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 For the second straight offseason, a legendary Wisconsin college soccer coach has retired.
Rick Kilps, the UW-Parkside men's coach for the past 27 seasons, announced his retirement this week.
In his 34-year career, which started with a seven-year stint at NCAA Division III Aurora (Ill.), Kilps had only one losing season – that coming last fall.
"It is kind of surreal," Kilps said in a news release. "This has not just been a job, but a way of life for both me and my family. When you do something every day of your life, year-round, it is hard to give it up.
"I played here, was an assistant coach here, met my wife here, my son played and graduated from here ... you don't walk away from this too easily. It has been a very, very hard decision to make. No doubt, there will be a void in my life."
RICK KILPS
AT UW-PARKSIDE
|
Year |
Record |
|
1984 |
14-5-3 |
|
1985 |
14-6-1 |
|
1986 |
13-8-1 |
|
1987 |
17-5-2 |
|
1988 |
13-4-5 |
|
1989 |
18-4-1 |
|
1990 |
14-6-0 |
|
1991 |
15-2-1 |
|
1992 |
14-3-1 |
|
1993 |
15-2-1 |
|
1994 |
15-2-2 |
|
1995 |
15-7-0 |
|
1996 |
16-3-1 |
|
1997 |
14-6-1 |
|
1998 |
12-6-1 |
|
1999 |
13-6-1 |
|
2000 |
17-5-0 |
|
2001 |
13-4-1 |
|
2002 |
11-7-1 |
|
2003 |
12-6-0 |
|
2004 |
13-4-3 |
|
2005 |
13-4-1 |
|
2006 |
13-4-4 |
|
2007 |
11-7-1 |
|
2008 |
8-6-3 |
|
2009 |
13-5-2 |
|
2010 |
7-8-2 |
He led the Rangers to a 363-135-40 record and finished his coaching career with a 429-174-50 mark overall. Heading into the 2010 season, Kilps ranked fifth among NCAA Division II coaches in victories and 16th in winning percentage, and his win total stood 19th among all NCAA men's coaches.
Kilps took over as the fourth coach in Parkside history in 1984, when the school was a member of the NAIA, and oversaw its transition to NCAA status in the 1990s. The Rangers were nationally ranked in 24 of his 27 seasons, including a stint as the country's No. 1 team in 1994.
"Coach Kilps has touched so many young men's lives over his long tenure at UW-Parkside," Parkside athletic director Tamie Falk-Day said in the release. "He succeeded in creating a nationally respected program with high academic achievement at its core."
To that end, his players earned 119 Great Lakes Valley Conference academic honors since 1996 and the Rangers claimed the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Academic Excellence Award 12 times in the past 15 years.
Kilps, who played at Parkside from 1971 to '74 and was an assistant in the program in 1975, saw his players named to NSCAA all-region teams 85 times and coached 41 All-Americans.
"This decision is obviously bittersweet," said Kilps, who had 13 former players go on to professional careers. "The most difficult part is leaving the guys on this current team and the great recruiting class we are bringing in. So many quality players have come through this program, and this group will continue to add to that."
He was inducted into the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame in March, along with former UW-Oshkosh men's coach Toby Bares, who retired from coaching last spring. Kilps was named to the Wisconsin Soccer Association Hall of Fame in 2005.
In addition to coaching, Kilps also is an associate professor of education at Parkside and was the athletic department's head trainer from 1984 to '98 – he is a certified athletic trainer by the National Athletic Trainers Association.
Kilps earned his a master's degree in education at Bowling Green, and served as an assistant trainer and assistant coach during his time at the Ohio school.
The Rangers were 7-8-2 overall and 4-8-2 in the GLVC last fall, finishing 12th in the 15-team league.
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