The little things mean a lot to Jeremy Fishbein.
When Fishbein came to UNM last year as an associate head coach, players took notice of his attention to detail — whether it was helping them understand their roles on the team or thinking about their conduct on and off the field.
Now, after being named the new men’s soccer head coach Friday, Fishbein plans to continue the progress the Lobos made late in the season. And that means taking care of the little things.
“He is really serious about what he does,” senior midfielder Junro Narita said. “He makes sure all the details are covered and players are on top of things.”
Senior midfielder Javier Carrasco said Fishbein stresses the importance of being organized in all facets of life.
“He keeps everyone focused,” Carrasco said. “He really focuses on professionalism and doing all the little things, like going to class, how we dress, what we wear, how we behave.”
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The Lobos struggled to a 3-11-1 record last season and a 0-6-1 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference mark. But Fishbein helped keep the team focused until it bore the fruits of its labor in the conference tournament.
There, UNM made a stunning run to win the tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, losing to Southern Methodist University in the second round.
“I think our dedication and discipline paid off over the course of the season,” Fishbein said. “They never went into a game not thinking they were going to win.”
Fishbein replaces the popular Klaus Weber, who spent 15 years at the helm. The new coach said he was surprised by Weber’s resignation earlier this month.
“I thought he was going to stay for one more year,” he said. “I guess some great opportunities came up for him and he thought it was a good time to leave.”
This is the third head-coaching job Fishbein has held. Before coming to UNM, he spent two years at the University of the Incarnate World, a Division II school in San Antonio, Texas.
At UIW, he compiled a 21-13-3 record. In 2000, the Crusaders spent four weeks in the Division II Top 10 rankings and ranked fifth in the Midwestern Region.
At his next stop, Div. II Ft. Lewis (Colo.) College, he had a 77-47-7 record and won four conference championships in seven seasons. In 1998-1999, his last Ft. Lewis team finished 13th in the nation in the Div. II polls and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Good times could be in store for the Lobos, who return a young squad with only two seniors and three juniors. Fishbein has a team full of potential, starting with a sophomore goalkeeper — Andrew Weber — who started every game as a freshman. Weber recorded five shutouts last season, including three in a row during the postseason. He also has two talented senior midfielders in Narita and Carrasco, who combined for eight of UNM’s 27 goals in 2001.
Fishbein also brings in perhaps the most heralded recruiting class in UNM history. The freshman class includes Brandon Moss, the 2001 New Mexico player of the year, and transfer Rickie Francis, the state’s 2000 player of the year.
The class is steep in New Mexico players, with incoming freshmen Ben Ashwill, Matt Chavez and junior transfer Josef Bachmeier.
Fishbein said the local players he recruited believe in his vision for the future of UNM, which includes becoming a national power.
“I think it’s everybody’s dream to play for the hometown team if it can provide an environment they want,” Fishbein said. “I think they believe in our vision and want to be a part of it.”
Part of that vision could be seen out on the playing fields in Germantown, Md., where seven current players and recruits took part in the United States Youth Soccer Association’s Under-18 national tournament. The tournament pits four teams against each other in a three-game, round-robin tournament. The top two teams face each other for the national championship on Sunday, July 28.
Six of the players, including Weber, Moss, Ashwill and Chavez, are competing with the CFC Bandidos team from Albuquerque. Lance Watson, an incoming freshman from Nederland, Texas, is playing for the Texans 83/84 Red team from Houston.
In opening games on Wednesday, the Bandidos were shutout by FD Delco Arsenal from Dowington, Penn., 2-0, while Watson’s team defeated NFC Vincere in Omaha, Neb. 2-1. The Texans 83/84 Red team will play the CFC Bandidos today at 10 a.m.
Fishbein said having his players in such a prestigious tournament competing against other skilled players is a good thing and it can help the freshmen make a faster transition from high school to college competition.
“They’re dealing with pressure, they’re playing against great players, so it definitely makes the transition easier,” Fishbein said.
