Elmar Bolowich
Coaching Staff Bolowich Career Highlights • NSCAA National Coach of the Year (2001) • MLSSocccer.com NCAA National Coach of the Year (2011) • NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year (2000, 2001) • NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year (2011) • MVC Coaching Staff of the Year (2011) • ACC Coach of the Year (2000, 2010) • NCAA Tournament Champion (2001) • 16 NCAA Tournament Appearances (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) • Seven NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals (2000, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) • Five College Cup Appearances (2001, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) • Three regular-season ACC Championships (2000, 2009, 2010) • ACC Tournament Champion (2000)
Elmar Bolowich Head Coach Second Season at Creighton
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lmar Bolowich enters his second season at the helm of Creighton men’s soccer after leading the Bluejays to one of the most successful single-seasons in program history, earning a trip to the NCAA College Cup and a 21-2-1 record in 2011. Bolowich picked up three coaching honors following his work in 2011, earning the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Midwest Region Coach of the Year, the Missouri Valley Conference Coaching Staff of the Year and the MLSSoccer.com Coach of the Year, leading Creighton to its first College Cup in nine years. The Bluejays had four players earn All-America honors at the end of the season, with Andrew Duran, Ethan Finlay and Brian Holt being named to the first-team and Greg Jordan earning a second-team nod. Ten of 11 Bluejay starters earned MVC honors, as Creighton shared the regular-season title with a 5-1-0 mark, avenging the lone conference regular-season loss to Missouri State in the finals of the MVC Tournament. Creighton’s 21 wins in 2011 mark the second most in a single season, just one win behind Bret Simon’s 22 wins with the 2000 club, while making Bolowich the winningest Creighton coach in his first year on the bench. Bolowich joined the Bluejays following an amazing 22-year run at North Carolina, during which he helped the Tar Heels to their first national title in program history to conclude the 2001 season. He guided UNC to 15 NCAA Tournament appearances and four College Cups, including three straight trips to college soccer’s Final Four in his final three seasons in Chapel Hill. Six of his teams advanced to at least the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament and three teams captured at least a share of the ACC regular-season title in addition to winning the 2000 ACC Tournament championship. Creighton Director of Athletics Bruce Rasmussen announced the hiring of Bolowich on Feb. 9, 2011, stating, “Elmar Bolowich had longterm success as the head coach at the University of North Carolina in the toughest soccer conference in the country. Elmar’s players have consistently demonstrated high academic achievement, they have been very involved in their community, they play aggressive, fun-to-watch soccer and they have represented themselves, their program and their University with great class and character. Elmar is a great teacher of the game who has consistently recruited, retained, developed and graduated outstanding young men. Above all else, Elmar is an outstanding person – we welcome him to the Creighton family and Omaha community.” Bolowich is the winningest coach in UNC men’s soccer history, posting a 280-144-40 (.647) record during his 22 seasons in Chapel Hill. His 2001 NCAA title team finished 21-4-0, defeating Indiana in the title match. The only national title in program history was good enough to earn him National Coach of the Year honors from the NSCAA. He has now led his teams to a top-three finish in at least one national poll six times since 2000 and a top-10 finish eight times in the last 12 seasons, including a
No. 3 ranking in the final 2010 NSCAA poll while at North Carolina and a No. 4 final ranking in 2011 at Creighton. Bolowich, a two-time ACC Coach of the Year (2000, 2010), led his teams to ACC regular-season titles in 2000, 2009 and 2010, putting together an unbeaten mark (7-0-1) in the nation’s strongest soccer conference in 2010. He is one of only five active coaches in NCAA Division I soccer to lead a team to four College Cup appearances. Over his final three years at UNC, the Tar Heels played in the College Cup each season, posting a 47-14-9 (.736) record in that span. His 2008 team finished as national runners-up, while the 2009 and 2010 teams fell in the national semifinals. His teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals six times in his final 11 years with North Carolina. In both 2000 and 2001, he was named the NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year, and in 1999, he was given the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association National Merit award, which is given annually to one college coach whose reputation is recognized by soccer officials as praiseworthy and reflective of the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior. His remarkable run at North Carolina included 20 NCAA Tournament wins, 16 more than the program had in the 42 years of soccer before his arrival. He coached 14 individuals who earned a combined 21 NSCAA All-America honors, including a trio of All-Americans in 2010. His players garnered 28 ACC First-Team honors and he coached five ACC Rookies of the Year. In addition to excelling on the field, Bolowich’s teams have also put together a sparkling resumé in the classroom. In his last full season at UNC, nine Tar Heels earned a spot on the ACC Academic Honor Roll. The cumulative grade-point average of the men’s soccer team at UNC
