After guiding the Messiah men's soccer program to six national championships and leading perhaps the greatest Division III program of all time, coach Dave Brandt is resigning from his position at Messiah after 12 years, the school announced Tuesday, Dec. 23.
Brandt departs to become the men's soccer head coach at the United States Naval Academy, taking over a Division I program after amassing a 246-26-12 win-loss record during his tenure with the Falcons.
"This is certainly the hardest decision I've ever had to make," Brandt said. "The opportunity at the Naval Academy is one of very few I'd even consider. Though Navy and Messiah are different institutions, the emphasis on principles and values at both places makes them similar in many ways. I am excited for the chance to coach at a Division I institution where things like that are important and a part of who they are."
A 1985 Messiah graduate, Brandt led the Falcons' program to unparalleled levels of success, guiding the team to its sixth national title in the last nine years this fall. His overall winning percentage (.887) ranks first all-time in NCAA men's soccer history, while Messiah's six national titles and 52 NCAA post-season wins are NCAA Division III records.
"Dave symbolizes what Messiah athletics wants to be," said Jerry Chaplin, Messiah director of athletics. "His numbers and his records are such that, clearly, the men's soccer program is all about ‘pursuing athletic excellence.' His mark is all over the program, from recruiting young men who are institutional fits as well as outstanding soccer players, to having a plan to accomplish some difficult goals, to winning national championships six different years. Beyond that, though, Dave has been fully committed to ‘developing Christian character,' as he has led by consistent example and mentored our men into becoming mature Christian leaders. What this program has accomplished is a tribute to the character that this coach and, more importantly, this person has displayed."
Brandt arrived on Messiah's campus in the summer of 1977, the year his father, H. David Brandt, began working as the school's academic dean. He attended nearby Mechanicsburg High School before enjoying a stellar four-year playing career for the Falcons — scoring 55 goals and dishing out 35 assists (the latter of which remains as the program's all-time record). Following graduation, Brandt took over the reins of Messiah's junior varsity men's soccer program for three years, then worked under longtime head coach Layton Shoemaker for the next nine years as the top assistant coach.
Brandt accepted the head coaching position following Shoemaker's retirement in 1996, and immediately started to build on a solid foundation. Messiah qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of Brandt's years at the helm, slowly building to the school's first NCAA National Championship in 2000. Brandt added golden trophies in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 — also making it to the Final Four in 2001 and 2007 before falling in the national semi-finals.
In the course of his 12-year head coaching career at Messiah, Brandt has coached four National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Players of the Year, 17 NSCAA All-Americans, 40 NSCAA All-Region performers, 12 conference players of the year and 81 all-conference athletes. Messiah has won 11 MAC Commonwealth Conference regular-season championships and eight MAC Commonwealth post-season championships under Brandt, while his coaching prowess was honored six times as Commonwealth Coach of the Year and three times as NSCAA National Coach of the Year.
"Messiah men's soccer has meant everything to me and to my family," he said. "I was literally a fan of the team while in high school, then played here, then was the junior varsity coach for three years, varsity assistant for nine years and just finished my 12th year as head coach. In one way or another, I've been a part of every season here since 1977. Because the program has meant so much to me, I am grateful to have had the chance to lead it for the past 12 years. I am proud of the level of excellence that has been established here and am sure the pieces are in place for that to continue far into the future. Long live men's soccer at Messiah and the high standards that are woven into every facet of the program."
Chaplin stated that Messiah's search for its next men's soccer coach will begin immediately.
"His loss is huge for Messiah athletics, but we are so grateful for his contributions the last 12 years as head coach," Chaplin said. "We know that he will develop the men's soccer program at the U.S. Naval Academy into a model program at the Division I level. Dave will be an incredible coach at Navy."
Brandt takes over a Midshipmen program that went 4-11-3 in 2008 and 24-34-9 over the past four years. Former head coach Rich Miranda resigned after four years at the helm in mid-November. All 11 of the Mids' 2008 losses came in shutout fashion.
