Andrew Bordelon joins WashU after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin. (Courtesy of Andrew Bordelon)
For the first time in 27 years, the University of Washington men's soccer program has a new head coach.a few months later Joe Clark announces retirement In late November, after nearly 30 years at the helm, WashU Athletics announced in a statement on March 7 that it would name Andrew Bordelon his successor and the seventh head coach in program history.
Bordelon brings extensive coaching experience as an assistant and head coach at numerous NCAA Division I, II and III programs. He most recently served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Wisconsin Division I. The coach, who assumed his position at WashU on Monday, March 18, knows that replacing WashU's winningest men's soccer coach will not be an easy task.
“I understand that I have a big challenge to meet. I think Joe Clark is a legend in the game and that will be remembered for me as well,” he said. “My plan is to build on what he has built here and hopefully take it to new heights. It will be difficult to replace a legend and gentleman whom I respect so much, but… At the same time, I have to be myself and communicate the philosophies I believe in and my expectations.”
Bordelon added that after his first week on campus, he knew Clark was leaving the program in a good place.
“We see a group that is hungry, excited and willing to adapt to a new coach,” he said. “Coach Clark has done a great job of bringing the team together and having outstanding success academically. And now we want to add the next element of competing for a championship. thinking about.”
Sophomore forward and team captain Zach Soucy said the team already likes what it's seeing from its new coach.
“I think the biggest thing so far is just the energy during practice,” he said when asked what stood out. “I think [the] The guys have been really big fans since the first few practices and knowing what we're going to do…he seems like a great player and we're really excited to have him. ”
Susie added that the transition from the 70-year-old Clark to the much younger Bordelon has brought a new level of intensity to the program.
“It's definitely nice to have a little bit of young energy,” he says.
Bordelon first became the head coach at Westminster College when he was just 24 years old. (Courtesy of Andrew Bordelon)
Suze and the team aren't the only ones excited about what Bordelon brings to the team. Director of Athletics Anthony Azama is confident the athletics department has found the right person for the position. According to Azama, the search committee was looking for “a person with high character and low self-esteem.” [and] Bordelon ticked all the boxes: high production and a track record of youth development.
“Ultimately, we want this to be a program where everyone can walk out and walk out with great pride and build lasting relationships with the people who have been a part of this program,” Bordelon said. when asked about his coaching philosophy. . “So, for me, it's commitment, it's relationship-driven, and it's really based on communication.”
Bordelon's perspective as a coach is shaped not only by his 14 years of coaching experience, but also by his playing days and love for the game. Throughout his college career, Bordelon played as a midfielder at Division II Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where he began his coaching career.
“I always loved the game. I was inseparable from it,” he said. “I didn’t necessarily go into college thinking I was going to be a college coach, but after about a half-way through last fall, I knew that was the direction for me.”
After three years as an assistant coach at Drury, Bordelon became the head coach at Westminster College at age 24, where he coached from 2013 to 2016. During his time there, he led the team to its first conference title in program history and its first three NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. Bordelon also coached another Division III team, Stevenson University, during the 2017 season.
From there, Bordelon moved to the Division I level and served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Northern Illinois University (NIU) from April 2017 to January 2022, working under head coach Ryan Swan. Ryan Swan was the head coach at Drury during Bordelon's tenure. He is both a player and a coach. During his time at NIU, the team achieved program-highs in season wins (15) and national ranking (21st), and had multiple players drafted by Major League Soccer (MLS) teams.
Bordelon spent the past two seasons at the University of Wisconsin as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator, leading the Big Ten side's recruiting efforts. Bordelon's experience as a recruiter was one of the factors that made him stand out as he was a great fit for WashU.
“[He’s] He is someone who is willing to take on recruiting efforts at any location and do well there,” Azama said. “I think in order to be here, we have to be able to recruit well.”
On the pitch, Bordelon likes to adopt an attacking style of play, and has inspired Premier League players such as Josep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, the team Bordelon is most interested in. He said he draws inspiration from the director.
“We want to move the game in our favor, so we want to advance the ball into the opponent's half. We want to play there. [and] We don't want them out. So ideally we will suffocate them in a way and dictate the game by being aggressive and playing inside the opponent's half, which ultimately leads to creating as many scoring opportunities as possible,” he said. .
Off the field, Bordelon is a family man and is excited to return to the Midwest with his wife, Andrea, 5-year-old son, and 2-year-old daughter.
Returning to the head coaching position, a role at a new school and the responsibility of filling the legendary coaching vacancy will not be easy, but Bordelon is looking forward to what will happen to the WashU men's soccer program.
“I’m very excited, I’m very excited,” he said. “This is something I am very passionate about and something I am very grateful for.”