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Coaching Staff annually ranked among the highest of any men’s team on the Carolina campus during his tenure. From 2005 to 2010, 11 different men’s soccer student-athletes were named Academic All-ACC, including a schoolrecord four on the 2010 squad. Bolowich not only produces winning collegiate teams, but he has a proven track record of developing young men into international and professional players. Twenty-one players who were coached by Bolowich at UNC played professionally in 2010, including 11 in Major League Soccer and three abroad. In total, Bolowich has coached 37 players who have been selected in MLS drafts since 1996, including a school-record tying four from Creightn in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. Highlighting some of the players produced at UNC under the watch of Bolowich are MLS All-Star and United States World Cup veteran Eddie Pope, and U.S. National Team and MLS veterans Kerry Zavagnin and Gregg Berhalter. Both Pope and Berhalter were members of the 2006 U.S. World Cup squad as Pope was making his third World Cup appearance and Berhalter his second. Dax McCarty, Logan Pause and Eddie Robinson also saw time with the U.S. National team after playing for Bolowich at UNC. Bolowich arrived at North Carolina as a part-time assistant coach in 1986, before becoming a full-time assistant one year later. He was named head coach at UNC in March of 1989, as just the fourth head coach in the history of Tar Heel men’s soccer. A native of Edenkoben, Germany, Bolowich played and coached at the semi-professional level in his native country at Wiesbaden, Mainz and Cuxhaven. He played collegiately and graduated from the University of Mainz (Germany) in 1981 with a diploma in sports education. Prior to his stint at Mainz, he served two years in the German Luftwaffe (Air Force). In addition to holding a USSF A-License, Bolowich received his coaching license from the German Football Federation in 1981. Bolowich was active in youth soccer in North Carolina, serving as a regional staff
coach with the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Olympic Development Program for Region III and as Director of Coaching for the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association. He coached the Durham-Chapel Hill Strikers U-19 club team to the 1990 Maguire Cup Final Four and, starting in 2007, he coached the Triangle United Soccer Association’s boys Gold team, leading them to three state and regional championships. Triangle United also advanced to two national finals under his guidance. Bolowich, 58, and his wife of 25 years, Nina, have a daughter, Alya (23), and a son, Alex (20). Alex is a goalkeeper for the Bluejays this season.
Bolowich’s Year-by-Year Coaching Ledger Year School Overall Pct. Conference Pct. 1989 North Carolina 9-9-1 .500 1-4-1 .250 1990 North Carolina 13-7-0 .650 2-4-0 .333 1991 North Carolina 15-6-1 .705 3-3-0 .500 1992 North Carolina 9-7-4 .550 2-2-2 .500 1993 North Carolina 13-7-2 .636 2-2-2 .500 1994 North Carolina 13-7-0 .650 3-3-0 .500 1995 North Carolina 11-8-1 .575 0-5-1 .083 1996 North Carolina 8-8-1 .500 2-3-1 .417 1997 North Carolina 6-13-0 .316 1-5-0 .167 1998 North Carolina 11-6-2 .632 3-3-0 .500 1999 North Carolina 12-7-1 .625 2-3-1 .417 2000 North Carolina 21-3-0 .875 5-1-0 .833 2001 North Carolina 21-4-0 .840 4-2-0 .667 2002 North Carolina 14-7-1 .659 3-2-1 .583 2003 North Carolina 12-4-4 .700 2-3-1 .417 2004 North Carolina 10-9-2 .524 4-3-0 .571 2005 North Carolina 17-4-3 .771 3-3-2 .500 2006 North Carolina 11-6-3 .625 3-4-1 .438 2007 North Carolina 7-8-5 .475 3-5-0 .375 2008 North Carolina 15-8-1 .646 3-5-0 .375 2009 North Carolina 16-2-4 .818 5-2-1 .688 2010 North Carolina 16-4-4 .750 7-0-1 .938 2011 Creighton 21-2-1 .896 5-1-0 .833 Totals 301-146-41 .659 68-68-15 .500
Notes NCAA Tournament Second Round NCAA Tournament Second Round NCAA Tournament Second Round NCAA Tournament First Round
NCAA Tournament First Round NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals; ACC & South Region Coach of the Year NCAA Tournament Champion; NSCAA National Coach of the Year NCAA Tournament Second Round NCAA Tournament Second Round NCAA Tournament First Round NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals NCAA Tournament Second Round NCAA Tournament Runner-Up NCAA Tournament Semifinals NCAA Tournament Semifinals; ACC Coach of the Year NCAA Tournament Semifinals; MVC Coaching Staff of the Year; NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year 1 NCAA Title; 5 NCAA College Cups; 16 NCAA Tournaments
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Coaching Staff
Johnny Torres
Aug. 7
Assistant Coach Sixth Season at Creighton
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Justin Hughes Assistant Coach Second Season at Creighton
