The Notre Dame Women's Soccer team took part in the 2009 Women's College Cup Media Day.
Following a storied career at the NAIA level, Ken Nuber is in his fourth season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Notre Dame. Nuber came to South Bend in 2008 after 13 highly-successful seasons as the head women's soccer coach at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind.
An exceptionally-gifted game tactician and scout, Nuber has wasted little time in providing a positive impact on Notre Dame's fortunes. In his first three years under the Golden Dome, the Irish have posted a 68-7-3 (.891) record, winning the 2010 national championship, reaching the 2008 NCAA final and advancing to the 2009 NCAA Women's College Cup, in addition to winning three BIG EAST regular-season and two postseason championships.
Nuber also has developed a sharp eye for young talent, having helped Notre Dame line up nationally-ranked recruiting classes during each of his first three seasons, including 2010 Soccer America Freshman All-Americans Mandy Laddish (also an NSCAA third-team all-region and College Cup All-Tournament Team selection) and Kecia Morway, and 2010 third-team all-BIG EAST pick Elizabeth Tucker.
"I've known Ken for over a decade and I saw firsthand his work with the Saint Francis program," Irish head coach Randy Waldrum said. "I believe he is an up-and-coming coach with a bright future in our profession. His teams at Saint Francis were well-disciplined, organized, and tried to play the game in a way that fits our Notre Dame style. He is top class in his character and brings a wealth of head coaching experience to our staff. I'm extremely excited to have him on board, and look to have contribute to our continued success in every aspect of our program."
In 2008, Nuber helped the Irish to a spot in the NCAA title game and school-record 26 wins, including nine over National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Top 25 teams, highlighted by a regular-season sweep of Santa Clara, North Carolina and Duke.
A year later, Nuber's creativity and ingenuity played an important role in guiding Notre Dame back from an injury-ravaged 3-3-0 start with a 19-game unbeaten streak and the program's fourth consecutive College Cup appearance.
Last season, Nuber played a critical role in Notre Dame's historic six-match run to the national championship, preparing wildly-successful game plans for five wins over ranked teams (including four seeded clubs), punctuated by a dominating 4-1 win at North Carolina in the third round, and a clinical 1-0 victory over Stanford in the NCAA title match.
Nuber founded the Saint Francis women's soccer program in 1995 and amassed a 170-96-14 (.632) record with the Cougars, piloting them to six Mid-Central Conference (MCC) titles and eight NAIA regional tournament berths, including regional finals appearances in 2002 and 2007. He also coached four NAIA All-Americans and 27 NAIA honorable mention All-Americans, as well as five regional players of the year during his tenure. What's more, his 170 victories rank seventh on the NAIA all-time wins list.
A three-time MCC Coach of the Year and two-time regional coach of the year, Nuber worked hard to maintain a standard of excellence on and off the field at Saint Francis. His players won 34 NAIA Scholar-Athlete All-America honors in his 13 seasons, and the Cougars earned 10 consecutive NSCAA Team Academic Awards, with their 3.61 team grade-point average (GPA) in 2007 ranking fourth among collegiate programs at all levels of competition. In addition, Saint Francis was chosen to receive the 2007 NAIA Program of Character Award given for achievement in five categories: sportsmanship, respect, responsibility, servant leadership and integrity.
Nuber was one of the most respected coaches in the NAIA fraternity, having spent eight years on the NSCAA/NAIA Women's Coaches Association Executive Council, including a turn as the group's president from 2006-08. He also served seven years as chair of the NAIA All-America Committee, five years at the chair of the NAIA National Championship Selection Committee, four years as chair of the NAIA Scholar-Athlete All-America Selection Committee and three years as chair of the NSCAA/NAIA Coach of the Year Selection Committee.
Nuber also was an assistant coach with the Fort Wayne Fever of the United Soccer League's W-League in 2004, helping the Fever to an 11-3-1 record in their inaugural season and a second-place finish in the Midwest Division.
Nuber was involved with the Saint Francis athletics community for nearly two decades, beginning with his enrollment at the university and participation with the men's soccer program from 1989-92. He ranks second in school history for career goals (43) and points (100), and is among the school's all-time leaders in several other statistical categories.
In 1994, Nuber returned to his alma mater when he was tapped to lead the Cougar men's soccer program, compiling a 32-60-2 (.351) mark during five seasons at the helm. All told, he posted a combined record of 202-156-16 (.561) in 14 seasons coaching the men and women at Saint Francis.
Nuber also spent time as the head coach of the Saint Francis softball program from 2000-03, registering a 75-74 (.503) record and standing as the school's leader in career victories. One of the true legends in Cougar athletics history, he was inducted into the Saint Francis Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.
Born Oct. 3, 1970, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Nuber graduated from Saint Francis in 1993 with a bachelor of arts degree in communications and an area of concentration in business. He also has received a pair of coaching certifications from the NSCAA, having earned his national diploma in 1997 and his advanced national diploma in 1999.
He and his wife, Gina, are the proud parents of two children -- daughter Mya (7) and son Jayden (5).
