Lawrence Tech University Men’s Soccer – Coach Will Dyer
On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Dyer from the Lawrence Tech Men’s Program in Michigan. We talk about managing first and reserve team rosters. He describes a detailed week’s schedule for a player during the season. Lastly, we discuss their strong staff that manages two teams. Learn more about Lawrence Tech University Men’s Soccer.
Matt: [00:00:00] Everybody welcome to discover college soccer today. I’m lucky enough to be joined by coach Dyer from Lawrence technological university in Michigan. Welcome coach.
Coach: Hey, thanks for having me.
Matt: Yeah. Thanks for being here. Uh, you know, it’s again, one of those schools. I got to look up, see where it is. And it turns out it’s about 10 miles from where my wife grew up.
And so I’ve been in that neighborhood many times, but have not been on campus. So I might have to, Have to do that. If I visit up at Christmas time and, and see what you guys are all about. But, um, your, your NAIA, um, a lot, there’s a really tough conference there in Michigan, uh, on the NAIA side of things.
Coach: Very tough conference. We’ve got some great schools in our conference, Indiana Tech, uh, Kiwanis, UNOH, Madonna, um, Siena Heights and more. I, it’s really, as I like to say, the WAC is WAC. You never know who can be, who’s going to show up. I’ll give you an example. A couple of years ago, uh, Cornerstone was playing UNLH cornerstone had no goalkeeper.
So they put their six in goal and they got their first ever win over UNLH. So anything is possible.
Matt: Yep. That’s why, that’s why we play the game. Right. So, uh, I mean, with, with all that. Competitiveness in the conference. I mean, I’m guessing you guys are probably competing on the [00:01:30] recruiting trail as well. Um, what do you typically see as your timeline in terms of when your recruiting classes is kind of shored up and then, and then like right now, you know, it’s end of August.
Are you, are you looking at, are you still looking at 25s? Are you starting to talk 26s? Like kind of what, what does your overall timeline look like?
Coach: Yeah, so right now we’re currently, um, Looking at 2025, and we’re starting to look in 2026. We’re getting some emails from 2027. Um, for us, we have two teams. We have first team and reserve team, like most NAI programs, D three and some D twos.
So right now we have 61 total players. Um, I’m graduating 11, so I’m really only looking to bring in five to six players. For the 2025 class, I want to bring it back down just a little bit to make it more manageable and, uh, provide everyone the best experience that we can, um, a 2026, you know, it’s, it’s for us, it’s pretty much year to year, we’ll look ahead and start to get, see what’s attractive, what’s not, um, but at the end of the day, I’m just focused right now on next fall.
Matt: Okay. Well, in that [00:03:00] focus, you know, there’s obviously a lot of good soccer up in the, in the Michigan, Detroit, Grand Rapids all over where, but where are you focused? Cause I noticed there is a lot of international flavor on your roster as well. So, so where do you like to go? How do you do your recruiting?
Coach: Uh, we do have that international flavor. I mean, the top teams in the NAIA are predominantly a hundred percent international. Okay. Like, for example, if you take a look at UNOH, uh, I don’t think they have one American on their roster, maybe on their reserve team. Um, but I like that mixture, that melting pot.
Um, for us, we concentrate, we do look at MLS stacks and there’s some great programs up here, Michigan Wolves, Michigan Jags, um, Midwest United, Vardar. Uh, we look at NAL and then we look at National League, E64. You know, it’s an alphabet soup out there. So we do get all around ECNL, ECNL regional league. We go out of the state a lot, uh, to look at Florida, uh, down South, Virginia, Kentucky.
So we’ve kind of branched out. The one area we haven’t been most successful is obviously the East side. Um, there’s some great soccer in that New York, Connecticut area that we’d like to get into. But for now. It’s a more of a mixture [00:04:30] of international, and then we’ll go American. Like, I’ll be honest with you right now with, with us only looking at five to six players, I have this top kid that played ECNL last year and he made the jump to MLS next for his last year.
So he’s going to be one. That’s looking obviously D1 and I’m not the prettiest girl at the dance, but I’m going to make an offer and I’m going to try to get them here. That’s us.
Matt: Yeah. No, it makes a lot of sense. Um, do you guys, um, do your own ID camps or work ID camps? Is that a part of your recruiting process at all?
Coach: Yeah. So we do, um, we host a couple of camps, um, mostly through CSCC, you know, the college Combined coaches clinic. Um, I’ve paired up with a couple of local, uh, conference schools to do a combined camp and we’ll move it around like this past year was at Concordia, but unfortunately they’re closing down next year.
Um, so next year I’ll probably be myself, Dearborn, Siena Heights. We’ll get together. We do like a winter camp, uh, because a lot of kids don’t go down to Florida. Uh, for the tournament. So we’ll have something up here and then we’ll do one or two in the spring and one in the summer. Okay. So what we like to do, I mean, me is, um, [00:06:00] I like to share the wealth.
