Q&A with Akron men's soccer coach Caleb Porter

The University of Akron has put Caleb Porter under contract as its men’s soccer coach. The contract runs for 10 years, and it’s worth about $350,000 annually. The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto asked him about the contract and his commitment to the university. Q: Why commit so long to Akron?   A: Akron is where I want to be long...

The University of Akron has put Caleb Porter under contract as its men’s soccer coach. The contract runs for 10 years, and it’s worth about $350,000 annually.

The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto asked him about the contract and his commitment to the university.

Q: Why commit so long to Akron?  

A: Akron is where I want to be long term, and I thought it was important to make that type of statement to people in this community and around the country. I would always get questions every year from coaches, alumni and certainly recruits, and hopefully this will put the constant speculation to rest. I also wanted people to see my loyalty to Akron. For whatever reason, Akron seems to be a stepping-stone. I’m saying it can be an end point, too, and the grass isn’t always greener. My family loves it here, and as long as I have everything the other programs have, then Akron is where I want to leave a legacy. I hope people will see that my main priority in the extension was to protect Akron soccer long term and to show loyalty to people that have been supportive to our program and my family. To continue achieving what we have, it takes commitment from the administration, and I’m humbled to have that commitment for the next 10 years.  
 

Q: Why can Akron compete with anyone in soccer, but it’s so much harder for a MAC school to do so in the other sports?  

A: Anything is possible with the right blueprint, resources and vision. Again, hopefully I’m showing people that it can happen in Akron and that a midmajor with the right commitment can accomplish what the big BCS schools can. In soccer, it certainly happens more because administrations are recognizing with a little support you can win a national championship. Akron soccer is supported as well as any other program in the country. Even though we are a midmajor university, we are a major soccer program, and that was my vision  to build a national power capable of going toe to toe with the biggest name universities and not hoping to win but expecting to. It does take commitment from the athletic department, and that has helped. Certainly, it takes a community embracing the program, and then it takes again a blueprint to do it. We’ve proven it can happen, and I think that is what makes Akron soccer special because we are beating the best programs. How many times do fans get a chance to support a team at Akron that can beat anybody in the country? That is meaningful to me, and I’m proud of what we’ve done and the statement we are making to people.  
 

Q: What makes Akron so attractive to blue-chippers besides the style of play?  

A: There are a lot of reasons for kids to come to Akron. Our soccer program speaks for itself. We have the No. 1 winning percentage in the last five years and have been ranked in the top five the entire last three seasons. Certainly the last two seasons, if you ask anyone in college soccer circles, they would tell you we have been the best team in the country, hands down. So why would kids not want to come be a part of the best program in the country and have the realistic opportunity to win a national championship? In addition to that, we are proving that we can develop players as well or better than anyone. If you look at our track record of players moving on and being successful at the next level, that is very attractive to the top talent, who inevitably all want to be professional players one day. That is every kid’s dream: to play professional soccer. For the top kids, this is a very important factor. One of our biggest selling points is the style we play. This style is very unique and a big reason we develop players. There are very few programs  if any  in college soccer that play the way we play. This is something we’ve really branded Akron soccer on. When kids are looking at programs, they know that Akron soccer plays attractive, attacking soccer and that we develop players. This puts us in a category of our own. In addition to the soccer, our program has developed quite a reputation for having a very special culture of excellence. We’ve created an environment of success on and off the field that is second to none. Our players are developed into high achievers in all aspects of what they do. In the classroom, we had the eighth-highest GPA in the country with a 3.37 GPA last semester. We had 16 players make the dean’s list this semester. We have really good kids that are focused on school and soccer, and they know they will be joining a family with great role models that will shape their lives. Our mission is to “build champions and pursue championships,” and we feel like we’ve proven if you come to Akron, you will become a champion on the field, off the field and as a person. While in the process our players will compete and win [Mid-American Conference] and hopefully national championships during their time in the program. What more would you want??!!!!  
 

Q: How does Akron’s stadium and fan support look to those in the soccer world?

