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Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 48824
Michigan Midwest
Public Very Large Developing team
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Jeff Hosler

Michigan State University welcomed Jeff Hosler as the third Head Coach in women’s soccer program history on June 14, 2021. Hosler succeeded 30-year coaching veteran Tom Saxton, who assumed the top spot in the program before the 1991 campaign. Entering the 2023 season, Hosler maintains a 262-75-24 overall career record coupled with a 27-8-6 mark at MSU.


Through two seasons in East Lansing, Hosler has already elevated Michigan State to the top of the national conversation, landing multiple student-athletes as United Soccer Coaches All-Americans in addition to a stellar track record of academic success. The 2022 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Hosler led the Green & White to the first officially recognized B1G Championship in school history after directing the Spartans to a 17-3-3 overall record boosted by an unblemished 9-0-1 campaign in league matches. MSU would go on to reach the championship match of the 2022 Big Ten Tournament for the first time and match the deepest postseason run in school history with a second round NCAA Tournament finish. For his efforts, alongside those of his staff, Michigan State took home the 2022 United Soccer Coaches North Region Staff of the Year Award.


Senior goalkeeper Lauren Kozal completed the most decorated individual season in program annals, being named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy in addition to being named a United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American. Kozal additionally took home First Team honors from TopDrawerSoccer, and became just the third two-time recipient of the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year award, winning in 2022 by unanimous vote. Senior forward Lauren DeBeau was named a Second Team All-American by United Soccer Coaches, as well as the Big Ten Forward of the Year. Graduate defender Ruby Diodati was named the Big Ten Defender of the Year as well, also landing a spot on the All-Big Ten First Team. In total, MSU registered 11 B1G postseason awards, a single-season program record.


The 2022 iteration of Spartan women’s soccer saw the Green & White climb into the United Soccer Coaches poll for the first time since Sept. 29, 2009, as the Spartans debuted at the No. 15 spot on Oct. 11, 2022. Michigan State would reach as high as No. 6 in the nation in three consecutive polls before earning the No. 15 ranking in the postseason, the best finish in program history.


In the classroom, MSU placed six student-athletes as College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections in 2022, with Diodati becoming just the second Spartan to receive CSC First Team Academic All-America honors. Michigan State landed four players on the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America list and saw 21 players appear on the Fall Academic All-Big Ten list.


In his first season as head coach for the Green and White, Hosler guided the Spartans to a 10-4-3 record, finishing fourth in the Big Ten regular season with a 5-4-1 mark. The squad made their first Big Ten Tournament appearance since 2011 and earned the opportunity to host their quarterfinal match, marking the first tournament game in East Lansing since 2002.


After being predicted to finish 13th in the league, the Spartans improved by leaps and bounds to finish within the top five. The Spartans boasted some of the most decorated individual athletes in the league and had a dramatic offensive turnaround compared to a 1-10-1 showing in the spring of 2021. It was the first ten-win season for the team since 2011, the year of their last postseason appearance.


Michigan State received three All-Big Ten selections at the conclusion of the regular season, as Kozal was named to the First Team and Ava Cook and Samantha White garnered Second Team nods. Kozal was also selected as the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, the first-ever Goalkeeper of the Year honor awarded to a member of the Spartans, and the first position player of the year award for MSU since 2008.


With Hosler at the helm, Kozal and White also earned recognition on the United Soccer Coaches All-Region team, with Kozal going on to be named a United Soccer Coaches All-American. Kozal held the highest save percentage of any goalkeeper in the Big Ten (.862) during the season. She ranked second in the Big Ten with a goals-against average of .0495, allowing just 13 goals to score over 18 games. She also had the second-most saves per game (4.5) and her seven regular-season shutouts were the third-most in the conference. A total of 18 Spartans earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in Hosler's inaugural year.


Hosler, who concluded his seventh season as head coach of the Grand Valley State women's soccer team in the spring of 2021, posted the highest winning percentage of any coach in Laker history. He led GVSU to three NCAA Championships, five NCAA title game appearances and reached at least the Elite Eight in six seasons (there was no Division II NCAA Tournament in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). He left GVSU with an overall record of 144-12-6, the best winning percentage in all of NCAA Soccer during that span, and a 63-2-2 mark in GLIAC play.


