UNCP's Schaeffer Announces Retirement After 30 Years

PEMBROKE – After a storied 30-year career in Pembroke in which he transformed the UNCP men’s soccer team into not only a legitimate contender at the conference and regional levels, but also a player on the national stage, Mike Schaeffer announced his retirement from coaching on Thursday morning.

Schaeffer, who joined the UNCP athletic family prior to the 1980 season, cited the desire to spend more time with his family, including his mother, wife and 12-year-old son. The decision will become effective May 31.

“Coaching is a very wearing vocation, but one that has brought many rewards,” Schaeffer said. “I have very much enjoyed working alongside the numerous coaches at UNCP, as well as members of the athletic department staff, that I have had the opportunity to call colleagues over the years. I owe a lot of gratitude to (former UNCP athletic directors) Lacey Gane and Ray Pennington, as well as Dan Kenney who recruited me to be a soccer coach at UNCP back in 1980.

“I anticipate being able to spend a lot more time with my son, Ethan, and helping him continue to develop as a man and I look forward to being able to visit my 85-year-old mother in Spartanburg on a more regular basis, as well as enjoying more time with my wife at her parents’ place down at Ocean Isle.”

The owner of more than 225 career victories at his current stop, Schaeffer concludes his stellar coaching career with a 231-242-35 record and has taken three clubs to the NCAA postseason, including the 2004 squad that advanced all the way through to the Final Four. His career victories mark currently ranks 16th among the NCAA’s active coaches. He led the Braves to 13 winning seasons during his tenure, including the 2003 club that posted a program-best 17-1-2 mark. He has led the Braves to a handful of national rankings, as well as numerous rankings in the region poll over the years as well.

“Mike Schaeffer will not be easily replaced,” said UNCP athletic director Dan Kenney. “He has always been a man of character and a possessed a genuine concern for students. UNC Pembroke has been blessed to have him associated with our University for 30 years.

In addition to five all-American laurels, 35 Braves have earned all-conference laurels under Schaeffer’s tutelage with two of those athletes – Stephen Ademolu (2001) and Christian Staackman (2005) – taking home the PBC Freshman of the Year award as well. A total of 26 of his players have earned all-PBC Tournament laurels, with UNCP earning PBC Player of the Week accolades on 30 occasions under his watch.

Off the playing field, his teams have been just as successful with four players earning academic all-America laurels and three others taking home academic all-region honors. A total of 58 players have earned the distinction of being placed on the PBC Academic Honor Roll, with 23 of those student-athletes earning the league distinction in multiple seasons.

“I will always remember (former Brave) Gonzales Suarez’s mom hugging his diploma on graduation day because I don’t think either she, or Gonzales’s dad, was ever really certain he would graduate from college,” Schaeffer said. “Not only did he graduate, but he also became a 3.0 student. This is a kid that struggled before he came to college, and then he struggled during his first year here, but he became a secret student and would get up at 2 a.m. and study when nobody else was awake. That is a success story.

“I’ve always tried to make sure players knew the right way to do things and the importance of trying hard and persevering. I have always taught sportsmanship as well. Those types of things are very important and part of my memory in the last 30 years.”

Although his schedule will free up quite a bit, the enthusiastic mentor already has some plans for his retirement as well.

“I am not ready to be a complete idler,” he said. “I am only 58 and that is a little too young to be completely retired. I’ve got a deck to repair, I’ve got painting jobs to do around the house and you’d be surprised at how long a ‘honey-do’ list can grow to be over a 30-year span.”