I mean, we’re all competing against these big D1, D2 camps. So we’re trying to navigate that and see how we can play it in our favor. Well,
Matt: whether it’s at a camp or an event or even through international video, I’m guessing you’re not, uh, taking a lot of European trips to go recruiting. Um, what is it that, that you’re looking for in a player, both on the field and off the field?
Coach: Uh, pretty much I tell these kids, um, I want you to excite me, kind of like my wife did when I first started dating her, you know, um, I want to see you chase after a loose ball. I want to see you do all the little things. If you can capture my attention that first five minutes, I’m going to stay, and I’m going to finish the game, watch, and see how you handle yourself on and off.
Off the field, um, obviously we are a tech school, uh, so engineering, architecture, business. Uh, arts and sciences. And we just said, I did health sciences. So we’re kind of limited major wise. So I have to look at that roster real quick and circle the engineers, circle those looking at computer science and some of the other new majors that we might have and focus a little bit on those kids because that’s my bread and butter.[00:07:30]
Um, other than that, I mean, it’s really like, like you’re dating. You know, honestly, let’s be, you know, I’m going to reach out to you. You’re going to come back. We’re going to do a Google meet zoom meeting, get to know each other, talk to each other. answer some questions and see if we can make it work.
That’s
Matt: it. Yeah. It’s a, it’s a fun dance. That’s for sure. Um, well, and I’m not holding you to, to hard numbers here, but, uh, but just to give an idea of, of what it is. It would cost to attend your school. What, what is the, you know, I, what kind of academic money is available? What kind of athletic money is available?
What, what’s, what’s a typical player coming in, looking at when they come to Lawrence Tech?
Coach: So for us, I, we start with the high price. I always estimate for players, 16 credit hours living on campus, room and board. So if I do all that, if I was recruiting you, for example, we’d start at that high price, 56.
Then I show you how we can make it affordable, less credit hours, maybe take classes at some local community colleges that transfer in, uh, club chess. I’m big on that with my international players. So the way we do scholarships are pretty simple. So we have academic and we have athletic and they go together [00:09:00] like peanut butter and jelly.
Now academic is based on three things and I have no control. over the academic. So your high school GPA, the types of classes you have taken, taking currently, AP, honor classes, and a 500 word essay. We no longer require the ACT or the SAT. You’re sure to see a lot of colleges get away from that. Um, but if you’ve taken it, that may help get you more academic.
So I would say. For a top American player, uh, they’re looking at anywhere between, and this is the athletic and ath athletic and academic combined, uh, 20 to 32. All right, so a good chunk, probably about a third, maybe two thirds. International players we know don’t qualify for FAFSA, so I have to hire, offer them.
A little bit higher. Uh, so my international players, uh, there’s three tiers, the zero to 12 grand. I’ll never get those kids. I would love to, but I’ll never get the 12 to 18 grand. I might get one or two. 18 grand or more for them. So that’s us. And it also comes down to what we need, like for 2025, I need a left back, I need six, I [00:10:30] need nine and a goalkeeper.
So I’m focusing on those areas. I love American players. Don’t get me wrong. They’re great, and they adapt very well to the game. Um, the international players, it’s up here. You know, they’re very smart, tactical, tactical. Um, it’s not just pass and kick the ball down and try to shove it down the other, the other team’s throat.
Um, but that’s, In a nutshell us, so we do offer a very good athletic and academic, um, and we can make it a very attractive offer and a chance to play right away.
Matt: No, that’s awesome. Well, and let’s talk a little bit more about the school. Uh, you’re in the unique position as someone who. Pretty much founded the program.
So I think you’ve got a pretty good, uh, insight here. So what is it about the school that you love that, that made you want to do this, that keeps you here when it’d be some things we don’t know, even by going through the website.
Coach: Oh, that’s a great question. Uh, the family environment. It’s just, I’ll give you a story.
I’m hearing impaired and COVID hit everybody was wearing masks and it was a nightmare and I had three players that I recruited two from Spain, one from Poland. And they came over and they graduated, we had a great four years with them. Um, and they wanted to give [00:12:00] back to the program. And I’m thinking to myself, alright, 100 bucks, 50 bucks, alright, I’ll take it.
You know what I mean? And they said, no coach, you changed her life. You made an impact on her life. We want to buy new kits for the team. Yeah. So I was blown away and that’s what keeps me coming back day in and day out is that impact I have on them and the impact that they have on me. Southfield, Michigan.
We’re, yeah, Detroit hustles hard. We’re in a unique area, like you said. We’re 20 25 minutes north of downtown Detroit. We have University of Detroit Mercy to the south of us. They’re about 15 minutes away. Oakland University D1 about a half hour away. Michigan State about an hour and a half. Um, and the University of Michigan.
