The University of Denver has been a force in college soccer in recent years, and that’s not changing any time soon.
Head coach Jamie Franks and DU agreed to a multi-year contract extension for Franks to continue leading the program, the university announced Thursday.
Franks, who completed his eighth season last fall and helped the nationally-ranked Pioneers reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament each of the past two seasons, has been a staple in the Colorado soccer coaching scene since he took over the program in 2015.
He told The Post Friday that the American soccer landscape has shifted but he firmly believes the college game still has its place at the table.
“We’re looking to build something that’s bigger than anyone and use the team to help develop character traits in all these individuals,” Franks said. “… I think the development of people is my real purpose. Yeah, the soccer landscape has changed with the academy systems in the country to create a better first-team track for the top players in the country. But there’s a huge other population of kids that needs education and needs maturity. To be able to provide a ‘4D’ experience at DU where they’re challenged in the classroom, the community and on the soccer field, it makes for a more wholistic approach to development of a person.”
DU was in the top 10 of the coaches’ poll much of last season and will be returning a strong class of upperclassmen in an effort to make another run in the postseason. The program reached the final four College Cup in 2016.
For Franks, the mantra of the program is “fighting football,” to play for every play, and he knows it will be the beating heart of the team heading into this fall.
“It’s about leaving it better than how we found it before and if you have that mentality, there’s gonna be desire, ambition and to continue to improve,” Franks said. “While we’re proud of the progress we’ve made, there’s a lot of unfinished business.”
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