SOCCER COACHES PLAY MUSICAL CHAIRS
By MARK BRADFORD

 Usually, in a high school sporting event, the spectators need a scorecard to tell
who the players are.
 This fall, in high school soccer, you may need  a scorecard to tell who the coaches
are.
 In a trend started in 1998 with the resignation of Elkhart Central boys coach Dale
Stolzfus and Riley girls coach Ken Benich, five more Northern Indiana Soccer coaching
positions will change hands this fall. Leading the way will be LaSalle High School, which
is replacing the boys coach (Larry Pozgay) and the girls coach (Colleen Loucks). Earlier
this year, long time Adams soccer coach Jim Tallman announced his resignation as did
six-year Washington Panther coach Doug Knowlton. Finally, just last week, Elkhart
Memorial coach Rick Nussbaum tendered his resignation.
 Nussbaum, who engineered a winning tradition for the Crimson Chargers, left to
take the head coaching position at Hesston College in Hesston, Kansas.  “Ive had many
wonderful experiences at Memorial over the last nine years.,” Nussbaum said. “I have
really enjoyed watching the sport blossom over the years.”
  Pozgay’s experience wasn’t quite as enjoyable. After six years at the helm, the
former LaSalle graduate did not have his contract renewed for the 2000 season, despite
having taken his case to the school board in February in an effort to retain his job. Pozgay
had led a team continually hounded by inexperience to a level of respectability, winning six
games in 1998.
 With the addition of soccer as a varsity sport at the middle school level, Pozgay
held high hopes for improvement of his team at the high school level. However, what he
called a lack of support at the middle school level as well as at the high school level,
caused conflicts which resulted in his dismissal for what administrators called
insubordination.
 “All I was asking for were the basics at the middle school,” Pozgay said. “They
gave us one ball for 19 players, we had to find our own practice field, schedule our own
games, pay our own referees. Then the middle school administration withheld the pay of
the middle school coach until the end of the year when he turned the uniforms back in.”
 The middle school problems only added to the problems at the high school where
Pozgay was told he could not practice on the football field because soccer tore up the turf.
He and the girl’s soccer coach  ended up practicing on a field about half the size of a
regular field, making a fullscale practice impossible.  Alternative practice fields were not
reacy for use at the time and, in fact, were dangerous because of the type of fill, the
sparcity of grass, and the presence of loose dogs in the neighborhood.
 “Everything I did, I did for the good of the kids,” Pozgay said. “I am sure there are
two sides to every story and I am also sure there is enough blame to go around.”
 Loucks did not have her contract renewed either. Louck’s teams had suffered from
having few players even come out for the team. Loucks had not fielded a JV team in
recent memory and did not win a game in 1999.
 LaSalle athletic director Nan Tulchinsky could not comment of the situation, citing
personnel confidentiality. Two replacement coaches have been selected and will be
announced after the school board gives final approval to the contracts.
 In addition, major renovations at LaSalle begin this summer, as groundbreaking
will begin for what can best be called a sports complex behind the school. Soccer practice
fields are part of the plan, as well as fields which will allow JV football, softball, and
baseball to host other teams. The school had built new tennis courts which were used last
fall.
 

KREMPEC TO REMAIN IN CHARGE AT ST. JOSEPH’S
 Despite rumors to the contrary, St. Joe Indians boys soccer head coach LeRoy
Krempec will remain as head coach for the Indians. He has resigned his position with the
Junior Irish Soccer club to devote more time to the team.
 

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