wo-time National Player of the Year and Creighton Athletics Hall of Famer Johnny Torres is back for his sixth season on the Bluejay bench, following a decade-long professional soccer career. Arguably the greatest soccer star in Creighton and Missouri Valley Conference history, Torres played for the Bluejays from 1994-97. Torres was named the NSCAA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year following the 2011 season, where he played an integral part in Creighton’s run to the College Cup, finishing fourth in the nation last season. Three times in Torres’ first five seasons on the Bluejay bench, the Creighton men’s soccer staff has been honored as the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year, earning the nod in 2008, 2010 and 2011. His roles on the coaching staff include scouting, recruiting and training. He also plays a major role in working with student-athletes on service projects in the Omaha area. Torres himself has always been active in service throughout his collegiate and professional playing days. He visited thousands of youth in the Omaha community in the 1990s, while he was tabbed the Children’s Miracle Network National “Hometown Hero” in 1996. A native of Medellin, Colombia, he was honored by the Omaha City Council with “Johnny Torres Day” on Oct. 27, 1996, in recognition of earning U.S. Citizenship just days before, his community service and his soccer skills. Torres was named to the MVC All-Centennial Team in 2006 and in 2011 he became the first men’s soccer player inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame. In 1997 he won both the Hermann Trophy and the Missouri Athletic Club Award (prior to the combination of the awards), recognizing him as the National Player of the Year. In 1996, he earned National Player of the Year honors from Soccer America after leading the Bluejays to their first College Cup appearance. When his career ended, he was the Valley’s all-time scoring (128 points) and assists (36) leader. He was the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 1998 MLS Draft by the New England Revolution. He played for the Revolution for four seasons and also played for the Miami Fusion and Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, before continuing his career in the USL for the Minnesota Thunder and the Milwaukee Wave United, before moving to indoor soccer with the Milwaukee Wave. In 2010, he returned to the professional ranks as a player, leading the Omaha Vipers of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) in goals scored. In 2009, he played on the United States Adult Soccer Association Over 30 championship team– Nebraska 402 – which qualified and participated in the U.S. Open Cup in 2009. Torres, 35, returned to the Creighton campus in the fall of 2007 to complete his undergraduate degree while serving as the Bluejays’ undergraduate manager. After receiving the NCAA Degree Completion Award, he earned his degree in social work from Creighton in the spring of 2008. The 2004 Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, two-time firstteam All-American and three-time first-team all-region and all-conference selection has a 6-year-old son, Dominic.
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ustin Hughes, a former collegiate and professional goalkeeper, remains at Creighton for his second season on the Creighton coaching staff. Hughes was a four-year letterwinner at North Carolina, playing under Elmar Bolowich from 2003-06. Following a standout collegiate career, he was drafted by the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer and spent two seasons with the Rapids. Hughes works primarily with the goalkeepers at Creighton, coaching All-American Brian Holt last season in Hughes’ first season on the Bluejay bench. Holt finished the season with an NCAA record 0.21 goals against average, surrendering just five goals in 24 games. Hughes led the Bluejay keepers to the nation’s lead in goals against average (0.20), shutout percentage (0.790) and save percentage (.926). Hughes spent the 2010 season as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Elon University in North Carolina, helping both squads post winning records. The Wake Forest, N.C., native started all 43 matches he appeared in during his four seasons with the Tar Heels. UNC advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons in Chapel Hill, with Hughes posting two of the top three goals against average marks in school history. As a junior in 2005, he led the ACC with a 0.50 GAA, the second-best mark in school history at that point. His junior season included seven shutouts, six of which he posted consecutively to tie a UNC record. He was tabbed to the ACC All-Tournament Team in 2005 as well. As a freshman in 2003, he was in goal for a shutout win over No. 1-ranked Maryland. Prior to his senior season in 2006, he was named a MAC Hermann Trophy candidate, an honor bestowed upon the top player in collegiate soccer. He finished his career at UNC ranked second in school history with a 0.79 career goals against average. In addition to his play at UNC, he was also a member of the United States U-20 National Team pool, selected as one of 21 players to participate in the 2005 FIFA Youth World Championships in Holland. Following his successful collegiate career, Hughes spent two seasons with the Colorado Rapids, helping the team to a 2007 Reserve Division title. He was also selected as the recipient of the 2008 Colorado Rapids Community Service Award after making 60 community appearances to schools, soccer clinics and camps. Hughes also spent one season playing for Real Maryland FC of the United Soccer Leagues. Hughes, 27, was a Dean’s List honoree and member of the ACC AllAcademic Team before graduating from North Carolina with a double major in exercise and sport science and geography. He and his wife, Mallory Nicole, were married on June 2, 2012.
