In 2017 Billy Dale reached out to former Longhorn soccer coach Dang Pibulvech – Below are the results of that contact.

Each program he led, except for his first two, faced the typical challenges of a start-up. He learned that building a successful program takes more than coaching skills—it demands strong people skills and the ability to adapt. His aggressive style with players, lack of finesse with parents, limited understanding of what motivates American athletes, rocky communication with the athletic department, poor media instincts, his efforts to quell angry fans, and his impatience were all traits ill-suited to launching a team. Without these qualities, his career became a roller coaster of small highs and big lows, and eventually, Texas let him go from his coaching role.

Still, Coach Pibulvech at 49 was one of the all-time winningest women’s soccer coaches in NCAA history. He ranks 18th on the NCAA’s list for career victories with a record of 197-155-23 in 20 seasons as a head coach. During his collegiate career, Pibulvech led his teams to six NCAA Final Four appearances, nine NCAA Tournaments, and has coached 25 Division I All-Americans. Pibulvech was a three-time West Region and two-time Central Region Coach of the Year as awarded by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). When he was hired by Tulsa near the end of his coaching career, the administration stated that “He is a very committed and genuine person, who will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge of the game to our team. Dang understands what it takes to win and compete for a national championship because he has done that at the highest level.

In 2017, TLSN asked Dang to share his Longhorn story. He did! His coaching career captures the highs and lows of starting three different Division I soccer teams from scratch- Washington, Texas, and Nevada.
He did not do well at Texas, and he concedes that point. However, he delivered an important message to all who coach.
It took him years to understand that losing does not dictate self-worth and intrinsic character. Instead, he said, “No coach should gauge their success in winning on a once-in-a-lifetime national championship, but instead should gauge their success in building a program that gives the team a lifetime of chances to win the national title.”

Texas golf Coach Pat Weis agreed with Coach Pibulvech when she says “Winning simply cannot be your only goal. One team and only one team wins.” No wiser statement could ever be made.

Billy Dale interviews Pibulvech

On April 28th 2017, I made Facebook contact with Dang Pibulvech. He recently suffered a stroke and his ability to talk and walk was impaired, but he can type. He used my inquiries about his years at Texas to cleanse his soul of some past demons. He said “he still loves Texas” and has great sorrow he did not accomplish his goals to make Longhorn soccer great. His quote, not mine, is that he was the “WRONGHORN”.

He said that the interaction with athletic administrations, alumni, parents, players, and fans was almost impossible to reconcile.

“I have had great leaders and marginal bosses. My greatest leaders were Richard Taber and Dr. Dan Dugan in Reno; they recognized my talent and let me get on with my task, without micro-managing. Athletes were different, even among the kids at one place; they were different from the others! Some athletes were well promoted because college coaches had to satisfy their egos and bragging rights, some coaches played the blame game, and, unfortunately, they had people who lent them an ear. It’s too bad, but part of the process! Our kids had to build themselves; they were nobody and had to earn their reputation. We coached these kids long before they represented Longhorns or Huskies.

Recently, TLSN received word that Texas’s first NCAA soccer coach has serious health issues. One of his friends contacted TLSN and said:
“Some sad news to share with you all. Dang is in a sad state. He is bedridden and has lost most of his mobility. He can’t walk, sit up, or use his arms and hands.” He lives in squalor conditions in a small room with a live-in caregiver.
TLSN offered to help him financially, but no one from his family or friends ever responded to our offer. I understand that his family used GoFundMe to raise money to assist Dang.

Texas was a great place full of competition among the inner cycle, Unfortunately, I was a “WRONGHORN.” I wished and wanted it to be different. After returning to Thailand, I did keep up with the NCAA Championship, and assume Texas has never won it. I hope they will soon. Gives me reasons for joy! My oldest was a Longhorn, my youngest was born in Austin! Proud to have been a part of the growing pain process

Pibulvech was lured from Colorado College, a liberal-arts school with an enrollment of 1,900 that offered women’s soccer at the NCAA Division I level. In his eight seasons as head coach there, the Tigers advanced to seven NCAA tournaments, making it into the Final Four four times. Overall, his teams finished second in the nation four times.