"I'm pleased to welcome Jeff Hosler to the Spartan family as our new women's soccer coach," then-Michigan State Vice President and Director of Athletics Bill Beekman said. "He's experienced exceptional success at Grand Valley State, including three national championships, while his student-athletes have been recognized for their performance on the field and in the classroom. Michigan State has a great soccer tradition, and I'm excited to watch Coach Hosler put his own mark on the Spartan program."


"I am so honored and grateful to Athletic Director Bill Beekman, Deputy Athletic Director Jen Smith, head men's soccer coach Damon Rensing and the entire search committee for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead this program," Hosler said. "I also want to thank Tom Saxton, Tammy Farnum and Stacy DeLonge for their dedication, and the incredible example they demonstrated to so many generations of Spartans. The pursuit of excellence for women's soccer in all facets begins now, while competing at the highest level within the Big Ten on and off the field. MSU and this community is a special place with amazing people, and I couldn't be more excited to come home."


With Hosler at the helm, 32 Lakers captured All-America honors, and 43 earned All-Region accolades. Twelve different Lakers were honored as CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and 56 Lakers garnered All-GLIAC honors. He also coached three Lakers to National Player of the Year honors, while guiding Marti Corby to the U-23 U.S. Women's National Team camp in 2016.


Under Hosler's leadership, the Lakers dominated GLIAC play, winning six conference regular-season titles and seven GLIAC Tournament championships. The Lakers also claimed the Midwest Regional title in six seasons and reached the NCAA Elite Eight in 11 straight seasons.


In 2019, GVSU captured the program's sixth national title, a Division II record. The Lakers went 25-1, matching the single-season win record, and scored a program-record 117 goals to rank as the nation's top offense.


Prior to GVSU, Hosler spent eight seasons at his alma mater, Alma College. During his time with Alma, the Scots earned a 91-55-12 overall record, winning their only Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) regular season title in 2010. Alma also claimed the 2011 MIAA Tournament title to make its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.


As a two-sport student-athlete at Alma, Hosler was a four-time All-MIAA honoree, earning All-Mideast Region and All-NCAA Tournament honors during the Scots' first trip to the Final Four in 1999. Hosler left Alma as the all-time leader in assists and ranked inside the top five in career points.


Hosler holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) National "B" License and USYSA National "Youth" License.


The East Lansing native earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business from Alma College in 2002. He and his wife, Rochelle, are the parents of two daughters, Charlie and Kennedy, and a son, Steven.

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Megan Link

Megan Link joined the Michigan State women’s soccer staff in 2021 alongside head coach Jeff Hosler, and enters her third season working as an assistant coach and goalkeeper coach in East Lansing in 2023. She spent two years working alongside Hosler at Grand Valley State University, and assists in team training sessions, video breakdown and recruiting.


Link was the primary goalkeeper coach for MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American and two-time Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year Lauren Kozal. In the 2022 campaign, Link led Kozal to unanimous B1G Goalkeeper of the Year accolades while simultaneously helping steer the Spartan program to its first Big Ten Regular Season title in program history and a 17-3-3 overall record. Link, in addition to the rest of the coaching staff, garnered United Soccer Coaches North Region Staff of the Year honors in 2022.


During her first season in East Lansing in the fall of 2021, the Spartans experienced a rapid turnaround and ascended to fourth place in the Big Ten league table despite going 1-10-1 in the previous season. MSU finished with an impressive 10-5-3 ledger and hosted a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal game for the first time since 2002.


In an abbreviated 2020-21 season, she helped GVSU to a 6-1-1 overall record, including a GLIAC Tournament title. Link was also selected and graduated from the United Soccer Coaches prestigious program, 30 under 30.


"I have been really fortunate to work closely with Megan the last couple of years and excited to have her join me at Michigan State. She is a proactive learner and has grown into one of the best young coaches at any level. While having an expansive role at GVSU, she is an elite goalkeeper trainer. Familiarity with each other and the continuity of culture and ideas will be a huge benefit to this program," Hosler said of Link.


