Concordia Chicago appoints Adam Nirenberg as men's and women's soccer coach

Courtesy of Concordia University Chicago, Sports Information Department
RIVER FOREST, Ill. -- Concordia University Chicago is pleased to announce that Adam Nirenberg (M.A. '04) has accepted the dual position of head men's and women's soccer coach, effective April 16, 2007.

Nirenberg is no stranger to Concordia, having served as an assistant coach during the 2002-03 seasons while also doing his master's work on campus. He contributed to the successes of the two teams in 2003 when the Cougar men reached the finals of the conference tournament and the women reached double-digit wins (10) – both teams in just their third season as NCAA III programs. "I am very excited to return to Concordia and continue what I helped start," says Nirenberg. "The programs are still relatively young, and I am very eager to help both the men and the women build strong traditions and take the teams to the next level."

Nirenberg, who becomes the fifth Cougar head coach on the current staff to receive a degree from Concordia, earned his Master's in Secondary Education in 2004. "My overall experience at Concordia in the classrooms and on the campus was a very positive one. The professors are very knowledgeable, and the campus community, from faculty and staff to the students, is a close-knit and very friendly one. As both a coach and a former student, I feel very good about going out and promoting all the virtues about Concordia to a prospective student-athlete because I experienced them first-hand."

Nirenberg's first head coaching job came with the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas during the 2004 season. In his time there, the Eagle women set numerous offensive records, including the most goals for a season (38). Nirenberg returned to Chicago the following year and, in January of 2006, he accepted a position as an assistant coach for Division I Loyola University. He helped the 2006 Rambler men's team to an 11-7-2 record (the third most wins for a season in the school's history), a Horizon League championship, and their first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament.

"My time at the Ozarks was a good opportunity to get my feet wet as a head coach while, at the same time, learning the fundamentals of recruiting," said Nirenberg. "Loyola was a completely different situation in terms of going from a small-college program to a Division I program, but I had the opportunity to work with some very experienced coaches with a wealth of soccer knowledge. I appreciate the chance that I had to learn from them."

Nirenberg has also coached soccer for the Arlington Heights Park District and for that suburb's Elite Soccer organization. He has also served with Positive Coaching Alliance, a non-profit organization based at Stanford University. He holds a "C" level coaching license with the United States Soccer Federation.

Nirenberg is a 1995 graduate of Marquette University where he earned degrees in education and sociology with a minor in social studies.