A: We were No. 2 in the country in attendance, and I would argue we have the most passionate soccer fans in the country. I’m sure Santa Barbara would have a say on that, with them being No. 1. But our AK Rowdies and Lee Jackson have really developed a reputation around the country. This is a big reason we have won so many games at home [tied an NCAA record with 39 undefeated games at home in a row], and that is invaluable. I’ve always said it’s not so much the stadium but the environment. We are very appreciative of our new stadium. The new lights and grass have helped with our level of play and having team rooms to go in at halftime is crucial. Also, more fans now can sit instead of standing or sitting on the berms. Certainly there are plenty of stadiums out there that have more amenities, but many of those stadiums do not get filled, and we feel like what makes our stadium and environment special is we have fans packed around 3 sides right up to the lines. You don’t see that anywhere. It is intimate and it is electric. We wanted to create a more international feel, with chants and drums and scarves. We’ve even had opposing coaches and players say it seems like a little European professional match. Again, this is something that is creating a buzz and helping to grow the sport and generate interest in the game.  
 

Q: What are your ultimate goals?  

A: I feel like I have a lot to offer the college game and college-
aged kids now. Down the road, I would like to give professional coaching a run, and certainly my dream would be to coach the U.S. national team in a World Cup one day. Obviously, both of those are a long way off. I enjoy where I’m at in my life. I feel stimulated, soccer-wise, coaching very talented players who are some of the best in the country. I like the leadership and mentoring component of being a college coach. I enjoy working with kids who still need to grow, and I get a rush out of helping them reach their potential on the field, in the classroom and as people. I want to leave my mark on college soccer for at least the next 10 years. That means winning championships, but for me it’s more about the big picture. I want to raise the bar for college soccer. I want to grow the sport. I want to change the landscape of college soccer by playing the game a certain way and developing players for the next level. I want to prove that also I can have kids who are setting themselves up for life after soccer by making sure they are pushing themselves in the classroom as well. That is what drives me and gets me out of bed every day. I want to touch each kid and help them follow their goals and dreams, and I feel like I have an opportunity to also grow soccer through my role as a college coach of one of the top programs in the country. I have a lot to do and a lot to give to Akron right now. We are not going to stop or rest on our laurels just because we won the national championship! I’m ready to get back to work!  
 

Q: How did this contract extension come about? Where did you meet? How long did you talk? Do you have an agent, or did you do the basic negotiating yourself?  

A: I would say my meeting with Dr. [Luis] Proenza and Tom Wistrcill was more of a conversation than a negotiation. They came to me and said we want to take care of you so that you will not have to look elsewhere, and we value what you’ve done for Akron soccer, the university and community. I like working for Tom Wistrcill, and I think we have one of the most incredible presidents in the country, and they have committed to soccer which has allowed me to build a national championship program. I told them I wanted to be at Akron and as long as the commitment was there at a level in comparison to what other soccer programs around the country could provide, then I wanted to leave my legacy at Akron and raise my family here.  
 

Q: What is the part of the contract that pays you $80,000 to help the president? How did that come about? What will you do in that capacity?  

A: I think the president looked at this as an opportunity not only to help Akron soccer but to use my role and the program’s prestige to assist the university as a whole. I do feel an obligation to inspire others, and I’m happy to help fund-raise and promote the university of Akron as much as I can. I already do it, but this will give me an even bigger platform to help. I hope I can use our program and what we’ve accomplished to bring even more awareness to what a great place Akron is.  
 

Q: Any fellow coaches kid you about “striking it rich,” etc.?  

A: Certainly I have been given a tremendous contract, and I’m humbled that Akron was willing to take care of me and my family like this. It’s great that I can remain in Akron and be rewarded for my hard work. I never wanted to leave Akron but worried that other schools would make an offer that would be too good to pass up. I’m humbled it worked out  that I get the best of both worlds. I get to keep living in Akron and leaving a legacy for Akron soccer while being taken care of and my program committed to on a scale that is in comparison to what other programs were capable of. It makes a huge statement for how important soccer is at Akron and also for the notoriety of the sport in general. The market is always going to be dictated by the top programs, and we are setting the market value at this point. That is great for the sport. As a whole, it is great to show the country that the University of Akron is a powerful university capable of competing with anyone.  
 

Q: What does your family think of Akron? How much of a factor were they in this decision?  

A: My family loves Akron. This is a great place. The relationships and friendships we have built over the last five years were a big factor in us wanting to continue to be a part of this community long term.