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Coaching & Support Staff Men’s Soccer Support Staff
Kyle Deremer Graduate Assistant First Season at Creighton
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yle Deremer joins the Bluejay coaching staff as a graduate assistant after a stellar Bluejay career from 2008-10. Deremer earned First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors following his senior season in which the Bluejays finished 13-5-2, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Deremer was a pivotal member of the 2009 Bluejay defense that finished ranked 18th nationally with a 0.76 goals against average (18th in the NCAA). For his efforts, Deremer was named to the All-MVC Second-Team. In his first season on the Creighton squad (after earning AllWest Coast Conference honorable-mention as a freshman at Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif.), Deremer started 17 of the 18 matches he played in, finishing first among all Bluejay newcomer field players with 1,634 minutes on the field. He was a major component of the defense that set a then-school record with 13 shutouts, leading the NCAA with a .650 shutout percentage. The three-time MVC Defensive Player of the Week and an MVC Scholar-Athlete, Deremer played semi-professional soccer in New Zealand for Wellington United following his graduation from Creighton. His team finished as league champions in the Champs Premier League. Deremer, an Omaha native, led his Millard North squad to the State Championship in 2007, earning the 2007 Gatorade Nebraska Player of the Year Award.
Dan Bailey Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Barb Epps Administrative Assistant
Brandon McCarville Facilities
Brandy Menaugh Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance
Sean Mohatt Athletic Trainer
Adrian Rider Ticketing
Kevin Sarver Associate Athletics Director Soccer Administrator
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Elmar Bolowich Head Coach Second Season at Creighton
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lmar Bolowich enters his second season at the helm of Creighton men’s soccer after leading the Bluejays to one of the most successful single-seasons in program history, earning a trip to the NCAA College Cup and a 21-2-1 record in 2011. Bolowich picked up three coaching honors following his work in 2011, earning the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Midwest Region Coach of the Year, the Missouri Valley Conference Coaching Staff of the Year and the MLSSoccer.com Coach of the Year, leading Creighton to its first College Cup in nine years. The Bluejays had four players earn All-America honors at the end of the season, with Andrew Duran, Ethan Finlay and Brian Holt being named to the first-team and Greg Jordan earning a second-team nod. Ten of 11 Bluejay starters earned MVC honors, as Creighton shared the regular-season title with a 5-1-0 mark, avenging the lone conference regular-season loss to Missouri State in the finals of the MVC Tournament. Creighton’s 21 wins in 2011 mark the second most in a single season, just one win behind Bret Simon’s 22 wins with the 2000 club, while making Bolowich the winningest Creighton coach in his first year on the bench. Bolowich joined the Bluejays following an amazing 22-year run at North Carolina, during which he helped the Tar Heels to their first national title in program history to conclude the 2001 season. He guided UNC to 15 NCAA Tournament appearances and four College Cups, including three straight trips to college soccer’s Final Four in his final three seasons in Chapel Hill. Six of his teams advanced to at least the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament and three teams captured at least a share of the ACC regular-season title in addition to winning the 2000 ACC Tournament championship. Creighton Director of Athletics Bruce Rasmussen announced the hiring of Bolowich on Feb. 9, 2011, stating, “Elmar Bolowich had longterm success as the head coach at the University of North Carolina in the toughest soccer conference in the country. Elmar’s players have consistently demonstrated high academic achievement, they have been very involved in their community, they play aggressive, fun-to-watch soccer and they have represented themselves, their program and their University with great class and character. Elmar is a great teacher of the game who has consistently recruited, retained, developed and graduated outstanding young men. Above all else, Elmar is an outstanding person – we welcome him to the Creighton family and Omaha community.” Bolowich is the winningest coach in UNC men’s soccer history, posting a 280-144-40 (.647) record during his 22 seasons in Chapel Hill. His 2001 NCAA title team finished 21-4-0, defeating Indiana in the title match. The only national title in program history was good enough to earn him National Coach of the Year honors from the NSCAA. He has now led his teams to a top-three finish in at least one national poll six times since 2000 and a top-10 finish eight times in the last 12 seasons, including a
