Jim DeRose, 41, came to Bradley University in 1996 as the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I college soccer and as he prepares for his 14th season, he remains one of the top young coaches in the game.  But after winning four Missouri Valley Conference regular-season titles, advancing to 10 consecutive MVC Tournament Final Fours and playing in four NCAA Tournaments, DeRose now has a wealth of successful experience to draw from as he continues to lead one of the top squads in the Midwest.

A native of Cinnaminson, N.J., DeRose brings enthusiasm, a hard-work ethic and popularity to The Hilltop.  Those characteristics have helped him claim Soccer America magazine’s 2007 National Coach-of-the-Year award, two NSCAA Midwest Region Coach-of-the-Year honors (1998 and 2007) and four Valley Coach-of-the-Year awards -- 1996, 1998, 2006 and 2007 (the latter two as staff awards). In addition, the CollegeSoccerNews.com website named DeRose one of the nation’s top teachers and tacticians in the college game in 2000.

Those honors have substantial backing. In his first 12 years at Bradley, DeRose owns a 143-85-25 (.615) record, which includes 10 of the top 11 seasons in the program’s 20-year history.  His 143 Bradley wins represent 73.7 percent of the program’s all-time victory total (194).  DeRose also has guided the Braves to four MVC regular-season championships (1998, 2005, 2006 and 2007), seven appearances in the MVC Tournament championship game in the last nine years, the 2007 league postseason title, four trips to the NCAA Tournament (2000, 2002, 2005 and 2007) and the program’s first-ever run to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.

DeRose became Bradley’s third soccer head coach in the spring of 1996:  he inherited a program that had produced only 51 victories during its nine-year existence (51-114-11, .321) and was coming off consecutive three-win seasons.  While compiling his impressive record, DeRose has guided the Braves to a pair of double-digit unbeaten streaks, the three longest winning streaks in school history -- six in 1997, seven in 1998 and eight in 2002-- and the program’s first-ever national rankings: the Braves climbed to No. 14 in Soccer America magazine’s weekly poll during the 1998 season and now have been ranked among the nation’s top 25 teams during eight of the last 10 seasons.

Not only have the Braves enjoyed tremendous team success, DeRose’s coaching has led to countless individual accomplishments among his players.  Former Brave Gavin Glinton (1998-2001) ended his career as the Missouri Valley Conference career leader in goals (53) and points (133) and he remains the only four-time All-American in Bradley Athletics and Valley soccer history. At the other end of the field, former Braves keeper Chris Dunsheath (2001-05) finished third in NCAA history with 8,197 career minutes played and set the Valley record with 27.5 career shutouts.  The 2005 Valley Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-American, Dunsheath became the first keeper in league history to earn four All-MVC awards (second team in 2002 and first team in 2003, 2004 and 2005).  Most recently, sweeper Joe Donoho was named the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and was a consensus All-American.

DeRose’s Bradley program also has produced six Major League Soccer SuperDraft selections in the last seven years.  Dunsheath became the most recent addition to that list in 2006 when he was taken in the third round by the Los Angeles Galaxy.  Other MLS SuperDraft selections under DeRose’s watch include Luke Kreamalmeyer (2005, MLS Combine MVP), Tim Regan (2003), Hamid Mehreioskouei (2003), Glinton (2002) and Bryan Namoff (2001).  The 2008 season opened with Glinton (San Jose) and Namoff (D.C.) on active MLS rosters, while Kreamalmeyer (Rochester Rhinos) was set for the USL First Division and 2007 Bradley star Stephen Brust was finishing out the Major Indoor Soccer League season with the Chicago Storm.

While Bradley’s on-field success under DeRose is impressive, the accomplishments of his players in the classroom are even more impressive.  DeRose’s players have collected 12 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America or NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-American awards, 22 regional and district academic awards and 38 Valley Scholar-Athlete awards.  In addition, Bradley Soccer has received the NCAA Public Recognition Award each of the last two years in honor of the program’s Academic Progress Rate performance.

DeRose came to Bradley after spending the 1995 season as the top assistant at the University of Richmond.  While aiding the rising Spiders program, DeRose also served as the Director of Tournament Operations for the 1995 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer National Championship, now known as the College Cup.

No stranger to Central Illinois, DeRose spent three years (1992-94) as the top assistant at Illinois State University before the Normal, Ill., school dropped the men’s soccer program.  DeRose also was an assistant at Vermont in 1991, helping the program stay in the regional (top five ranking) and national (top 20) spotlight.

DeRose began his coaching career at his alma mater, Johnson State College, in Johnson, Vt. While playing goalkeeper for Johnson State, DeRose helped the Badgers to consecutive NAIA National Championship Tournament appearances and regular top 20 rankings. As a senior in 1989, DeRose earned NAIA first-team All-America honors while capturing the New England Player-of-the-Year Award. In postseason play that year, DeRose took MVP honors at the Senior Bowl in Tempe, Ariz.

DeRose followed his college career by playing professionally in Albuquerque, N.M., for the New Mexico Chiles of the American Professional Soccer League.

In addition to his NCAA Division I coaching experience, DeRose has been a member of both the Region I (East) and Region II (Midwest) Olympic Development Program coaching staffs, while serving nine years as an ODP State Team coach in Vermont and Illinois.

DeRose has both a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a master’s degree in administration and supervision from Johnson State.  He also owns a USSF “B” license and a NSCAA National Coaching Diploma.

DeRose and his wife, Robin, reside in Peoria with their daughter, Raleigh (17) and son, J.R. (12).

The Jim DeRose File

Education

Bachelor of Arts -- Johnson State College ‘89

Master’s in Education -- Johnson State College ‘92

Coaching Awards

•   Soccer America National Coach of the Year, 2007

•   NSCAA Midwest Coach of the Year, 1998 and 2007

•   MVC Coaching Staff of the Year, 2006 and 2007

•   MVC Coach of the Year, 1996 and 1998

•   CollegeSoccerNews.com Top Teachers and Tacticians, 2000

Bradley Head Coach (1996-present)

•   143-85-25 (.615) Overall Record, 12th year

•   49-32-10 (.593) MVC Record

Year     Overall   Pct.   MVC      Pct.  Notes

1996      7-11- 0  .389   0- 5- 0  .000  MVC Coach of the Year

1997     11- 8- 0  .579   1- 6- 0  .143

1998     14- 2- 2  .833   6- 1- 0  .857  MVC regular-season title, MVC & Midwest Region Coach of the Year

1999     10-10- 0  .500   3- 4- 0  .429

2000     15- 7- 2  .667   6- 4- 1  .591  NCAA Tournament

2001     12- 7- 1  .625   6- 3- 0  .667

2002     14- 6- 4  .667   4- 3- 2  .556  NCAA Tournament

2003     11- 8- 4  .565   5- 2- 2  .667

2004     10- 6- 3  .605   5- 2- 1  .688

2005     15- 6- 1  .705   5- 1- 1  .786  MVC regular-season title, NCAA Tournament

2006      8- 8- 4  .500   4- 1- 1  .750  MVC regular-season title, MVC Staff of the Year

2007     16- 6- 4  .692   4- 0- 2  .714  MVC regular-season title, MVC Tournament title, NCAA Tournament Elite 8,

                                         Soccer America National Coach of the Year, NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year, MVC Staff of the Year

Totals  143-85-25  .615  49-32-10  .593