Fresno City College appointed the interim head coaching position to football assistant coach Rick Scheidt for football, and soccer assistant coach Nick Andersen for soccer.
Scheidt is a veteran of the program, being a part of the FCC football coaching staff for 30 years. He will serve as Interim Head Coach until a decision is made for the head coaching position on Aug. 1.
Scheidt felt acknowledged for his work and loyalty to the team when asked to take over as interim head coach.
“I was honored because I’m here and my philosophy is to serve students. With this position I’m doing it at a greater capacity, which is something I enjoy doing,” Scheidt said. “I enjoy the game and the relationships with the players I have for one or two years trying to make this experience a lasting memory for them.”
Andersen felt grateful to be trusted with this opportunity having more than 20 years apart of the coaching staff.
Photo courtesy of Nick Anderson posted on the FCC Men’s Soccer Instagram account on Jan. 23.
“Thank you for the opportunity to serve as the interim head coach for Fresno City Men’s soccer. It is greatly appreciated and a responsibility I do not take lightly. I am fully committed to leading and supporting the team during this transition,” Andersen said.
Scheidt was an offensive minded coach, and was taking advice working under Fresno State Head Coach Jim Sweeney, he spent years learning how to coach every position, a rare experience for modern day coaches. Now he feels like the man for the job knowing how to develop every position on the team.
Under previous head coaches, Andersen learned many important tactical strategies on top of how the team operates during practice and gameday. While the soccer specific details are important he believes some of his best coaching lessons have been dealing with situations outside the pitch.
“Some of the best lessons learned from my past experiences is a lot of the things not necessarily seen on the field. Some of the intangible things of leading by example just acting like a good human being. Helping these kids out, a lot of these kids come from different backgrounds some struggling in life some not, just being there for them and helping them out in many different ways. Those are a lot of the times the biggest lessons learned,“ Andersen said.
Andersen has been focused on recruiting. He’s making sure players stay at FCC as well as bringing new players in. He’s checking that his players remain eligible to play, figuring out rosters and looking into fundraising. His schedule remains hectic, and he said the job is harder than it looks, but he remains excited for the task at hand.
The most rewarding part of Scheidt’s time coaching is seeing his players move on and succeed in life. He hopes their takeaways from their time playing allows them to be stable and accountable men.
He is proud of the program’s retention rate, loyal community and to be a part of the team as the potential new head coach.
“Of the 67 freshmen that joined the team last year, only one player left. They enjoy being here and working hard to help the team succeed. The team is in good hands until a head coach is decided. Hopefully it’s me and if not, I’m still here,” Scheidt said.