Kit Green, UW senior associate athletic director, said Pibulvech was the obvious choice as coach.

“Next to Anson Dorrance of (perennial powerhouse) North Carolina, he’s probably the top collegiate coach in the country,” Green said.

The son of a Thai Army officer assigned to embassy duty, Pibulvech grew up in many Far East countries. In Bangkok, the city Pibulvech calls home, soccer was so popular that developers relied on the pounding feet of soccer-crazed youth to pack landfills before construction.

Because he never learned to speak Thai and attended only English-speaking schools, he came to the U.S. at 16. He played at Columbia University in New York and transferred to Columbia (Mo.) College, while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in art.

Pibulvech describes his coaching style, first exhibited as an assistant coach at Columbia College

Pibulvech and the players have considered this season a time for adjustment. He said most American players learned the game largely through skill drills, a coaching technique he rejects.

“I come from a street-soccer background, and I think there’s a lot of things the kids are learning that are too structured,” he said.

“Training drills don’t have to be fun for kids to learn. They just have to be effective, constructive and challenging.

“I’m very picky about how they receive balls in certain locations on their body and on the field. I’m very detailed.”

Jensen said the players are slowly adapting to Pibulvech’s style and are eager for next season.

“I’ve learned more from him this season than I’ve learned in my entire life – all my coaches put together,” she said. “I think the commitment’s there on both sides, from him as coach and us as players, to drive ourselves to be the best in the nation.”

MAKING HIS MARK. .

Dang Pibulvech’s is 187-61-18 (.754) in his 15-year collegiate varsity head-coaching career.

The breakdown:. . . 1978 Central Methodist # 8-8-2. .

1979 Central Methodist # 3-8-0. .

1980 Central Methodist # 6-7-2. . 1980 Central Florida 16-2-2. .

1981 Central Florida 11-3-0. .

1982 Central Florida 12-1-2. .

1983 Colorado College 14-0-2. .

1984 Colorado College 14-4-1. .

1985 Colorado College 16-5-0. .

1986 Colorado College 17-4-1. .

1987 Colorado College 15-3-1. .

1988 Colorado College 14-3-1. .

1989 Colorado College 16-4-0. .

1990 Colorado College 16-3-2. .

1991 Washington # # 9-6-2. .

Pibulvech has an impressive resume’ and gained a reputation as a builder of college soccer programs as an assistant and head coat at

• Central Methodist College in Fayette, Mo (1978-1980),

• Central Florida (1981-1983),

• Colorado College (1983-1991),

• Washington Huskies (1991-1994),

• Texas (1994-1999),

• Tulsa ?????

• and Nevada.2000-04.

His most impressive years as a coach were during his nine-year career at Colorado College. During those years, he led the program to eight consecutive NCAA post-season tournaments and advanced to the NCAA Final Four on four occasions. In 1986 and 1989, his team finished as the national runner-up. The Tigers were ranked as high as second in the nation from 1987 to 1991. During this period, Pibulvech served as the Regional Head Coach for the United States Soccer Federation Girls’ West Regional Olympic Development Program (1988-1991). Pibulvech also served as an assistant coach to the U.S. Women’s National Team at the U.S. Olympic Festival Games and Pre-World Championship European Tour in 1991.

By Melanie Jackson

ESPN.com

In 2000, Melanie Jackson of ESPN said Pibulvech was “one of college soccer’s greatest coaching icons”.

Dang Pibulvech, who led Colorado College to the NCAA title game in 1986 and 1989 and once served as an assistant coach for the U.S. women’s national team, is one-third of the way through the inaugural season at Nevada, where the women’s soccer team is off to a 2-5 start.

Although the Wolf Pack are currently riding a two-game losing streak and has been outscored 19-9 in their young season, Pibulvech welcomes the challenge of launching a new program.

“I have always considered myself a teacher and a coach,” said Pibulvech, who brought a 186-96-21 all-time record to Nevada. “It doesn’t matter if I’m building a new program; I just look forward to teaching kids to play soccer the right way.”

