INSIDE THE GATE
Summer 2020
KLEIN FAMILY TAKEOVER
Affinity
8
A longtime men’s soccer coach, John Klein always wanted to coach women’s collegiate soccer. His wish was granted when a women’s team was added to the Columbia College’s sport offerings in 2012. And to sweeten the deal, John was given the opportunity in 2016 to recruit a player he had trained for a lifetime, his daughter Molly. Early on, John wasn’t sure if Molly would ever come to Columbia College, but for Molly, it was a no-brainer. Her dad was the coach she knew and trusted more than anyone else, and
playing for him in college would end up being the best decision she ever made. It just took longer to get there than either of them had pictured. Molly wanted to be recruited by her dad, but at the same time wanted to prove everyone wrong that said CC was “the obvious choice.” So the Kleins looked at schools from California to the Carolinas before it became apparent that Columbia had everything she needed and wanted. One night over dinner, John wrote down an offer on a napkin to Molly. The rest is history.