In 2019, the Lakers won the NCAA Division II National Championship and the coaching staff earned United Soccer Coaches National Staff of the Year. Under the guidance of Link, GVSU goalkeeper Jessica Radice earned D2CCA All-America honors and garnered all-conference honors. During that national championship season, the Lakers recorded 19 shutouts, leading the nation in scoring defense.


Prior to coming to GVSU, Link was the head coach at Southwest Baptist (NCAA Division II) for four seasons. During her tenure, the Bearcats compiled a team GPA of 3.5 or higher in all four years, while she helped produce two United Soccer Coaches All-Region players, 16 All-MIAA players and two first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District honorees. She also guided her team to a Top-25 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches national poll.


In 2014, she began her coaching career, serving as a goalkeeper coach for the Missouri Youth Soccer Association and ODP soccer for one year before joining the staff at Quincy (NCAA Division II) as the assistant coach.


Link was a four-year starter as a goalkeeper for the Bearcats as a player.

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Damon Rensing

Former MSU soccer standout Damon Rensing became the fifth head coach in Spartan history on January 1, 2009 after taking over for the legendary Joe Baum, who guided MSU for 32 seasons.


In 2023, Rensing begins his 15th season as head coach, after serving as an assistant coach for 10 seasons at his alma mater. In 13 years, Rensing has compiled an impressive 136-103-37 record (.516).


Rensing was named MSU's head coach designate on Aug. 14, 2008 after Baum decided to make 2008 his final season as head coach. Rensing has spent nearly half his life in the Green and White with four years as varsity letterwinner, one season as an assistant with the women's program and 10 seasons in his previous position. In his first 11 years as head coach, the Spartans have made eight NCAA tournament campaigns, including a run to the Spartans' first College Cup in 50 years in 2018.


In 2022, the Spartans went 6-9-2 with a 2-4-2 Big Ten record. Senior forward Farai Mutatu and senior midfielder Jack Beck both captured first-team All-B1G honors. Mutatu went on to be the 21st overall draft pick in the MLS SuperDraft by the LA Galaxy.


The 2019 season was full of injury and transition as Michigan State played much of the season without Hermann Trophy watch list players Patrick Nielsen and Giuseppe Barone. The Spartans finished the season with 3-12-3 record. Nielsen and Michael Wetungu were both selected on the first day of the MLS SuperDraft with Nielsen going in the first round and Wetungu in the second.


The 2018 season was historic as MSU recorded a 14-5-4 overall record en route to its first College Cup appearance under Rensing. Midfielder Giuseppe Barone captured first-team All-American honors as well as being named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year. Michigan State had another first when three Spartans were drafted on the first day of the MLS SuperDraft with DeJuan Jones and Ryan Sierakowski going in the first round and Jimmy Hague being drafted in the second.


The Spartan reached the Elite Eight in 2017 with a 13-3-4 overall record and a stellar 5-0-3 record in Big Ten action. Michigan State continued its dominating play at home with a 7-1-2 record at DeMartin. MSU used home NCAA Tournament wins against Virginia Tech and Western Michigan to reach the Elite Eight. MSU was stopped in penalty kicks by Big Ten foe Indiana.


In 2016, the Spartans returned to the NCAA Tournament, hosting the first round in East Lansing. MSU ended the season with a 13-5-2 record, including going undefeated at DeMartin Stadium with a 9-0-2 record. The nine wins were the most-ever at home. Freshman Giuseppe Barone captured Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, while sophomore Ryan Sierakowski earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. Juniors Jimmy Fiscus and Ken Krolicki joined redshirt-sophomore Jimmy Hague as second-team All-B1G honorees. Sierakowski, Hague, Fiscus and Krolicki all earned All-Region honors as well.


The Spartans ended the 2014 season with a 12-5-6 record overall and were 4-2-2 in Big Ten action. The 2013 season also saw Rensing named the NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year, while Kevin Cope earned All-America honors and was eventually selected as the 25th pick in the MLS Super Draft. Fatai Alashe was selected as the fourth pick overall by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. His selection in the first round of the draft marks the highest-ever in school history, surpassing first-round pick Doug DeMartin in 2009.


In 2012, he guided MSU to its third Big Ten Tournament title in school history as the Spartans topped Michigan in overtime, 2-1.