So we’re in a great location. So it’s not like you’re stuck on campus. You can get out. Our players go downtown Detroit. They look across the river. Holy cow, it’s Canada. You know, they’re like, wow, we won’t get that back home. Um, and then they can go to other division one. We’ve got some great schools, uh, D2, D3, NEIA, and junior college in the area.
It’s always something to do. So Southfield, like, like, uh, I may have mentioned to you earlier, we’re pretty much in the [00:13:30] center of it all. Like Michigan’s shaped like the back of your hand. Here’s Detroit. Here’s Canada. We’re right here. Everything’s nearby.
Matt: Yeah. It’s, uh, someone who spent a lot of time there.
It is a, it is a cool place for sure. So, um, well, Let’s talk a little bit more about being in the season. Obviously you guys are just kicking off, but let’s fast forward to October, kind of heart of that conference season. Walk me through what a typical schedule is going to look like for a week, for a player in terms of when their classes, meals, practices, game cadence, all that stuff.
Coach: Yeah. So, uh, great question. A week here. Um, it’s really no different from. A week at the university of Michigan. So my day, for example, today, boys woke up, they had weight training at 8 a. m. If they have class, they have to go to class. They’ll make up the weight training later in the day on their own. Um, after that, they go back, maybe grab a bite to eat.
They’ll have class from like 9. 30, 10. 45. Um, I’m loving to 1230, grab some lunch. If you’re a freshman, you’ll start your study tables at the field house, which is where our gymnasium weight room and all that is, but we hold our study tables over here so our assistant AD can keep a close eye. Um, then you might have another class, [00:15:00] get dinner.
The thing about Lawrence Tech is. If you have class and training at the same time, you have to go to class. So we train later at night, we train nine to 11 PM. So I have everybody for my first team, uh, for my reserve team is a little bit different. They train during the day. Uh, so that’s just on Monday. And then same thing on Tuesday.
So we do weight training twice a week in the season, Monday and Thursday, 8 AM. Uh, we train at night, Monday, Tuesday, 9 to 11 PM, play on Wednesday, recovery on Thursday, 9 to 11 PM. Friday, we’ll train 1 to 2, 30 PM, go straight to the classroom, do about an hour of film work, uh, talk about the previous game, talk about the upcoming game, do our tactical work, this is what worked, this is what didn’t.
Um, and then we may have during the week, a couple of positions, specific film sessions, about a half hour. We got to keep it short because kids are like goldfish, got to keep their attention. Um, and then we play again on Saturday. And Sunday, I usually give, I always get the players off. The NAIA is big on a mandatory one day off during the week.
I like to be Sunday. Um, but one thing I did not add to that is [00:16:30] I do something on Friday nights or Saturday mornings. On Fridays, I call it Force Family Fun. On Saturday mornings, I call it Premier League Watch. So we all get together outside of training. Putt putt golf, go watch another sporting event, bowling.
We’re always do something together or we’ll get together Saturday morning and watch. Fulham is my team. Uh, unfortunately not many fans from, um, but we’ll get together bagels OJ and just hang out in an auditorium and watch whatever’s on at 10 AM. That’s a week in life. And that repeats from. August until best case scenario, late November.
That’s right.
Matt: Well, in terms of, of the team, you talked about, uh, either your first team reserve team and what those numbers and that looks like, but what about the staff? Who else makes up your staff? What role does everybody play? And maybe what other support staff outside of just coaching staff? Also help with the team.
Coach: So right now, this year, we currently have 61 players. I carry 32 field players, sorry, 31 field players and four goalkeepers on my first team. We have 15 freshmen. So big class this year. Um, and then on my reserve team, y’all [00:18:00] get my math, um, probably carry about 23 to 24 on the reserve team, um, on my staff and we’ve got a great staff.
My first assistant is Kyle Winningham. He played at Concordia, played in the NAIA. He’s currently, um, Detroit’s DCFC West, uh, technical director. I have former Oakland University head coach, Eric Pogue. He oversees my goalkeeping, backline, set pieces. Uh, we have three GAs, which is great. All three graduate assistants played here.
So they have, they know what it’s like and they know what they’re doing. Um, and then we have a reserve coach named Alex, local high school, a young guy, um, and I’ve kind of given him the reins, trying to teach him. Uh, cause I’m not getting any younger. I’m 48 and we have to give back constantly and give these younger guys the chance and because they’re the future, but that’s, uh, what our staff and our roster look like.
Um, reserves, for example. They play anywhere between 12 and 16 games and we have their own league for them as well. We call it the Michigan Reserve League. Um, so we have in it, for example, um, [00:19:30] us, Tiffin, which is Division II down in Ohio, Northwood, Division II in Medlin, uh, Cleary, Lourdes, Calvin, which is a great D3 program, uh, Spring Harbor, um, uh, And a couple of other schools.
