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Oz Bakirdan has been coaching soccer since he was just 17 years old, and his dedication has paid off. He was recently named head coach of the women's soccer team at Illinois Wesleyan University. This is what he had to say about his view on starting a new head coaching position, how athletes can adapt to coaching changes, and advice for athletes in the recruiting process.

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2aDays: What is your coaching history?

Coach Bakirdan: I've been coaching since I was 17. Started out coaching youth kids for Morton Park District which led me to travel soccer. I started that when I was about 19 and did that for about 5 years and then was asked to coach a local high school which I did for about another 5 years until I was about 29. Then I was asked to coach at Illinois Central College when they started a new men's program and I was asked to apply. I coached there for 22 years until most recently when I just accepted a position at Illinois Wesleyan University for the women's soccer program.

2aDays: How do you view players, coming in as a new coach, do you do research on the players specifically before preseason?

Coach Bakirdan: I like to come in with a clean slate and a fresh start. I try not to judge them on the past. My philosophy is everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves. I come in with one-on-one meetings with my players and let them know that no one has a starting position and we start from there and everyone has a chance to earn it. So far it has been very well accepted by the players

2aDays: Did you have your incoming freshman class already recruited or did

you do recruiting of your own? How does that affect your plans for the first year?

Coach Bakirdan: When I first got the position there were 4 players that were already committed and I started recruiting and picked up 3 more so we are bringing a recruiting class of 7. I believe a recruiting class of 7 or 8 is ideal, I don't want a roster size of more than about 30/32 spots. With 11 players it's very difficult to have a roster bigger than that and it's not fair to the players either to have bigger than that because they are gonna have a hard time getting on the field.

Related: Rate Illinois Wesleyan University

2aDays: What are you looking for most in the players as you enter a new job and new school?

Coach Bakirdan: I look for players that are team-oriented, not selfish. I like players that are technical and that style of play. I like the ball and playing it around. I am not a fan of kicking it long and chasing it–you don't need soccer players for that, just athletes. That's just not my style. [I prefer] very technical players that can build out of the back. Honestly, I don't even ask my goalies to punt the ball, I'd much rather them roll it out the back, so my goalie has to be technical also. 

It's the same with my recruits. I also look at their attitudes whether it's a foul they don't agree with or their overall behavior when they are winning or losing or even their demeanor when they come off the field and are subbed off. I think it's important that their character is just as important as your ability, I'm not trying to recruit assholes so I recruit players that want to be part of a team. It's a team success so they can't be more worried about individual success. For players, maybe that means they are coming off the bench for 10-15 minutes a half and they give maximum effort, and it's that body language and how they react to each other. I want my players to care about each other and love each other, If you have that philosophy, I think you will be very successful.

2aDays: What would your advice be for any college athletes who go through a coaching change?

Coach Bakirdan: I would say keep an open mind. A new coach is probably going to come in with new philosophies and a new style of play, maybe even a different lineup. I like to play a 4-1-4-1 because I want to control the midfield and then the other team can't score. That's my philosophy so players need to understand they might have to adapt and coaches have to adapt too. 

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Sometimes as a coach, you might not have the players when you come into a program to play the exact style you want. I think there is give and take on both sides, but players and coaches both have to have an open mind. Sometimes a player that hasn't played much before now all of sudden has a big role and vice versa. It's a give and takes and players have to be able to adapt to that. If they care about the team's success over their individual success they will accept that. The worst thing for a team is a selfish player who only cares about themselves and their stats. They didn't work hard so it's easy to see when they are around people who do and what they are doing when no one is around.

2aDays: How do you personally like to recruit players and does this change with different schools?

Coach Bakirdan: It's a little different for different schools, it just depends. From my standpoint, I like the same type of players, I want the very technical player that can control with his first touch and is always looking to connect passes. So when I recruit players I like to see them actually play because in highlight videos there is never a mistake. It's great to see their best but on the other end, you have to see them in a match and see their behavior and the mistakes that are made. I tell my players all the time that no one plays a perfect game. 

Everyone makes mistakes. It's how you react to them that determines the type of player and teammate you are and that's crucial when looking at recruits.

2aDays: When recruiting, do you need to see the athlete play in person before giving an offer?

Coach Bakirdan: I don't think I would give an offer just off an online connection. I like to see a full game, not just highlights. I have offered without seeing a full game in person but that's only done from recommendations from another coach or a former player of mine that knows the standard we are looking for and knows the quality of players. So if it comes from a peer or former player that's trying to send a player to my school, I do put a lot of weight behind that because obviously, they want to see my success from a team of mine so they will not send me a player that won't be able to contribute. If it's someone I don't know, I would like to see them but I do give a lot of weight to recommendations from those peers and former players.

Image Credit: IWU Athletics

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* Originally published on August 1, 2022, by Scott Abramson