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 Kris Kelderman, who starred at Neenah High School and went on to play and coach in Major League Soccer, was named the eighth head coach in UW-Green Bay men's soccer history Tuesday.
Kelderman, 42, most recently was in his second stint as an assistant at George Mason. He also was an assistant for the Patriots in 2005 and '06 before serving as an assistant under Curt Onalfo in MLS, first with the Kansas City Wizards (2007 to '09) and then D.C. United (2010).
He succeeds Tom Poitras, who led the Phoenix to a 72-46-18 record in seven seasons before stepping down last month to take over the program at Hartford in his home state of Connecticut.
UWGB won the Horizon League tournament and earned an NCAA tournament berth in 2009 – the program's first in 26 years – and went 13-4-2 overall last fall. It was the program's fourth 10-win season in the past five years.
"As a Wisconsin native, I am extremely excited about returning 'home' to do something I'm very passionate about," Kelderman said in a news release.
"I will be in an environment surrounded by winners on the field and in the classroom, a great group of alumni who truly care about the program, and most importantly family and friends. There is nothing more a coach could ask for, and I will do everything in my power to carry on the winning ways of the program and more."
Kelderman won WIAA state championships in 1985 and '86 with Neenah and was the 1986 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year. His father, Harry, has coached the Rockets to three titles and a record 14 state appearances in his 30 seasons as coach.
The younger Kelderman, who was part of the U.S. national team that played in the 1985 FIFA Under-16 World Championship, went on to a sterling college career at Virginia from 1987 to '90.
He was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and is tied for eighth in program history in games played (88) and is tied for 10th with 22 career assists. Kelderman led the Cavaliers' 1989 NCAA championship team with 10 goals, 10 assists and 30 points.
After six seasons of playing mainly professional indoor soccer, Kelderman was selected by D.C. United in the eighth round of the inaugural MLS draft in 1996. The defender helped D.C. United win the first two MLS Cup championships, then played for the Miami Fusion (1998) and New England Revolution (1999). He finished with three goals in 81 career MLS matches.
Kelderman was inducted into the Wisconsin Soccer Association Hall of Fame in March 2010, joining his father in earning the honor.
His coaching career started in 1995, when he served as an assistant for his father at Neenah. He also coached the Wisconsin Rebels in the USL Premier Development League (2000) and the D.C. United Super-Y League Under-17 team (2004 to '06) and was the technical director for Virginia's Vienna Youth SC (2003 to '06).
"We had a deep, talented applicant pool for this position, and Kris stood out above the rest due to his diverse resume, strong background and Wisconsin ties," UWGB athletic director Ken Bothof said in the release. "With his success as a player and a coach at both the collegiate and professional levels, Kris will be strong leader for our men’s soccer program, and we are excited to welcome him back to Wisconsin and to the Phoenix family."
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