So we give them something to play for. So they’re not just showing up and just kicking a ball around. We give them goals and a flow chart. And that’s what we want. Like last year we had, had the reserve league and we won a first year in the inaugural year. So I’m proud of that. Proud of that.
Matt: Well, and you mentioned that there are a number of, of both NAI D2, D3 schools that have reserve teams.
And I think one question that we always hear from players when talking to reserve or schools with reserve teams is what is the movement like? Do I really have a shot at moving up during the season or, or am I a four year reserve player when you’re recruiting me or anything like that? So what, what does that relationship between those teams, two teams look like for you guys?
Coach: I can only speak for my program. Um, we’ve had some very great success. We’ve had, so I tell players when at the brochure of beating that we had last night. Here’s your flow chart. If you were on reserve team bench, your next goal should be playing in games. [00:21:00] If you’re playing in games, your next goal should be starting games.
If you’re starting your next goal should be getting invited up to first team training. If you get invited up that’s where you got to make me look like an idiot for not having you on the field And not having you there. So i’m going to give you that chance if you do that i’m going to move the player down maybe he’s Not playing as much as you should Um, but I will make this switch.
I’ll give you a couple two two examples one kid. Um, You Zane Arnold, local kid, played Bishkin Wolves, uh, played the high level before they joined MLS, NAL, and all that. Um, he was on my reserve team for three, two years, right? We brought him up his junior year, worked hard. I mean, just couldn’t get him on the field because he had a couple of Really good players in front of them.
Senior year, just took it over, started every game, played us right back. We had a kid from Hawaii. He busted his butt for three years and a senior year, he made that jump. So it is possible. Um, that’s what I tell the reserves. I mean, I want you, yes, to get a great degree, but the reason for reserves are yes, there’s a handful of kids [00:22:30] that will never make that jump.
I’m sorry. You know, I love them. I’ve given you a chance to play for more years of soccer and get a great degree. But then there are some players that we like that we think instead of sitting on the bench, you need to play. And where can you get that? In the reserve games.
Matt: For sure. For sure. All right. Well, we talked about staff and reserves and other players, but what about you?
Tell us about your coaching style and the style of play you want to play there.
Coach: My coaching style, uh, it’s big mix, you know, um, I’m old school, you know, I’m suck it up buttercup. I didn’t have PT after, you know, we just played. Um, I, my biggest thing is I will never tell the player to play for me. I will never tell the player to play for the school.
I tell them to play for each other. And at the end of the game, you’re able to look each other in the eye and say, Hey, I did my job. Did you do yours? Cause I’ll give you a quick little story. Um, I have a tattoo on the back of my left calf, a soccer ball. And there was five of us that played at Ohio state.
And we were awful back in the nineties. I loved the school, loved the program. Uh, we won maybe six, seven games a year. Uh, but we played for each other, you know, and during COVID one of them, [00:24:00] passed away. So the four of us each got the tattoo in different areas on her body. That’s what it’s about. That’s my philosophy, getting you to play for each other.
Because four years goes by so quick. This phase of your life. I had my teammates, those four years. Four guys. Wedding. Being my, uh, godfather to my kids. I’m godfather to their kids. Everything. So the relationships and everything that we do will lead to that. And I’m huge on chemistry. If you and I have an issue, man, I’m not gonna pass you the ball.
I’m playing three and you’re playing six. Why am I going to give you the ball if you’re, you and I are fighting over the same girl? We got to put the team first. We got to look over all that. Know that we’re a family and we’re not always going to agree. We’re going to have to scream at you. We’re going to have ups and downs, but at the end of the day, I did mine.
You did your job and that’s what it’s all about.
Matt: Love it. Love it. Well, coach, I really appreciate the time. I’m going to leave you with one last question. Uh, and that is if you had one piece of advice for anybody going through this college soccer recruiting process, what would that be?
Coach: Be relentless. Be relentless.
Email the coaches. [00:25:30] Don’t just tag them on social media. As coaches, we hate it. I mean, I’m getting recruits that tag me in the Indiana men’s soccer and University in Kentucky. I’m like, whoa, wait a minute. These are three different types of programs. All right, but be relentless. Email. Don’t give up just because we don’t reply.
If you see us come up, talk to us, you know, um, And the last, last bit of advice is if a pretty girl says no to you, are you just going to give up? No, you just keep going. Keep asking her out. Keep chasing because the risk is worth it. All right.
Matt: I appreciate it. Yep. Absolutely. Love it. Wish you the best of luck this fall and, uh, and hope you guys can, uh, bring back at that, that conference championship banner,
Coach: uh, from your lips.
God’s ears.
Matt: All right.
Coach: Thanks again.
Matt: Thank you. You too.
