Jay Vidovich remembers a lot from his first season as an assistant men's soccer coach at Wake Forest, especially the Water Tower Field where the team once practiced and played.
"I remember cutting the lawn on that field, because then I'd have to line the field," said Vidovich, who started with the Deacons in 1986. "I remember having to replace the nets or the goals if they got stolen, and I'd have to keep the dogs off the field as well because if I didn't, well.…"
Vidovich also recalls how close the school band and the soccer team were to each other at practices.
"We'd sometimes hit the tuba player with an errant shot in practice," he said. "A lot has changed."
Vidovich, now 50, took over as the head coach in 1994, after the untimely death of his mentor, Walt Chyzowych.
He has come a long way since, compiling a 225-87-31 record. He also led the Deacons to the NCAA championship in 2007, has taken teams to the past four College Cups -- college soccer's final four -- and has former players spread throughout professional soccer.
"I thought I'd be here about four years as an assistant and then I'd move on," Vidovich said.
But over the past 24 years, Vidovich and his family -- wife, Julie, and daughters, Zoe and Tess -- have become fixtures in the community. Vidovich said he isn't moving anytime soon, unless Athletics Director Ron Wellman decides differently.
Wake Forest will open its season today, playing Seton Hall at 7 p.m. at Bryan Park in Greensboro, and will play Akron in its Spry Stadium opener at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Vidovich will field one of his youngest teams in years -- goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald is the lone senior -- but it isn't a team without talent.
Still, because of the loss of four key players and a lack of experience, the Deacons were picked fourth in the ACC preseason coaches poll, even though they're ranked between No. 3 and No. 7 in various national polls.
"You have to look at the amount of starts some of our guys have had," Vidovich said. "Akira has 50 starts and is a fifth-year senior, but not a lot of others have started that many games, and our sophomores or juniors have around 20 to 30 starts and that's it."
Only one of last season's top five scorers returns, sophomore Andy Lubhan (10 goals). The other four -- Corben Bone, Austin da Luz, Ike Opara and Zack Schilawski -- combined for 26 goals and 27 assists, and all were picked in Major League Soccer's Super Draft. Also gone, after transferring, are Chris Estridge (Indiana) and Nick Millington (Elon).
Joining Lubhan among the veterans are defenders Anthony Arena, Kyle Adams and Danny Wenzel -- who missed last season after major knee surgery and still isn't 100 percent, according to Vidovich -- and midfielder Luke Norman.
Midfielders Sam Redmond, Luciano Delbono and Ben Newnam will have increased roles and will be asked for more production.
The Deacons also signed one of the nation's top recruiting classes and will bring in Jared Watts, Tolani Ibikunle, Luca Gimenez, Chris Duvall and Ross Tomaselli.
"Jared Watts and Chris Duvall have been going well, and Luca Gimenez has also showed some good play," Vidovich said of the preseason. "Another player we are trying to figure out is Ross Tomaselli, who has made every team he has played for in the junior circuit."
Bone and Opara were the ACC's offensive and defensive players of the year last season, but solid team play might be the most important component this season.
"I think it's the entire team," Vidovich said. "We have to have a tremendous team effort. The way Corben (Bone) and Austin (da Luz) said it was true --the names change but the style is the same….
"If we can continue to grow and handle the rigors of a long season, I feel pretty good about how it might go."
jdell@wsjournal.com
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