No. 3 ranking in the final 2010 NSCAA poll while at North Carolina and a No. 4 final ranking in 2011 at Creighton. Bolowich, a two-time ACC Coach of the Year (2000, 2010), led his teams to ACC regular-season titles in 2000, 2009 and 2010, putting together an unbeaten mark (7-0-1) in the nation’s strongest soccer conference in 2010. He is one of only five active coaches in NCAA Division I soccer to lead a team to four College Cup appearances. Over his final three years at UNC, the Tar Heels played in the College Cup each season, posting a 47-14-9 (.736) record in that span. His 2008 team finished as national runners-up, while the 2009 and 2010 teams fell in the national semifinals. His teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals six times in his final 11 years with North Carolina. In both 2000 and 2001, he was named the NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year, and in 1999, he was given the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association National Merit award, which is given annually to one college coach whose reputation is recognized by soccer officials as praiseworthy and reflective of the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior. His remarkable run at North Carolina included 20 NCAA Tournament wins, 16 more than the program had in the 42 years of soccer before his arrival. He coached 14 individuals who earned a combined 21 NSCAA All-America honors, including a trio of All-Americans in 2010. His players garnered 28 ACC First-Team honors and he coached five ACC Rookies of the Year. In addition to excelling on the field, Bolowich’s teams have also put together a sparkling resumé in the classroom. In his last full season at UNC, nine Tar Heels earned a spot on the ACC Academic Honor Roll. The cumulative grade-point average of the men’s soccer team at UNC
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Coaching Staff annually ranked among the highest of any men’s team on the Carolina campus during his tenure. From 2005 to 2010, 11 different men’s soccer student-athletes were named Academic All-ACC, including a schoolrecord four on the 2010 squad. Bolowich not only produces winning collegiate teams, but he has a proven track record of developing young men into international and professional players. Twenty-one players who were coached by Bolowich at UNC played professionally in 2010, including 11 in Major League Soccer and three abroad. In total, Bolowich has coached 37 players who have been selected in MLS drafts since 1996, including a school-record tying four from Creightn in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. Highlighting some of the players produced at UNC under the watch of Bolowich are MLS All-Star and United States World Cup veteran Eddie Pope, and U.S. National Team and MLS veterans Kerry Zavagnin and Gregg Berhalter. Both Pope and Berhalter were members of the 2006 U.S. World Cup squad as Pope was making his third World Cup appearance and Berhalter his second. Dax McCarty, Logan Pause and Eddie Robinson also saw time with the U.S. National team after playing for Bolowich at UNC. Bolowich arrived at North Carolina as a part-time assistant coach in 1986, before becoming a full-time assistant one year later. He was named head coach at UNC in March of 1989, as just the fourth head coach in the history of Tar Heel men’s soccer. A native of Edenkoben, Germany, Bolowich played and coached at the semi-professional level in his native country at Wiesbaden, Mainz and Cuxhaven. He played collegiately and graduated from the University of Mainz (Germany) in 1981 with a diploma in sports education. Prior to his stint at Mainz, he served two years in the German Luftwaffe (Air Force). In addition to holding a USSF A-License, Bolowich received his coaching license from the German Football Federation in 1981. Bolowich was active in youth soccer in North Carolina, serving as a regional staff
coach with the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Olympic Development Program for Region III and as Director of Coaching for the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association. He coached the Durham-Chapel Hill Strikers U-19 club team to the 1990 Maguire Cup Final Four and, starting in 2007, he coached the Triangle United Soccer Association’s boys Gold team, leading them to three state and regional championships. Triangle United also advanced to two national finals under his guidance. Bolowich, 58, and his wife of 25 years, Nina, have a daughter, Alya (23), and a son, Alex (20). Alex is a goalkeeper for the Bluejays this season.
