After the satisfaction of a 1-0 win at Xavier in the final match of the season faded, the Creighton women’s soccer program was charged with addressing the reality of four straight sub-standard seasons.
Each year saw the Bluejays drift further away from being considered for the NCAA Tournament despite great facilities and support from the athletic department. All of that led to the decision of head coach Bruce Erickson to officially resign his post on Tuesday morning after 16 years at the helm.
“I forget who had the quote, it might have been Larry Brown or Bill Parcells, or somebody talking about when the wins aren’t enjoyable anymore you know that you need a new challenge,” Erickson said from his office across the way from Morrison Stadium.
There Erickson sat, going through old files as he explained all of the things that he felt contributed to his decision to step down, his phone buzzing throughout the interview. Sixteen seasons of memories ran through his head as he talked about the growth of the program over the years. A program he took over in 1999. After he two losing seasons in his first two years on the job, he took the Bluejays to the NCAA Tournament three times in the five seasons that followed.
In 2010, the Bluejays had their best season in school history winning a school-record 15 matches, including a 2-1 overtime win against Illinois State at Morrison Stadium in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game.When that team was brought up he spoke fondly of what they were able to accomplish and what made that group special.
“We had probably the best leader that I’ve ever coached, men or women, in Claire Zach,” Erickson said. “She just had a way of leading the group where everybody bought in. Nobody wanted to let anybody down. We had four seniors, two didn’t play. Two that in their younger years were a little bit more outspoken, but their level of buy-in during their senior year was fantastic. I think that shut up some that otherwise might have said something, but took their lead and thought ‘hey, these two are busting their butt every day and they’re not playing, but they’re being good soldiers.'”
Brittney Neumann, Valley Player of the Year, is hurt heading into the NCAA Tournament (WBR/Adam Streur)
Things started to come unraveled towards the end of the 2011 season. It began with an 8-1 loss at Illinois State in the regular season finale and carried over to 2012 with a 0-6-0 finish in their last season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. In 2013, it only got harder for Erickson and the Bluejays to produce. Playing in a loaded Big East Conference they lost their final five matches of the season, scoring only one goal over that span, to finish 2-6-1 in conference play. They followed that up with a 2-5-2 Big East finish this year after opening the season to a school record 7-0-0 start.
Despite that great start, Erickson said that they were having conversations prior to the season that teams shouldn’t be having in regards to consistent effort.
“In three months a lot goes on, but it felt like, you know we’re having conversations after the Missouri State exhibition that you don’t necessarily have during entire seasons, you know about showing up and working hard, and playing for each other, and those kinds of things,” he said. “It’s there. The group that can be successful is there. I think I just realize that it’s going to have to be another voice that gets through to them.”
Sophomore forward Lauren Sullivan, who was honored with an All-Big East Second Team selection a few hours after learning of her head coach’s decision to step down, understood that a change needed to be made and agreed with the only collegiate head coach she has played for: with the current roster and facilities at their disposal there is no excuse to continue underachieving.
“I was a little taken aback. I didn’t expect that if changes were going to be made that they would be this close to the end of the season, but I feel like all of us our kind of looking forward to change and mixing things up after two underachieving seasons,” Sullivan said.
“[Erickson] thanked us for being a part of the program and talked about how regardless of him being here or us being here the program is still going to be here, and it’s bigger than all of us. He sort of challenged us to renew the program into something more successful, and I feel like all of us are on board for that,” Sullivan said.
“I 100% believe that with all of the facilities and the players at a coach’s disposal I feel like there is potential with our team and with some of the things at our disposal to turn this into a really great program.”
Erickson said don’t expect this to be the end of his coaching career. He says the competitive fire still burns inside despite the way his tenure at Creighton ended. He will get on with the next phase of his coaching career at some point, but for now he just wants to catch up on some stress-free family time with his three children, Emma (18), Olivia (15), and Noah (13).
“One of the things that I told the team today that has been hard is that both of my daughters — one is a freshman in college and the other is in 10th grade and a cheerleader — and my son is big into football and basketball, and I haven’t seen her cheer in two years and I’ve caught two football games out of 12 for my son. One was last Sunday, so I’m going to take some time to give them attention and then I’ll figure out what I’m going to do,” Erickson said.
“They get it, they understand. There is some uncertainty for them, but they understand that coaching is a whole different animal and that dad’s gone a lot or that dad is stressed out a lot. I think taking that time to be with them on their terms and not as a stress reliever will be good.”
The search for Erickson’s replacement is expected to begin immediately, but no timetable has been given on when a new hire will be made.