BOCA RATON, Fla. – Lynn University Director of Athletics Kristen Moraz announced the hiring of Chip Dutchik as the new women’s soccer coach on Monday. Dutchik becomes just the third coach in program history, following in the footsteps of former national championship coaches Jim Blankenship and Rocky Orezzoli. Dutchik arrives in Boca after serving the last three years as assistant coach for NCAA Division I Missouri State. During his time with the Bears, they went 26-27-6, reached the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference twice and saw 23 players earn All-MVC honors.
I asked Chip about the decision and the timing, here is his response:
My first day at Lynn is April 13. I am very excited about the opportunity to be able to be apart of a program with such a great tradition. It was a very tough decision I love it here and really like working for Coach Brewer. The ladies on the team are awesome and that made it even tougher, telling them was one of the worst things that I have ever had to do. We also have a very good recruiting class coming in. This was a decision that I needed to make for my family Maddie is still very young and if we can knock out the moves before she gets into school is important to us. Like I said earlier Lynn is a very good school with a great academic and athletic tradition, 18 national championships for the athletic department. The campus and the facilities are beautiful and Lynn is located in Boca Raton Florida 3 miles from the beach. I will still recruit out of the Midwest and Springfield. The soccer in this area is very good and I know the players and how they have been trained.
Dutchik inherits a program which has claimed four national championships in its history but has not reached the NCAA tournament since 2000. From 1991, LU’s first post season appearance, to 1998, Lynn’s last national championship, the Blue & White averaged 19 wins and under two losses. Last season the Fighting Knights posted a 10-6-2 record and qualified for the Sunshine State Conference Tournament for the third consecutive year.
Lynn has plenty of potential for 2009 with seven starters returning, including SSC Freshman of the Year Melissa Ortiz and All-SSC defender Mindy DeCara. The Knights also get back midfielder Brittany Evernden, who missed 2008 with an injury. The team plays in the Sunshine State Conference, and compete in Division II of the NCAA.
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Congratulations on your new position, Chip. We will miss you in Springfield, but I know you will do well at Lynn. Make sure you keep plenty of sun screen on Maddie at the beach! Best of Luck in your future.
Chip — best of luck to you, sir. MSU team camp won’t be the same without you. Who is going to talk to my team about not spray painting the cobblestone (brick?) road by Freddy? Do well.