Bolowich’s Year-by-Year Coaching Ledger Year School Overall Pct. Conference Pct. 1989 North Carolina 9-9-1 .500 1-4-1 .250 1990 North Carolina 13-7-0 .650 2-4-0 .333 1991 North Carolina 15-6-1 .705 3-3-0 .500 1992 North Carolina 9-7-4 .550 2-2-2 .500 1993 North Carolina 13-7-2 .636 2-2-2 .500 1994 North Carolina 13-7-0 .650 3-3-0 .500 1995 North Carolina 11-8-1 .575 0-5-1 .083 1996 North Carolina 8-8-1 .500 2-3-1 .417 1997 North Carolina 6-13-0 .316 1-5-0 .167 1998 North Carolina 11-6-2 .632 3-3-0 .500 1999 North Carolina 12-7-1 .625 2-3-1 .417 2000 North Carolina 21-3-0 .875 5-1-0 .833 2001 North Carolina 21-4-0 .840 4-2-0 .667 2002 North Carolina 14-7-1 .659 3-2-1 .583 2003 North Carolina 12-4-4 .700 2-3-1 .417 2004 North Carolina 10-9-2 .524 4-3-0 .571 2005 North Carolina 17-4-3 .771 3-3-2 .500 2006 North Carolina 11-6-3 .625 3-4-1 .438 2007 North Carolina 7-8-5 .475 3-5-0 .375 2008 North Carolina 15-8-1 .646 3-5-0 .375 2009 North Carolina 16-2-4 .818 5-2-1 .688 2010 North Carolina 16-4-4 .750 7-0-1 .938 2011 Creighton 21-2-1 .896 5-1-0 .833 Totals 301-146-41 .659 68-68-15 .500
Notes NCAA Tournament Second Round NCAA Tournament Second Round NCAA Tournament Second Round NCAA Tournament First Round
NCAA Tournament First Round NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals; ACC & South Region Coach of the Year NCAA Tournament Champion; NSCAA National Coach of the Year NCAA Tournament Second Round NCAA Tournament Second Round NCAA Tournament First Round NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals NCAA Tournament Second Round NCAA Tournament Runner-Up NCAA Tournament Semifinals NCAA Tournament Semifinals; ACC Coach of the Year NCAA Tournament Semifinals; MVC Coaching Staff of the Year; NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year 1 NCAA Title; 5 NCAA College Cups; 16 NCAA Tournaments
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Coaching Staff
Johnny Torres
Aug. 7
Assistant Coach Sixth Season at Creighton
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Justin Hughes Assistant Coach Second Season at Creighton
wo-time National Player of the Year and Creighton Athletics Hall of Famer Johnny Torres is back for his sixth season on the Bluejay bench, following a decade-long professional soccer career. Arguably the greatest soccer star in Creighton and Missouri Valley Conference history, Torres played for the Bluejays from 1994-97. Torres was named the NSCAA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year following the 2011 season, where he played an integral part in Creighton’s run to the College Cup, finishing fourth in the nation last season. Three times in Torres’ first five seasons on the Bluejay bench, the Creighton men’s soccer staff has been honored as the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year, earning the nod in 2008, 2010 and 2011. His roles on the coaching staff include scouting, recruiting and training. He also plays a major role in working with student-athletes on service projects in the Omaha area. Torres himself has always been active in service throughout his collegiate and professional playing days. He visited thousands of youth in the Omaha community in the 1990s, while he was tabbed the Children’s Miracle Network National “Hometown Hero” in 1996. A native of Medellin, Colombia, he was honored by the Omaha City Council with “Johnny Torres Day” on Oct. 27, 1996, in recognition of earning U.S. Citizenship just days before, his community service and his soccer skills. Torres was named to the MVC All-Centennial Team in 2006 and in 2011 he became the first men’s soccer player inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame. In 1997 he won both the Hermann Trophy and the Missouri Athletic Club Award (prior to the combination of the awards), recognizing him as the National Player of the Year. In 1996, he earned National Player of the Year honors from Soccer America after leading the Bluejays to their first College Cup appearance. When his career ended, he was the Valley’s all-time scoring (128 points) and assists (36) leader. He was the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 1998 MLS Draft by the New England Revolution. He played for the Revolution for four seasons and also played for the Miami Fusion and Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, before continuing his career in the USL for the Minnesota Thunder and the Milwaukee Wave United, before moving to indoor soccer with the Milwaukee Wave. In 2010, he returned to the professional ranks as a player, leading the Omaha Vipers of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) in goals scored. In 2009, he played on the United States Adult Soccer Association Over 30 championship team– Nebraska 402 – which qualified and participated in the U.S. Open Cup in 2009. Torres, 35, returned to the Creighton campus in the fall of 2007 to complete his undergraduate degree while serving as the Bluejays’ undergraduate manager. After receiving the NCAA Degree Completion Award, he earned his degree in social work from Creighton in the spring of 2008. The 2004 Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, two-time firstteam All-American and three-time first-team all-region and all-conference selection has a 6-year-old son, Dominic.
