In his 27th season at Duke, men's soccer head coach John Rennie is leading another successful campaign.
The eighth-ranked Blue Devils have amassed a 7-1-1 record and are in second in the ACC, behind Virginia. Duke is unbeaten in its last five games, and it has outscored its opponents 16-5 during that stretch.
Rennie, who became the sixth-winningest coach in Division I history with the team's win over Temple Sept. 24, is no stranger to this sort of success.
Several players said their coach's reserved demeanor is a signature of his coaching style, but that he also demands discipline and unwavering effort from his players on the field.
"Him not saying a lot lets you get comfortable," freshman Mike Grella said. "You know he has confidence in you, so it makes you a better player."
Having led the program to its only national championship in 1986, Rennie has stuck to his calm approach to coaching-a strategy that has allowed players to make the most of their abilities. During his tenure at Duke, he has coached 27 All-Americans, five of whom have earned the Hermann Trophy, given annually to the national collegiate player of the year.
"By not saying a lot you are forced to deal with adversity on the field and overcome it on your own," junior co-captain Chris Loftus said.
Rennie has established a strong soccer tradition at Duke, which began in just his second season in Durham. Starting six freshmen, the Blue Devils upset Clemson, which had not lost a league game in nine years.
"Beating them that year at home and winning the ACC Championship in 1980 was certainly the foundation for what has come after that," Rennie said.
All the players are cognizant of the program's rich tradition under Rennie and several admitted it was a major factor in their decisions to come to Duke.
"The guy has been around forever and he knows the game," Loftus said. "That was definitely the main thing that attracted me."
After six successful seasons as the head coach of Columbia, Rennie was lured to Durham in 1979 by the balance between athletics and academics at Duke.
"Duke wants to be the best in everything it does and that's what attracted me to the university," Rennie said.
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