Lemont's Rick Prangen Earns State NSCAA Boys' 'Coach of the Year' Honors

Lemont High School boys’ soccer coach Rick Prangen has been named the 2014 Illinois High School Boys’ Soccer Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The NSCAA honors coaches in the ‘Large School,’ ‘Small School’ and ‘Private/Parochial School’ divisions; Prangen was honored as Illinois’ Boys’ Soccer Small School Coach of the Year.

Each state honors a coach in each division, and those coaches subsequently are eligible for Regional Coach of the Year and, eventually, National Coach of the Year accolades. To be considered for the award, coaches must excel in a number of areas, including knowledge of the game, rapport with his/her team, team image, conduct on the field, community involvement, and rapport with coaches, officials and media, among other areas.

Lemont enjoyed another terrific season under Prangen’s leadership in 2014. The Indians finished with a 17-3-4 record, which included a 10-1 record in South Suburban Conference play. Lemont won its first SSC title since 2011, and also captured the program’s eighth IHSA Regional crown in nine years.

Prior to a loss in the IHSA Sectional semifinal, Lemont ripped off a 17-game unbeaten streak. The Indians posted a 14-0-3 record from September 13-October 24, outscoring opponents by a 46-4 margin while posting 13 shutouts. Five players earned All-SSC accolades in 2014, including senior Teddy Trifunovski, who also was tabbed as an all-state honoree by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association.

Prangen earned his 300th career victory as a boys’ soccer coach in September, making him one of a handful of Illinois prep coaches to reach that milestone. He has served as Lemont’s boys’ soccer coach since 1992, compiling a career record of 311-174-42 in 23 seasons. Under his direction, Lemont has won 11 IHSA Regional titles, six IHSA Sectional crowns, and five SSC championships. He guided the Indians to the program’s only state finals appearance in 2007.

This is not the first time that Prangen has been honored by the NSCAA. He also received Illinois Girls’ Soccer Small School Coach of the Year honors from the NSCAA for the 2011 season. He has racked up 281 wins in 20 years as Lemont’s girls’ soccer coach, and guided the Indians to IHSA State Finals appearances in 2009, 2011 and 2013. Prangen has totaled 592 career victories during his tenure as Lemont’s boys’ and girls’ soccer coach.

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America includes more than 30,000 members who coach both genders at all levels of the sport. The NSCAA offers an extensive recognition program that presents nearly 10,000 individual awards every year. The NSCAA fulfills its mission of coaching education through a nationwide program of clinics and week-long courses, teaching more than 6,000 soccer coaches each year.

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