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ustin Hughes, a former collegiate and professional goalkeeper, remains at Creighton for his second season on the Creighton coaching staff. Hughes was a four-year letterwinner at North Carolina, playing under Elmar Bolowich from 2003-06. Following a standout collegiate career, he was drafted by the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer and spent two seasons with the Rapids. Hughes works primarily with the goalkeepers at Creighton, coaching All-American Brian Holt last season in Hughes’ first season on the Bluejay bench. Holt finished the season with an NCAA record 0.21 goals against average, surrendering just five goals in 24 games. Hughes led the Bluejay keepers to the nation’s lead in goals against average (0.20), shutout percentage (0.790) and save percentage (.926). Hughes spent the 2010 season as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Elon University in North Carolina, helping both squads post winning records. The Wake Forest, N.C., native started all 43 matches he appeared in during his four seasons with the Tar Heels. UNC advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons in Chapel Hill, with Hughes posting two of the top three goals against average marks in school history. As a junior in 2005, he led the ACC with a 0.50 GAA, the second-best mark in school history at that point. His junior season included seven shutouts, six of which he posted consecutively to tie a UNC record. He was tabbed to the ACC All-Tournament Team in 2005 as well. As a freshman in 2003, he was in goal for a shutout win over No. 1-ranked Maryland. Prior to his senior season in 2006, he was named a MAC Hermann Trophy candidate, an honor bestowed upon the top player in collegiate soccer. He finished his career at UNC ranked second in school history with a 0.79 career goals against average. In addition to his play at UNC, he was also a member of the United States U-20 National Team pool, selected as one of 21 players to participate in the 2005 FIFA Youth World Championships in Holland. Following his successful collegiate career, Hughes spent two seasons with the Colorado Rapids, helping the team to a 2007 Reserve Division title. He was also selected as the recipient of the 2008 Colorado Rapids Community Service Award after making 60 community appearances to schools, soccer clinics and camps. Hughes also spent one season playing for Real Maryland FC of the United Soccer Leagues. Hughes, 27, was a Dean’s List honoree and member of the ACC AllAcademic Team before graduating from North Carolina with a double major in exercise and sport science and geography. He and his wife, Mallory Nicole, were married on June 2, 2012.
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Coaching & Support Staff Men’s Soccer Support Staff
Kyle Deremer Graduate Assistant First Season at Creighton
K
yle Deremer joins the Bluejay coaching staff as a graduate assistant after a stellar Bluejay career from 2008-10. Deremer earned First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors following his senior season in which the Bluejays finished 13-5-2, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Deremer was a pivotal member of the 2009 Bluejay defense that finished ranked 18th nationally with a 0.76 goals against average (18th in the NCAA). For his efforts, Deremer was named to the All-MVC Second-Team. In his first season on the Creighton squad (after earning AllWest Coast Conference honorable-mention as a freshman at Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif.), Deremer started 17 of the 18 matches he played in, finishing first among all Bluejay newcomer field players with 1,634 minutes on the field. He was a major component of the defense that set a then-school record with 13 shutouts, leading the NCAA with a .650 shutout percentage. The three-time MVC Defensive Player of the Week and an MVC Scholar-Athlete, Deremer played semi-professional soccer in New Zealand for Wellington United following his graduation from Creighton. His team finished as league champions in the Champs Premier League. Deremer, an Omaha native, led his Millard North squad to the State Championship in 2007, earning the 2007 Gatorade Nebraska Player of the Year Award.
Dan Bailey Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Barb Epps Administrative Assistant
Brandon McCarville Facilities
Brandy Menaugh Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance
Sean Mohatt Athletic Trainer
Adrian Rider Ticketing
Kevin Sarver Associate Athletics Director Soccer Administrator
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