After finishing with only a single victory this past season the soccer team will have new leadership next season. Assistant coach Sam Ramirez received a promotion to take over the reins held by Jeff Richardson.

Steve Hauser, Madison College Athletic Director, explained that Richardson had submitted a resignation letter on his own accord. Hauser expressed that Richardson has been a valued member of the staff.

“He did great things for the program. He was invested in the program and what happened in the college and our athletic department. He’s a good man,” Hauser said.

Three candidates were interviewed before choosing Ramirez. A committee met with Ramirez for an interview and came out feeling very excited and comfortable having him lead the team.

“The biggest thing is he has a vision of where he wants the program to go, a vision of how he wants these young people to succeed in the classroom and on the field. He does have the ability, and it’s obvious when you talk with him and see him interact with the guys on the team that he can communicate with them,” Hauser said.

As an assistant coach earlier in the year Ramirez spoke about his communication ability. He is bilingual and was born in Mexico which can help him relate to many of the players on one of the school’s most diverse sports teams.

He also touched on the team’s struggles while an assistant coach and really stressed that he had seen improvement in everyone. He promoted an optimist’s point of view saying that the groundwork for the team was there and that there is definitely reason to believe in better success.

It isn’t all just talk though, as Ramirez also brings a healthy dose of soccer experience. In addition to being an assistant last season he has previously coached U11, Edgewood girls, and competitive leagues in Verona. His playing career started at age 11 and still continues through the present. Throw in work as a director for Coerver Coaching, a technical training method program for soccer players, and you have a full gambit of knowledge for him to draw from.

Madison College hopes that Ramirez can not only bring more on the field success, but also help to contribute to the well roundedness of student athletes. Success is expected not only on the field, but off of it as well.

“Sam has a real desire to see the student athletes succeed in the classroom and on the field,” Hauser said. “I think the expectations we have for all of our sports here is that they compete successfully and the students achieve success not only in the sport they are in, but academically.”

The passion Ramirez has for the game is easily seen in the excitement he brings when speaking about soccer, combining the experience of a coach while still burning with the fire of a player. He has noted that as a player he has a pretty good record of putting the ball in the net. Next fall will show if he can help his athletes do the same.