May 23, 2016 Courtesy Navy Sports Information
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Dave Brandt, the winningest active coach in Division I men’s soccer and four-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Coach of the Year, has been named head coach of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, team owner Tuffy Shallenberger announced Sunday.
Brandt will be joining the Riverhounds after spending the past seven years at the United States Naval Academy. In his 19 years of coaching experience, Brandt has coached his squads to over 300 wins and holds a .786 career winning percentage (310-72-34) and is the fastest coach in NCAA men’s soccer history to reach the 200-win mark.
Brandt led the Naval Academy men’s soccer team to perhaps their greatest stretch of two-year play in the program’s history from 2013 to 2014. During this stretch, his team won a combined 27 matches – tied for the highest two-year win total in the program’s history.
In 2013, Brandt led the team on a 15-game winning streak after starting the season 1-3-2, eventually reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament and national ranking of No. 25 in the country. The 16 victories were a program record, the nine conference wins were a Patriot League single-season record, and the program’s NCAA appearance was the first since 1988 and victory in the tournament the first since 1971. Brandt was named Patriot League Coach of the Year, NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for the club’s accomplishments.
The 2014 season followed a similar path, with the team finishing 11-4-5 and spending three weeks ranked in the NSCAA Top-25 Poll. Navy had considerable success against nationally ranked opponents, compiling a 2-0-1 record, which included a home victory over No. 10 Maryland. They finished the season on an 11-game unbeaten streak (7-0-4) to earn the No. 2 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and conference-leading marks in both scoring offense and goals-against average.
Brandt will inherit a Riverhounds squad that may have found their footing as of late, nabbing their first win of the season last night against Toronto F.C. II, 2-1, at Highmark Stadium. He will coach his first game with the Hounds this Saturday, May 28, as Pittsburgh faces the Red Bulls II at 10 p.m. in New York.
Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk has named Nate Baker interim head coach of the Navy men's soccer program, replacing Dave Brandt. Baker has spent the last four seasons on the Navy men's soccer staff and has served as the top assistant since 2013.
Baker will take the lead on recruiting, Navy's summer soccer camps, alumni relations and all other responsibilities associated with the head coaching position.
Navy will be conducting a national search for its next head coach.