Kris Bertsch
	Position: Assistant Coach Experience: Second Season Alma Mater: American '03

Kris Bertsch enters his second season as assistant men's soccer coach for the Musketeers. Bertsch helped Xavier capture its first ever Atlantic 10 Championship and NCAA Tournament berth, while also completing college soccer's biggest program turnaround in 2010.

"I would consider Kris to be the glue of the program. He is a guy who grew as a trainer and a leader, and really started to connect with the players," head coach Andy Fleming said. "I really saw him emerge down the stretch especially in the postseason and the playoffs. He's a tireless worker, who has great playing pedigree. I really think he is going to make a bigger jump this year, now that he is more familiar with what we are looking for at Xavier and truly knows what the blue print is about."

In only a short time at Xavier, Bertsch's recruiting coordination efforts have helped the Musketeers to recruit some of the nation's top rated student-athletes. The Musketeers 2010 recruiting class garnered a national Top 40 ranking according to College Soccer News. Bertsch also oversees and organizes all official and unofficial visits for prospective student-athletes.

Furthermore, Bertsch was instrumental in the creation and expansion of the Xooligans, Xavier men's soccer student support group. The Xooligans have helped transform the game day atmosphere at the Xavier Soccer Complex. In only his first season at Xavier, Bertsch's assistant with the marketing efforts led to breaking every attendance record in Xavier men's soccer history. He helped set the record for most ever fans in a single match, for a season, and average per game.

Among other duties that Bertsch performs are team travel, alumni relations, fundraising, budget planning, game day and team training preparations, video, equipment organization, marketing, and academic monitoring.

Prior to joining the Xavier staff in February 2009, Bertsch was an assistant coach at Syracuse University where he was involved in several facets of the program, including recruiting, scouting, budget, travel and game day operations and promotions. He also organized and directed training sessions and tactical planning throughout the season and oversaw video breakdown of Syracuse's opponents.

In addition, he also created the Syracuse soccer student support group known as the "Colvin Street Elite", which in its first year had over 450 members. Thanks in large part to this effort, the Orange set the single season attendance record in 2009 and the Colvin Street Elite were featured in a story on ESPN's "Campus Connection".

Prior to his stint at Syracuse, Bertsch served as the director of soccer operations at the University of Connecticut for four seasons. While at UConn, Bertsch directed and arranged recruiting visits, team travel arrangements, marketing, team promotions and group ticket sales for the top drawing college soccer program in the country.

He was heavily involved in coordinating the nation's largest soccer student support group at UConn called the "Goal Patrol", which had over 900 student members. Bertsch also directed and oversaw the "Meet the Huskies" banquet, which was a major fundraising event for the soccer program. In addition to fundraising, Bertsch assisted with team equipment, team events and day to day logistics.

While at UConn, Bertsch was part of a staff that captured four NCAA Tournament berths advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2005 and 2008 in addition to reaching the Elite Eight in 2007. The Huskies also earned two Big East Regular Season and Tournament titles in both 2005 and 2007.

UConn also climbed the charts in the NCAA polls by achieving a No. 1 or No. 2 national ranking at some point during all four seasons in Storrs. Individually, the Huskies had six BIG EAST Players of the Year, two BIG EAST Rookie of the Year winners, 23 All-BIG EAST selections, a Hermann Trophy winner as the Nation's Top Collegiate Player, 10 MLS Draft picks, and six All-Americans during that stint. The Huskies' four year record was an impressive 57-18-11.

Bertsch graduated from American University in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He was a four-year starting midfielder at American and twice led the Eagles to the NCAA Division I Tournament with American reaching the Sweet 16 in 2001 before falling to eventual national champion North Carolina in overtime. Bertsch was also honored as an All-Patriot League performer and earned a spot on the Patriot League All-Academic Team.

Bertsch was a two-time US Soccer National Champion with FC Delco and was recognized with the Golden Boot Award, which goes to the national championship's top scorer. FC Delco, the nation's No. 1 Youth Soccer Club, elected him to its hall of fame in 2004. Additionally, Bertsch was a member of the US Olympic Region I and New Jersey State Teams.

Bertsch, a native of Clinton, NJ, played High School soccer at The Pingry School where he finished as the career scoring leader and is a member of the school's athletic Hall of Fame.

Xavier Musketeers Men's Soccer

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