Under Rensing's leadership, the Spartans have received 29 All-Big Ten and 19 NSCAA All-Region selections, in addition to nine players that were named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. The Spartans' performance in the classroom during Rensing's tenure has been equally impressive. Over the last 12 years, MSU has received 111 Academic All-Big Ten selections and 47 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar selections.


During his 10 years as an assistant at Michigan State, Rensing helped lead the Spartans to the 2004 and 2008 Big Ten Tournament championships as well as the 2008 conference regular-season crown. Rensing was instrumental in helping the program to its first four trips to the NCAA Tournament (2001, 2004, 2007 and 2008) since 1969. During his time as an assistant, Rensing tutored 17 different First Team All-Big Ten performers and nine different NSCAA-All Region honorees. Rensing also worked with three NSCAA All-America selections - Ryan McMahen (2005), Doug DeMartin (2008) and Jay Chapman (2014). Both McMahen (80 points, 26 goals) and DeMartin (85 points, 38 goals) rank in the MSU all-time top 10 in both points and goals. Sixteen players Rensing has recruited and coached, including John Minagawa-Webster (2005), McMahen (2006), Kevin Reiman (2008), Rauwshan McKenzie (2008), DeMartin (2009), Cope (2013), Alashe (2015), Carroll (2016), Krolicki (2018), Jones (2019), Sierakowksi (2019), Hague (2019), Nielsen (2020), Wetungu (2020), Giuseppe Barone (2021) and Farai Mutatu (2022) have been drafted by MLS teams.


Rensing began his coaching career in 1997 when he assisted with the MSU women's soccer team before moving to UNLV when former MSU women's assistant Staci Hendershott was appointed head coach of that program. While at UNLV, he helped that club to an overall record of 8-10-1 along with a No. 3 national ranking for first-year programs. In addition, he coached the Las Vegas Premier Soccer U-17 Team to a state championship. After one year at UNLV, Rensing returned to East Lansing in 1999 where he became an assistant coach on Baum's staff.


In 2004, Rensing was promoted to associate head coach following the 2004 season. Rensing was a four-time letterwinner and three-year starter for MSU (1993-96). His senior year saw him capture All-Big Ten first-team recognition after picking up 14 points on five goals and four assists. He was a second-team All-Big Ten honoree as a sophomore and junior. During his four years, he played in 74 matches, 55 as a starter, totaling seven goals and 13 assists for 27 points.


Rensing earned his bachelor's degree from MSU in communication in 1997. He married the former Daune Koester in May 2004. The couple has two children, Anna and Drew.

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Reid Friedrichs

Michigan State head men's soccer coach Damon Rensing announced the addition of Reid Friedrichs to the coaching staff in April of 2023.


"We are really excited to welcome Reid Friedrichs and his family back home to MSU. Throughout this process I spoke to current players, alums, and past assistant coaches about what is best for the program and what the current team needs. Reid kept standing out," Rensing said. "He has a great energy about him. He will develop quality relationships and be able to work with both individuals and groups to grow their game, while referencing his own experiences as a Big Ten player. Reid's college soccer career speaks for itself. Lastly, and equally important, Reid is a Spartan. He bleeds green and white and understands what it means to put on the Spartan Jersey and represent MSU and the MSU soccer family."


Friedrichs will join former his MSU teammates' staff along with assistant coach TJ Kolba.


"I am as fired up to take this job as I was when I signed my letter of intent to get an education and come play here at MSU back in 1992," Friedrichs said upon returning to MSU. "It's been a long time since then, but my love for this place has only grown. I have always called Michigan State my second home ever since I left here in 1996.


"To call it my first home again is not only an honor, but also a privilege. I want to thank head coach Damon Rensing for offering me the position, the Michigan State athletic administration staff for approving the hire and the players for welcoming me back to this program I love so much. I feel I have so much to give back to the place that set me up to have the most successful college soccer career and life's path after school. I feel I owe it to the boys to try and do the same thing for them that my coaches and MSU did for me. And I couldn't be more excited to do so. To be able come back here and share my knowledge, passion, emotion and experience with this great staff (Damon, TJ and Nick Barry ) and high quality players and young men, it is simply a dream come true."


In 2022, he became the head coach of the Marian High School girls soccer team after serving as an assistant coach for the last four seasons.


