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Coaching can be very strenuous and that’s why it’s always a good thing to relax with a heaping bowl of pasta.
The Northern Star was able to catch up with NIU men’s soccer head coach Eric Luzzi after a game for a look back to his past.
Northern Star: You were married in May and became new head coach in July; was this the best summer of your life?
Eric Luzzi: Probably. It was pretty special. The whole marriage thing: Most people never thought I’d ever get married, probably myself included. So the fact it actually happened was a big deal.
And as much as I loved working for Coach [Steve] Simmons for the last three years, you also get the itch to be the head coach. The fact that those two things happened within two months of each other is pretty cool.
NS: How tough is it to balance coaching with trying to get your master’s?
EL: To be honest, I’ve put it on the back burner. I’ve done all my coursework and all I need to do is write a 30-page paper. If I set my mind to it, I can get that done in a weekend. It’s just a matter of finding a weekend that I can commit to it.
NS: Has it always come that easy to you that you can finish a 30-page paper in a weekend?
EL: Well I’m talking about a full weekend. I’m talking about like 30 hours – 10, 12 hours a day and just crank it out. I’ve done all the coursework, and I have a lot of other papers that I will draw info from. It’s just a matter of putting stuff together.
NS: If you were in your prime as a keeper right now, could any of your players score on you?
EL: Taking shots on me, like in a drill, yes. If I were behind a team in an 11 vs. 11 scrimmage, no chance.
NS: Not even Brad [Horton]?
EL: No. No chance.
NS: Was it tougher as a young player to have your dad as a soccer coach?
EL: It was not the easiest thing to have him as my coach because he was my high school coach for three years. That was not easy because nobody’s ever 100 percent happy with a coach. So you’d go back to the locker room and guys are bashing the coach and it’s like “Hey, that’s my dad.”
So it wasn’t the easiest playing for him, but I like the fact that I was around a coach. I think it just gave me a different eye for the game.
NS: Any players from when you were a coach in the Olympic Development Program to make it big?
EL: A couple. I’ve trained Brad Guzan who is goalkeeper in the English Premier League. He’s probably the main one. There have been a couple of other guys that have come pretty close: guys that have been drafted, but maybe not quite made it.
NS: Besides soccer, what other sports or hobbies do you enjoy?
EL: If you ask my wife, she would say nothing. The closest thing I have to a hobby is cooking. I’m not that great at it.
NS: What’s your favorite dish?
EL: I have some pretty spectacular pasta dishes. Different kind of sauces and stuff like that.
NS: Any superstitions as a coach?
EL: Not really. Sometimes I may get into a bit of a routine where I might wear a certain pair of underwear or something if we’re on a bit of a streak.
NS: What is your favorite national and club team?
EL: National team is U.S. and club team would be Manchester United, of course.
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