The Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks have named the new head coach of the men’s and women’s soccer and futsal teams, and he is a familiar face to the programs.
Mike Racz replaces Sean Carey in the role. Carey’s retirement was announced last week.
READ MORE: Kodiaks coach Sean Carey announces retirement
Racz served as head coach of the soccer program for five seasons from 2012 to 2016. During that run, he won the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference women’s coach of the year for the South Division in 2013-2014.
He coached two Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association All-Canadians (Cole Runge and Nico Pasquotti) and a CCAA Player of the Year (Nico Pasquotti).
For the past two seasons, Racz has been an assistant coach for both the Kodiaks’ men’s and women’s soccer and futsal teams.
“It’s a bit surreal how much the program has grown over the past several years, yet it still feels familiar in all the best ways,” says Racz. “Coming back feels like coming home. My experience as a head coach, combined with my recent time as an assistant, has made me familiar with the program and will help us navigate this transition successfully.”
Racz gave kudos to his predecessor, Sean Carey, and the work he did for the teams.
“He has set the foundation for continued success and has made the Kodiaks soccer program a consistent contender for the ACAC Championships. It’s also been amazing to see the resources now available to athletics and how much our athletic department has strengthened the Kodiaks name within the polytechnic and the community.”
Before re-joining the team as an assistant, Racz coached under his mentor Randy Bardock at the University of Lethbridge, starting in 2016.
Additionally, he was able to get a teaching position at St. Francis Junior High School, with many former students now competing in sports at the post-secondary level, including on the Kodiaks’ soccer team.
“I feel like I left the program with unfinished business, and I hope to use the lessons from my time away to drive success with the Kodiaks soccer program,” says Racz.
Todd Caughlin, the director of Kodiaks Athletics and Recreation Services says the life and professional experience gained by Racz since he left the polytechnic in 2016 will prove valuable and build on the foundation built by Carey in recent years.
He adds that the new bench boss’ connections to the local soccer community, including working with the Lethbridge Soccer Association in different roles, will help the Kodiaks recruit local talent. “This is an exciting time for Kodiaks soccer/futsal, and I’m excited to see where Mike and his coaching staff take the programs,” Caughlin says.
Racz now starts the process of recruiting and building rosters for next season, where the Kodiaks will host the ACAC Soccer Championships. He says he is excited about the prospect of winning a banner at home.
The Kodiaks are hosting a pair of identification camps in April for players interested in trying out for the team. More details are on the Kodiaks Athletics website.
