I believe the way you treat others is telling of the person you are. While in the early stages of writing this piece, I cold-emailed Phillip Kroft, the recently-hired coach of the men’s soccer team, in hopes that he would sit down with me. To my surprise, he took time out of his busy schedule to meet, and I had the pleasure of interviewing Coach Kroft.
In July, Kroft took the reins of what has been a very successful UChicago team for the past couple of years. Since 2017, the men’s soccer program has made four NCAA semifinals appearances, winning their UAA conference each time. Last season, they won the NCAA championship for the first time in the program’s history, boasting an undefeated record for the season. However, despite the team’s daunting reputation, Kroft does not waver in his confidence in his tactics and coaching ability.
Part of Kroft’s confidence comes from his own playing days, when, following in the footsteps of his older brother, he played Division I soccer at Mount St. Mary’s University as a left-back. In this way, Kroft learned the coaching craft from a player’s perspective.
Kroft’s soccer mentors left lasting impacts on the way he coaches. One of these mentors was UChicago’s own Mike Babst, who is second in all-time wins for the UChicago men’s soccer team. When commenting on his coaching path, he remarked on the office he once shared with his fellow coaches. “Our office was like a broom closet. We were sharing ideas this close,” he said, gesturing to his face and in front of him.
Coach Kroft is a player’s coach, and because of his experience working in a multitude of programs and divisions, he understands the priorities student-athletes have in Hyde Park. The University of Chicago has a strong athletics program, but at the heart of its philosophy is the thirst for knowledge and academics. Pursuing a professional career—and soccer itself—may not be the number one priority on players’ minds, and Kroft understands this. Kroft talked about his love for DIII athletics and how he feels he can take care of his players more due to the holistic nature of DIII programs. We joked about how many of his players have already reached out to discuss their plans to study abroad during the school year; a popular decision for many UChicago students, yet a choice that would be unheard of in Division I programs.
Kroft is not only unafraid of this new challenge but is also excited about the opportunity to maintain the Maroons’ storied culture. This is not to say that this year will be without its fair share of challenges. The loss of Academic All-Americans Griffin Wada and Richard Gillespie, two pillars of a dominant backline that only allowed 0.48 goals per game in 2022, will no doubt sting. However, Kroft does not seem too worried about their departure. We discussed the biggest problem that the men’s team has: too much talent. There is a lot of depth on the roster, and Kroft is excited at how hungry the players are to compete. “They’re used to doing so well and competing at such a high level in every aspect of their life. These guys are always pursuing excellence,” he said. Another reason for the lack of worry is the philosophy that Kroft practices when he coaches. He emphasizes players being in sync and confident in their own system. “If everyone is bought into how we want to play—that’s what’s going to make [us] successful,” he said.
Kroft plans to bring a little bit of his own personality to the already dominant Maroons’ playing style. When asked about the parts of the game that he puts an emphasis on, Kroft says he plans to “make the opposing back line as uncomfortable as possible.” He is not afraid of his players making mistakes or trying new things, as long as they keep the pressure away from the team’s defenders. Modeled after many successful professional teams, Kroft wants his team to “win the ball back within three seconds.”
Kroft is an outstanding person and coach. During our interview, I got to learn a little about him outside of his professional life. He is a very family-oriented man. Kroft is originally from the Virginia Beach area, traveling to New York often because he has family there. He said he “loves city life” and it seems like Chicago will be a great fit for him. Not only were there countless references to his parents and older brother during our conversation, but he also has a wife and daughter with whom he is looking forward to exploring Chicago’s “food, music, sports and culture.”
What is glaringly obvious from the first moment you speak with Kroft is how much he loves soccer and his players. Hearing him geek out about Brighton’s style of play or the professional coaches he looks up to the most was like watching a cook talk about his love of food; the passion was so palpable in our conversation that I couldn’t help but get excited along with him. When I asked him what he likes to do in his free time, he looked at me as if the concept of free time was a foreign concept. Whatever spare time Kroft has, he puts back into soccer, whether that be coming up with new strategies, planning games, or recruiting new players. “I absolutely love coaching. It is 100 percent my passion, my calling. I am the guy that when my wife goes to bed, I stay up and watch soccer videos or find recruits. I love it.”
My final question to Kroft was one that I find to be telling as to what type of competitor one is: Do you love to win, or do you hate to lose? Without hesitation, he said he “loves to win.” While I personally hate losing, even in mundane things such as board games or bowling, I can’t help but have respect for the rationale behind Kroft’s answer. Kroft discussed how big of a difference telling your players “We’re going out there to win” is compared to “We’re trying not to lose.” The former, he said, instills much more confidence in your players than the latter. Until the final moment of the interview, Kroft always had his players’ best interests in mind, a quality that should make for a very successful tenure here at the University of Chicago. At the time of this article being written, the Maroons have posted a 7-2-5 win-loss-draw record. Best of luck to Kroft and the men’s soccer team this upcoming season; I look forward to watching them every step of the way.
