Fred Schmalz
Fred Schmalz is a retired American soccer coach who spent 33 years coaching at the college level. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, he played at Quincy College, helping its first intercollegiate team in 1964 and the 1966 squad that won the school's first NAIA national championship.
After college, Schmalz taught physical education at the University of Wyoming before becoming an assistant coach at Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia. He became head coach in 1973, leading Davis & Elkins to a 91–21–5 record, six NAIA tournaments, and a runner-up finish in 1974.
In 1979 he moved to Evansville, Indiana to coach the University of Evansville Purple Aces. Over 24 seasons there he compiled a 302–165–49 record, won six conference tournaments, and led Evansville to 11 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship appearances, including nine straight from 1984 to 1992, with third-place finishes in 1985 and 1990.
Schmalz mentored many players who excelled, including 13 All-Americans, 17 Academic All-Americans, and 31 who went on to play professionally. He also served as a national staff coach for U.S. Soccer and coached in six Olympic Sports Festivals. Even after retiring, he has remained involved with youth soccer in Evansville.
Schmalz earned numerous honors, including the 1985 Soccer America College Coach of the Year, the 1988 NSCAA Bill Jeffrey Award for long-term service to collegiate soccer, and the first Ron Wigg Award in 1998 from the U.S. Olympic Development Program. He was inducted into several halls of fame: Quincy Hawks (1993), Indiana Soccer (1997), Davis & Elkins Athletic (2003), Evansville Athletics (2003–04), Saint Louis Soccer (2009), and the Missouri Valley Conference (2011).
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 03:09 (CET).