Starting from scratch is old hat for Pibulvech. After leading Colorado College to eight consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, Pibulvech headed to Seattle, where he headed up Washington’s inaugural class in 1991. In three seasons under Pibulvech, the Huskies played some of the toughest schedules in the country and, at one point, reached No. 8 in the national polls.

Pibulvech left UW after the 1993 season to help start the program at Texas, where he spent five seasons (1994-98) before resigning.

Pibulvech’s résumé extends internationally as well. After spending several years as a coach within the Olympic Development program, he was eventually named head coach for Region IV, which encompasses the 14 western states. Pibulvech also had a couple stints as an assistant coach for the women’s national team when Anson Dorrance was the U.S. coach.

Still, Pibulvech is perhaps best known for his collegiate success at Colorado College, where he was hired for his first head coaching job after three seasons as an assistant at Central Florida. In 1983, five years after Colorado College’s program attained varsity status — and just two seasons after scholarships were first allocated — Pibulvech took over the Tigers, and quickly produced an unbeaten season as CC went 14-0-2.

A year later, the Tigers earned their first trip to the NCAA Tournament. Colorado College placed second in 1986 and 1989, suffering 2-0 losses to perennial powerhouse North Carolina in both finals.

Does Pibulvech miss those days?

“I miss them in terms of the quality of the teams and taking them to the Final Four, but there are a lot of coaches out there who are chasing something I’ve already caught,” he said. “Getting back to the Final Four is important to me, but I’m also patient enough to wait for my time to come around again, to build this program and to build it properly go get back there.

“And at the same time, having been there has humbled me. Not too many people have done it, and it has humbled me to know the reality of coaching on that level of success.”

But while there have been many highlights, Pibulvech has survived some bumps along the road as well. After leaving the Longhorns, a disheartened Pibulvech “stopped watching the game” for some time. It wasn’t until after spending last season at Colorado, where he assisted longtime friend Austin Daniels, that the coaching bug struck again.

“Spending time at CU was a big plus for me,” said Pibulvech, who helped the Buffaloes win the Big 12 championship last season. “The group of players there inspired me to continue.”

So far, the season is young at Nevada, but Pibulvech sees progress. For now, the Wolf Pack are a “50-50 mix” of scholarship players and walk-ons.

“We have some very good, quality people, and it’s nothing that time and recruiting won’t heal. It’s just a matter of process right now,” said Pibulvech, who has been allocated 12 scholarships. “If you ask me if we play good, effective and attractive soccer, I’d say we’re about 50 percent there.

“But the good part is that I’m blessed with people who want to learn,”

The best part, Pibulvech said, is that he enjoys every step of the way.

“I come to work happy every day, and I leave work even happier,” he said. “Starting some of these programs has made me a stronger and better coach. The challenge is there. And in the end, the rewards are much stronger.”

“And I’m able to build this team the way I see it needs to be done from all my past experiences. I have a good group of kids here, and for what it’s worth, they’re working hard.”

Sometimes when times are tough, its best to drop everything and just get away.

Texas coach Dang Pibulvech said his team will benefit greatly from last year’s brutal schedule that pitted the Longhorns against ten Top 20 teams.

“We may still be a relatively new program, but we’ve proven that we belong with the top teams,” he said. “We’ve been beaten by some of the best teams in the nation, but we have also beaten some of the best.”

Pibulvech said sophomore Katie Baruth has helped increase the intensity of the team’s play. Baruth, who transferred from Clemson this year, leads the team after three games with five assists.

Pibulvech said he takes great pride in the Longhorns’ unconventional style of play on both offense and defense.

“You are not going to find one player playing at one spot for long,” he said. “We like to see a lot of mobility.”

Texas forward Carol Finch, who led the team in shots, goals, assists and points last year, hasn’t missed a step. She has scored four goals in the Longhorns’ first two games.

“Carol is a naturally gifted scorer,” Pibulvech said. “Now she is playing even better with complement players like Katie.”