Mike Jeffries (soccer)
Encyclopedia
Michael Jeffries is a retired American
soccer player and current soccer coach. He was the 1983 Hermann Trophy
winner and played professionally in the North American Soccer League
and Major Indoor Soccer League
. Since an injury forced retirement in 1988, Jeffries has served as a coach with several teams including the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers of USISL and the Dallas Burn
(now FC Dallas) of Major League Soccer
. He is now an assistant coach with his alma mater, Duke University
. In 1984 and 1985, Jeffries earned three caps with the U.S. national team
.
, Jeffries attended Duke University
where he played on the men’s soccer team from 1980 to 1983. Jeffries was selected to represent the United States at the 1981 Maccabiah Games
in Israel
. In 1982, Duke went to the NCAA championship
before falling to Indiana University
in eight overtimes. In 1983, Jeffries was a first team All-American
and the 1983 Hermann Trophy
winner as the outstanding collegiate player of the year. Jeffries was a double major at Duke, earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and public policy. He later earned a master’s degree from Tulane University
.
of the North American Soccer League
(NASL), the final year of the league's existence. After the NASL folded, the Strikers moved to the Major Indoor Soccer League
(MISL). Jeffries remained with the Strikers and played with indoor soccer with them from 1984 to 1987. The Strikers released Jeffries in the fall of 1987 and he signed as a free agent with the Dallas Sidekicks
on October 20, 1987. He played thirty-three games of the 1987-1988 season before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament
and retiring from playing professionally. In 1993, he became a player-assistant coach with the Riverboat Gamblers of the USISL.
in a scoreless tie with Ecuador
on November 30, 1984. He played again, this time in a 2-0 loss to Canada
on April 2, 1985. His last game with the national team came two days later in a 1-1 tie with Canada.http://national.soccerhall.org/history/MNTAlltime_1980-89.htm
in New Orleans. After three years, he decided to return to soccer and founded the Lafreniere Select Soccer Program.
hired Jeffries away from the Gamblers. He spent the next three seasons as an assistant coach to Bob Bradley
, helping the team to the 1998 MLS championship and 1998 and 2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
titles. The Dallas Burn announced the hiring of Jeffries as the team’s new head coach on January 23, 2001.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/mls/news/2001/01/23/burn_coach/ He lasted two seasons before being fired on September 15, 2003, having compiled a 23-36-16 record (4-16-4 record in 2003) with the Burn.http://robots.cnnsi.com/soccer/mls/news/2003/dallasburn/ In 2008, Jeffries returned to the Chicago Fire as assistant coach.
(SMU) during the 2004 NCAA season. In 2005, Jeffries was named head coach at the University of the Incarnate Word
in San Antonio, Texas
.http://www.uiw.edu/news/newsarchiveS05.html#jeffries In his first and only season he led the Crusaders to the NCAA Division II National Tournament and a final ranking of 23rd in the nation. He was also named Heartland Conference Coach of the Year. In 2006, Jeffries came back to Duke as the men’s soccer team Associate Head Coach. After Duke head coach John Rennie retired, he was not given the place as his successor at Duke and so he left his alma mater for a job with the Chicago Fire.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player and current soccer coach. He was the 1983 Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...
winner and played professionally in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
and Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
. Since an injury forced retirement in 1988, Jeffries has served as a coach with several teams including the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers of USISL and the Dallas Burn
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
(now FC Dallas) of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. He is now an assistant coach with his alma mater, Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. In 1984 and 1985, Jeffries earned three caps with the U.S. national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
.
College
Born in Lynn, MassachusettsLynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
, Jeffries attended Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
where he played on the men’s soccer team from 1980 to 1983. Jeffries was selected to represent the United States at the 1981 Maccabiah Games
1981 Maccabiah Games
The 1981 11th Maccabiah Games brought 3,450 athletes to Israel from 30 nations.The 30-sports menu included rugby union, sailing and softball for the first time.New facilities for squash, wrestling, karate, and judo were introduced....
