On Aug. 27 , it was announced that former Lee University standout Daniel Hrenko is joining the ETSU men’s soccer coaching staff.
Hrenko, who earned all-conference honors as a goalkeeper at Lee University, will be in charge of the Bucs’ goalkeepers, as well as assist in match preparation and training.
Hrenko’s background consists of a lifetime of passion for soccer and intense competition.
“[Soccer] was the first sport I played,” said Hrenko. “I tried other sports here and there, but I think in the end, I just fell in love with it at a really young age.”
“[Soccer] has been my main priority pretty much my whole life.”
Hrenko spoke fondly of his experience as a scholarship player at Lee University, having won the Gulf South Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament, and clinching an NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Tournament spot in his final year between the posts.
“Lee offered me a position and some money on scholarship, so I took it,” Hrenko recalled. “I had my ups and downs, but in the end, it ended on an up. In the last two years, I got to be the starter and really put my footprint down on the school and the program.”
Moving forward with ETSU, Hrenko has begun to outline his expectations for his Buccaneer goalkeepers.
“I’m very big on work ethic,” Hrenko said. “No matter how fatigued you are, no matter how tired you are, work ethic is where you get better. That’s the standard I want to hold.”
As for the field players, Hrenko described the importance of mental toughness when facing mid-match fatigue.
“Mental toughness is very, very important to developing a winning culture,” Hrenko said. “I’m hoping to have my part in instilling that [in the players].”
While praising ETSU’s welcoming environment, Hrenko cautioned that there is a lot of work still to be done by both him and the players.
“ETSU is so welcoming and allowing me to be a part of this team [and] be a part of this school,” Hrenko said.
“This is just the first step.”
