Rudy Fuller can hardly believe how quick his 10 years at the helm of the Penn men's soccer program have gone. But Fuller takes some time out to speak about his quick turnaround from player to coach and also some of professional soccer's headline stories.
Daily Pennsylvanian: You went on a vacation recently, what's your favorite vacation spot?
Rudy Fuller: The shore. I'm a big beach guy. I love the beach.
DP: The Jersey Shore?
RF: Yup, we try and go one week every summer. I have three little kids who love the beach as well.
DP: What's your favorite MLS team?
RF: DC United, because I was down in D.C. when it started. Obviously, with [recently graduated goalie] Danny [Cepero] and the Red Bulls, they're co-No. 1 now.
DP: There's been talk of an MLS team coming to Philadelphia, what are your thoughts?
RF: Well, it's exciting. Philadelphia deserves a team. It's a strong soccer community and has been that way for a long time.
I think the one hurdle that Philadelphia faces is the stadium. The MLS doesn't want to be in a football stadium.
DP: Do you think there's a good chance that Philadelphia will get a team?
RF: I'm sure at some point it's going to happen, whether in this round of expansion or the years ahead. I think the league has consistently named Philadelphia as one of the top two or three cities.
DP: Tell us a little bit about how you got into coaching.
RF: I started coaching as soon as I was too old to play at the various levels. At [his alma mater] Georgetown, I started coaching kids' teams. Towards the end, my coach there approached me about being his assistant after graduation. I was in the business school there and going into banking just like everyone else, but when presented the opportunity, coaching was definitely something I wanted to do. I just wasn't sure if I'd be able to make a living off of it.
DP: What was it like coaching people who were just a few years younger than you?
RF: It was tough! I always say, I graduated from Georgetown on a Saturday and walked into the office on Monday as the assistant coach. In two days, I went from being a teammate to being their coach. . Fortunately, [his former coach] helped me a lot in terms of not putting me in the difficult position of asking me to do disciplinary stuff. So, I focused on the recruiting efforts. I focused on the coaching side.
DP: You have three young children, do they play soccer?
RF: I have two boys, one's 7 and the other's 5, and then my girl, Fiona, is 2. The boys are very active. Our basement, you walk down there and you're going to see lacrosse, football, soccer, hockey, basketball stuff. You name it, you'll see it. They've been playing T-ball, baseball and soccer. And they love it, so we'll just see where it takes them.
DP: Recently, Admissions Dean Lee Stetson resigned. Can you talk about how his office has helped you land the recruits that you wanted?
RF: The Admissions Office has been a tremendous advocate for athletics. When people look at the success the athletic teams have had at Penn, I think a lot of times what's lost in the shuffle is how the admissions and athletic offices work together in finding the people that fit the Penn mold. Dean Stetson . has really been responsible for that. He's been great to us in working with us and getting he program back on top. He'll be missed, but I think President Gutmann and those searching for the next admissions dean will find someone that fits with what Penn is looking for.
DP: What do you think of David Beckham in the MLS?
RF: I think it's great for the league, it's great for this sport David Beckham isn't Michael Jordan, he's not going to come in and score four or five goals in a game and take the Galaxy on his shoulders. I almost compare him to Scottie Pipin, who's a great team player. Beyond that the notoriety he's brought to the league . and the media attention, it's hard to put a dollar figure on that.
DP: Do you think it's going to last, though?
RF: I do. He's going to be the first of more and more players coming over here. It's going to be a challenge for the league to make sure it's players who are still in their prime.
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