Pete Caringi, Men’s Soccer, Profiled in The Baltimore Sun for Excellent Coaching and Leadership

As the UMBC men’s soccer team gears up for another season, The Baltimore Sun featured Coach Pete Caringi for his excellent leadership of the Retrievers. Last year, Caringi led the team to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) College Cup and was named Division I Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

In the article, fellow coaches and UMBC men’s soccer alumni praised Caringi’s coaching skills and passion for the game. “He’s a coach that can get everything out of his players and you just want to give everything you have to win a game for him,” said Giuliano Celenza, who played for UMBC from 1999-2000 before joining the Baltimore Blast. Celenza described how Caringi not only coached him on the field but made sure that he finished his degree after he began playing professionally. Senior defender Zach Wenger agreed, saying, “He’s always staying on top of us in terms of UMBC soccer. He’s always making sure we’re getting the job done in the classroom, carrying ourselves the right way off the field and then all that translates onto the field.”

University of Maryland, College Park coach Sasho Cirovski admired how Caringi led the Retrievers to the NCAA College Cup. Calling Carinigi the “soccer mayor of Baltimore,” Cirovski said, “What Pete engineered at UMBC last year is going to be legendary because to win at Maryland, to win at Louisville, to win at Creighton and to win at Wake Forest — I mean that’s an unparalleled run in the history of college soccer.”

Although Caringi is excited to coach the team to another championship, he told The Sun that he values the relationships he has developed with his players and coaching staff more. “One of the things I’ve always told my players is this is more than you just coming to play for me,” he said. “That’s more rewarding than saying I’ve won championships but have no relationships with the guys. I’ve always cherished that part of it more than anything.”

Read “UMBC soccer coach Pete Caringi Jr. looks to top last year’s successful run” in the Baltimore Sun.

Tags: Athletics