Feb. 22, 2005

Chris Pfau, who helped Julie Shackford lead Princeton to the NCAA women's soccer Final Four this past fall, has been named the head coach at the University of Evansville. Pfau replaces Ron Raab, who resigned earlier this month after three years as coach.

Pfau spent the past two years at Princeton on Shackford's staff, helping Princeton to a 30-6-3 record and two NCAA tournament appearances. The Tigers were undefeated in the Ivy League and advanced to the Final Four last fall, eventually losing to UCLA in the semifinals. The Princeton women's soccer team was the first Ivy League team to ever reach the Final Four of a 64-team NCAA tournament, and the first Ivy League school to reach a women's soccer Final Four.Shackford was chosen as 2004 Women's Division I National Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

"Even though Evansville has a short history in terms of women's soccer, the program has been competitive and has been to the NCAA Tournament," Pfau said. "It's a program that has won before, and I believe we can win again. Evansville has a very good reputation academically, also, so those two factors-the academics and past success-made Evansville very attractive to me.

"One specific goal is to win the Missouri Valley Conference, and to always be competitive in the conference. I want to bring some pride back to this program, and make the kids proud to wear their uniform around campus. Another goal is that when a player has finished playing for me, whether it's been one year or 10 or 15 years, I want her to look back and know she's had a great collegiate experience."

Evansville has won more Missouri Valley Conference regular season championships (4) and more MVC Tournament championships (5) than any other league school in the nine-year history of women's soccer in the MVC. The Aces have made three NCAA Tournament appearances in the past seven years, most recently in 2001. The Purple Aces, however, have compiled a record of just 12-39-4 over the past three years, including 3-13-1 last fall.

Pfau developed plenty of experience as a player and coach before going to Princeton. The 1989 Old Dominion University graduate played professionally for 10 years in the APSL, NPSL and WSL. He began his coaching career while playing, serving as head coach of the Cincinnati United Soccer Club from 1995-99 and assistant coach of the Cincinnati Riverhawks of the A-League from 1997-99. He was head men's soccer coach at Mount Marty College in Yankton, South Dakota from 1999-2002, and in 2002 was head women's soccer coach at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Pfau has also been an Olympic Development Program coach in New Jersey, Ohio and Indiana since 1996.

"I believe Chris, together with our current core group of players and an outstanding incoming freshman class, will lead our women's soccer program's return to prominence," said UE Director of Athletics Bill McGillis.

"Chris is recognized by the folks at Princeton, as well as his peers, as having made a significant contribution to Princeton's advancement over the last two years, including their run to the 2004 Final Four. He brings a great blend of experience as an elite player at the college and professional levels, as an assistant in one of the great programs in America, and as a head coach at two different institutions. He has strong relationships throughout the Midwest as a result of having coached in Indiana and having played and coached in the Cincinnati area.

"We had a very deep pool of candidates for this position, but Chris separated himself from others based on his experience, personality, fit and passion for serving as the head coach at UE. He believes that the current members of our team can be the foundation of a team that can win the Missouri Valley Conference championship."

Chris and his wife,Tracey, have a daughter, Paige, who is 6, and a son, Connor, 4.

What Others Are Saying About Chris Pfau:

Julie Shackford, Head Coach, Princeton University: "First and foremost, I think that Chris was instrumental in developing our players and our program over the past two years. He has played and coached and every level of the game, and I think that that experience helped our program immensely. I think that he will be able to make an immediate impact at Evansville."

Janine Willis, Senior Tri-Captain, Princeton University: "I truly believe he will be an incredible asset to your team. I know that you will enjoy working with Chris and that the team will love him because that is just the kind of guy he is - he is fun to be around, he is extremely intelligent about the game, and he makes the environment better just by being in it. He is an exceptional coach.I can also tell you that a great deal of our team's success this past season is to be attributed to him. His intuition about the game, the way he carries himself, and the way he instructs and interacts with us players really brought out the best in us. He is a great coach - a difference maker, has great vision, and is able to translate his knowledge and experience in the game into training and game settings."

SylviaMorelli, Senior Tri-Captain, Princeton University: "Chris joined the Princeton staff my sophomore year and has made an enormous impact from the beginning. On the field, his tactical and technical knowledge allowed me to understand the game in a new way. He is unlike any coach I have had because he is able to pinpoint your personal weaknesses as well as the team's weaknesses in such a precise and perceptive manner. His ability to adapt and fix problems in a game often made the difference in so many of our challenging games this year."

Angela Bleecher, Defender, UE Head Coach Search Advisory Group, University of Evansville: "The team is very excited for what Coach Pfau will bring to our program. Coach Pfau brings leadership, enthusiasm, and a deep knowledge of the game. These qualities along with the talent we have here at the University of Evansville is a great combination for the future and success of this program."

Sarah Groves, Defender/Midfielder, University of Evansville: "The hiring of Chris Pfau has brought a positive change to the women's soccer program. He brings a renewed excitement and energy to tour team. His leadership qualities will re-establish the winning tradition of UE women's soccer."

Laura Poland, Former Player, UE Head Coach Search Advisory Group: "The University of Evansville, the Women's Soccer Program, and the supporting community should be excited and encouraged by this hire. Chris Pfau has the tools at hand to return this program to where it belongs."