level, including youth collegiate and as an assistant coach at the youth national team level, is an indication of his commitment to the game and his trade."
Tony DiCicco
WUSA chief operations officer,
Former U.S. national team head coach

"Randy is one of the most organized and knowledgable coaches in the country. He has helped set a great standard for Notre Dame soccer. Even though he is such a respected and experienced coach, he still remains very humble and has a great thirst for gathering more knowledge about the game. He travels all around the world to observe at various soccer events and is constantly improving his ability as a coach."
Bobby Clark
Head men's soccer coach
University of Notre Dame

Year-by-Year with Randy Waldrum

A Visit With Randy Waldrum

Q: How do you think the Notre Dame women's soccer program is perceived on a national level and how would you characterize the current state of the program?

A: "I'd like to think people view us as one of the premier programs in the country and I think that is the perception. And that's where we certainly want to keep it. "What makes the sport of soccer tick is that all coaches and fans see the game a little bit differently. I would love for our team to be viewed as a team that plays a very attractive, attacking style. If I had my wish, I would want it to look like a mixture of the Dutch and the Brazilians, maybe some of Manchester United. Those are models that you'd like your team to look at. "We've taken what was established and added to it. Previous Notre Dame teams played that attractive style and we've been able to continue that, with probably a little more athleticism - which you need to consistently win the big games. That's how the game has evolved. "Maybe even a little bit to our downfall, we've always come out and tried to play. We've never just tried to sit back and defend and see if the best team can win from that. An attractive style is a crucial part of how this program will operate."

Q: What will it take to maintain the Notre Dame program at that elite level?

A: "Any coach will tell you it's about the players first. So we certainly have to continue to recruit the best, and our incoming class for 2003 is right up there among the best in the nation. A lot of our success has been due to the fact that we've added kids that are good fits for Notre Dame. That's a big reason why we were so successful in 2000. The chemistry of the team was so incredible, although at times we may not have been as talented as some earlier Notre Dame teams."

Q: What are some of the things that you have come to appreciate most at Notre Dame?

A: "On the outside, you always had an appreciation for the athletic tradition of Notre Dame and knew it was a great academic institution. Since I've been on campus, that certainly is very true and probably 10-fold once you realize the actual tradition. It's truly what a college campus should be all about. "A couple things that really separate us is how committed the alums are to Notre Dame. We don't go anywhere around the country that somebody doesn't stop and talk to us about Notre Dame, and alumni clubs hold receptions for us all over the country. Those are things you don't find anywhere else. "The biggest thing is what Notre Dame can do for student-athletes in their future. They get great benefits of playing four years on a top college team and receiving a great education. But in the long run, there are great employment opportunities that being an alum of Notre Dame can open for you. Those are the things that really have amazed me."

Q: Many of your top players have undergone position shifts. What is your philosophy about position changes?

A: "It's fairly common, because so many top kids played in the more high-profile positions with their club teams. It's another intangible when we are evaluating players and one has that versatility to play other positions, because you never know where they might play. We have several players with the skills, maturity and mentality to play multiple positions and they are valuable members of this team. "We have a trend of playing with several defenders who converted from the offense and they have that sense of what the opposing forwards are going to try to do. That may give them an added edge, because they've been on the other side of the ball."

Q: Your inverted pyramid 4-3-3 system has been used by the U.S. Women's National Team but is fairly unique in the college game. What attracts you to this formation?

A: "I like the system for two primary reasons. First, it gives you four in the back and it's a lot easier to cover the full width of the field. Secondly, it still allows you to keep an attacking presence with three up front. It is the perfect system for the players we've had. "For the system to work, you need midfielders like we have now in Randi Scheller and Kim Carpenter, who are technically-sound and comfortable handling the ball under pressure. The system also is a 'win-win' defensively, whether you're trying to match up with four or five midfielders from the opposition. You also need great outside backs - which we have in Candace Chapman and several of our newcomers - who can cover a lot of ground on the flanks. "You recruit to fit your system - if you're happy with that system and want to stay in it - or you recruit the best players you can and then develop a system once that group gets there. We're to a point where we can recruit for the system. It doesn't mean that won't change if warranted, but we are very pleased and content with the way the system meshes with our current players."

Q: Your players have said that you have their respect and attention without using an overbearing style. How did that develop?

A: "I played for coaches who were not big yellers and screamers. My high school coach Simon Sanchez is still one of the best coaches I've ever been around. People respected him and loved to play for him, without him needing to ride us all the time - but we still had some intense practices and games. "Today's athletes are very different. Many don't respond as well to a lot of yelling and screaming. I've always been fortunate to coach players who respond in a positive way and understand what we are asking them to do. We have a very intelligent group and they've been very receptive to our ways of doing things."