Prior to coaching at Marian High School, Friedrichs led both the boys and girls teams at Livonia Churchill and also coached at Warren DeLaSalle. He also has club experience with Liverpool FC and Vardar SC as well as experience with the Olympic Development Program, Alma College and the Flint City Bucks at the semi-pro level.


Most recently, he served as a member of the ECNL Girls staff after coaching with Vardar's program since 2019. He has vast coaching experience on many levels, including club, ODP, high school, college and semi-pro levels.


Over the last 20 years, Reid has coached at Livonia Churchill (both boys and girls teams), Warren DeLaSalle (boys), and currently at Marian High School.


Friedrichs was a four-year letterwinner for Michigan State from 1993-96, holding the Michigan State career record for saves with 363. He also stands atop the Spartan record books in save percentage .864 and is third in wins with 36.


He captured Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 1996, becoming the first Spartan to earn the honor. Friedrichs also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in both 1995 and 1996. He also was named Michigan State Athlete of the Year in 1996.


After graduation, he played and coached for the semi-pro Mid-Michigan Bucks (now Flint City Bucks) and also coached one season at Alma College.

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T.J. Kolba

T.J. Kolba enters his fifth season as an assistant coach at Michigan State.


In his three years with the MSU, four different Spartans have been drafted in the MLS SuperDraft. Last season Farai Mutatu was drafted in the first round, while Giuseppe Barone was taken in the third round in 2021. In the 2020 draft, Patrick Nielsen was drafted in the first round, while Michael Wetungu was taken in the second round.


"We are really excited to welcome T.J. Kolba to the MSU Soccer Family! I started to get to know T.J. since we play Akron every year and also at this past season's College Cup. I found T.J. to be very knowledgeable of the game, organized, and an extremely hard worker. Most importantly, T.J. possesses a temperament and humbleness to his success that I think will fit in very well here at MSU," MSU head coach Damon Rensing said.


Kobla comes to East Lansing after four years at Akron. During Kolba's time at Akron, the Zips posted the an overall record of 64-20-10 (.787), including a 12-4-3 (.711) mark in Mid-American Conference play, while securing four conference tournament titles, four trips to the NCAA Tournament and three appearances in the College Cup.


"I would like to thank Bill Beekman, Stephen Anthony and Coach Rensing for the opportunity to join one of the best programs in the country. Having grown to know Coach Rensing and his teams over the past few years, I am eager to get started and to help build on what he, coach Pirmann, and coach Wassermann have built together. Go Green," Kolba said.


Ten Akron players have been selected in the MLS SuperDraft during Kolba's tenure, including three players chosen in the first round, including Joao Moutinho (No. 1 - 2018), Jonathan Lewis (No. 3 - 2017) and Richie Laryea (No. 7 - 2016).


A 2004 graduate from John Carroll, Kolba graduated with a degree in marketing and logistics. He was a four-year letterwinner and three-year captain for the Blue Streaks, Kolba was recognized as the Ohio Athletic Conference Defender of the Year as a senior in 2004. A three-time All-OAC selection, Kolba finished his career with 24 points off of eight goals and eight assists a total of 73 matches. His defensive efforts helped lead the Blue Streaks to three consecutive OAC Championship matches.


"My four years at Akron have been so rewarding, and I could not be more proud of what we accomplished together, on and off the field. I would like the thank Jared Embick for providing me the opportunity to work with some of the most committed student-athletes in the country, as well as my colleagues Ger Coppinger, Drew Crawford, Brett Draper and Tim Campbell," Kolba added.


"Everywhere T.J. has worked, the programs have been very successful. He has helped student-athletes at Cleveland State, Wright State and Akron achieve goals of playing after college and succeeding in the classroom. He has handled every aspect of Division I coaching. He excels at video, defensive organization, and scouting opponents," Rensing added. "Akron has been a very successful program and Jared Embick is someone I have a lot of respect for. T.J.'s experience at Akron will serve the MSU Soccer Program well. T.J., along with assistant coaches Joe Ahearn and Micah Collins, will provide a wealth of experience, knowledge, passion, and dedication for our student athletes here at Michigan State to succeed in the classroom, on the field, and in the community."

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