On Thursday, USI Athletics announced the hiring of the new Men’s Soccer Head Coach Mads Kaiser. Kaiser is from Rheinberg, Germany. It remains to be seen whether Kaiser’s hiring came as a result of previous Head Coach Matt Santoro’s contract expiring or his dismissal. Regardless, I do wish the best to Santoro in his future endeavors. 

As for the new Head Coach, Kaiser previously served as Head Coach of Saint Francis University’s Men’s Soccer team in Loretto, Pennsylvania for three years. At Saint Francis, Kaiser led the Red Flash team to three Northeastern Conference Tournaments from 2023-2025. In 2023, he led Saint Francis to an Invincibles record, going unbeaten all season, which was capped off with a regular season title. He was awarded the Northeast Conference Coach of the Year award for his work that season. 

I am intrigued by Kaiser as a Head Coach, and the potential tactics and practice regimens that he will bring to the team for next season. Will he utilize Gegenpressing, made famous by legendary German Manager Jürgen Klopp? 

Gegenpressing, is a common tactic used in German soccer leagues, which calls for players to immediately pressure the other team’s ball possessors after losing possession of the ball. While it uses a lot of energy and stamina, it can create chaos and distress for the other team, if utilized properly. And in college soccer, where players can be subbed on and off, this tactic can be a major factor in the team’s success. 

Another interesting factor at the play is the potential recruiting pipelines and transfers that Kaiser will bring to the university, especially from overseas. A distinct trait of Kaiser’s team last season was the play of international players. Last season at Saint Francis, Kaiser fielded a roster composed of 38.4% of international players. Furthermore, out of the 10 players that played 800 minutes or more, seven of them were international players. Could this be due to the fact that they learned to play the game in a similar way that Kaiser did, or do more international players fit his scheme and tactics. 

Despite my informed speculation, it is clear that the USI Men’s Soccer team will enter a new era under Mads Kaiser’s direction. Kaiser will have greater resources to utilize, as his previous school, Saint Francis, is transitioning from Division I to Division III. It will be interesting to see how this team develops under new leadership, and which players will remain from this past season’s squad and how they will adapt to the changes.