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. In 1982, Duke went to the NCAA championship
NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
The NCAA began conducting a Men's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1959 with an eight-team tournament. Currently, the tournament field consists of 48 teams...
before falling to Indiana University
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the athletic teams for the Bloomington campus of Indiana University . Athletic teams sponsored by IU Bloomington include cross country, track, baseball, golf, tennis, rowing, volleyball, soccer, football and basketball...
in eight overtimes. In 1983, Jeffries was a first team All-American
Division I First-Team All-American (soccer)
The Division I First-Team All-Americans are the best eleven U.S. college soccer players as selected by the NCAA.-1970–1983:From 1970 to 1983 the NCAA only named defenders and forwards in addition to one goalkeeper.-1983–present:...
and the 1983 Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...
winner as the outstanding collegiate player of the year. Jeffries was a double major at Duke, earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and public policy. He later earned a master’s degree from Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
.
Professional
After his graduation, Jeffries played one season with the 1984 Minnesota StrikersMinnesota Strikers
The Minnesota Strikers was an American professional soccer team located in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. The team played one season in the North American Soccer League and 4 seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League....
of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
(NASL), the final year of the league's existence. After the NASL folded, the Strikers moved to the Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
(MISL). Jeffries remained with the Strikers and played with indoor soccer with them from 1984 to 1987. The Strikers released Jeffries in the fall of 1987 and he signed as a free agent with the Dallas Sidekicks
Dallas Sidekicks
The Dallas Sidekicks were one of the longest operating professional soccer teams, either indoor or outdoor, in the United States, based in Dallas, Texas, and operating from 1984 until suspending operations following the 2004 season. The team was founded as a member of the original Major Indoor...
on October 20, 1987. He played thirty-three games of the 1987-1988 season before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
and retiring from playing professionally. In 1993, he became a player-assistant coach with the Riverboat Gamblers of the USISL.
National team
Jeffries played his first game with the U.S. national teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
in a scoreless tie with Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
on November 30, 1984. He played again, this time in a 2-0 loss to Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
on April 2, 1985. His last game with the national team came two days later in a 1-1 tie with Canada.http://national.soccerhall.org/history/MNTAlltime_1980-89.htm
Post-playing career
After retiring, Jeffries became a financial consultant with Smith BarneySmith Barney
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney is a retail brokerage joint venture between Morgan Stanley and Citigroup.On January 13, 2009, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup announced that Citigroup would sell 51% of Smith Barney to Morgan Stanley, creating Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, which was formerly a division of...
in New Orleans. After three years, he decided to return to soccer and founded the Lafreniere Select Soccer Program.
USISL
In 1995, Jeffries was elevated from assistant to head coach of the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers of the USISL. In his four seasons with the Gamblers, Jeffries compiled a 42-34 record.MLS
In 1998, the expansion Chicago Fire of Major Soccer LeagueMajor Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
hired Jeffries away from the Gamblers. He spent the next three seasons as an assistant coach to Bob Bradley
Bob Bradley
Robert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
, helping the team to the 1998 MLS championship and 1998 and 2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
titles. The Dallas Burn announced the hiring of Jeffries as the team’s new head coach on January 23, 2001.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/mls/news/2001/01/23/burn_coach/ He lasted two seasons before being fired on September 15, 2003, having compiled a 23-36-16 record (4-16-4 record in 2003) with the Burn.http://robots.cnnsi.com/soccer/mls/news/2003/dallasburn/ In 2008, Jeffries returned to the Chicago Fire as assistant coach.
NCAA
After being fired by the Burn, Jeffries remained in Dallas and served as a volunteer coach with Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
(SMU) during the 2004 NCAA season. In 2005, Jeffries was named head coach at the University of the Incarnate Word
University of the Incarnate Word
The University of the Incarnate Word is a private Catholic university located within the cities of San Antonio and Alamo Heights in Texas, United States....
in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
.http://www.uiw.edu/news/newsarchiveS05.html#jeffries In his first and only season he led the Crusaders to the NCAA Division II National Tournament and a final ranking of 23rd in the nation. He was also named Heartland Conference Coach of the Year. In 2006, Jeffries came back to Duke as the men’s soccer team Associate Head Coach. After Duke head coach John Rennie retired, he was not given the place as his successor at Duke and so he left his alma mater for a job with the Chicago Fire.