Bryan Blitz Officially Inducted into Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
2/1/2021 9:28:00 AM | Soccer
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Head Soccer Coach Bryan Blitz was officially inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday after 25 seasons in charge of the Tigers' program. The annual Enshrinement, presented by Killian Construction, took place at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield.
Blitz is the only head coach in Mizzou Soccer history, holding a 252-214-38 record with the Tigers and an overall record of 297-258-46. He has, three times, been named the conference Coach of the Year, twice in the Big 12 (2007, '09) and once in the Southeastern Conference (2015).
During his time in Mid-Missouri, Blitz has led the Tigers to seven NCAA Tournament berths, one regular season Big 12 crown and one Big 12 tournament title.
Hundreds of players have played under the leadership of Coach Blitz. Since the start of the program in 1996, ten players have been named first team All-Conference in the Big 12 and in the SEC, while Nikki Thole represents the program's sole All-American, earning the honor during the 1999 season.
The 1999 season symbolized the official establishment of the Mizzou Soccer program, just four years after its founding, when Blitz led the Tigers to a 14-8-1 record and their first NCAA Tournament appearance. In that season, the Tigers received their first-ever ranking, reaching as high as No. 17. Additionally, Mizzou reached the Big 12 Tournament Championship game for the second consecutive season, despite falling to Nebraska each time. The first NCAA Tournament game in program history proved to be a thriller, as Mizzou fell to Marquette in four overtimes (3-2). At 141 minutes and 13 seconds, this game continues to be the longest in Mizzou history.
Blitz again led the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament in both 2003 and 2007, reaching the second round each time. Blitz won the award for Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2007 for the first time in his career. In the 2008 season, the Tigers achieved another "first" by winning the Big 12 Tournament and clinching an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. In the following season, Mizzou would take the Big 12 regular season title for the first time in school history. Blitz again received Big 12 Coach of the Year honors following the 2009 season.
In 2012, Blitz faced a new challenge as Mizzou transitioned into the Southeastern Conference. In the program's first SEC season, the Tigers reached the NCAA tournament once again and achieved a ranking as high as 11th in the nation, the highest in program history. Mizzou would again reach the NCAA Tournament in both 2014 and 2016, while Coach Blitz would win the SEC Coach of the Year award in the 2015 season, after leading the program to a 7-2-2 conference record, finishing second in the conference.
Blitz began his coaching career in 1991 at Butler University, where he served as the Bulldogs' inaugural head coach. While at Bulter, he was named the 1995 Midwestern Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year while also being invited to help coach the U.S. Women's National Team.
