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“Team Hank” Rallies Athletics Support
After More Than 45 Years, Hank Steinbrecher Continues to Motivate Those He Influenced at Warren Wilson College and Throughout His Legendary Career
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By Mark Newman, photos courtesy of Warren Wilson College Archives
Upon arriving at Warren Wilson in 1973, Coach Hank Steinbrecher’s charismatic influence left an immeasurable impact upon the College, the Men’s Soccer program, and the student athletes he coached. Steinbrecher led his teams through passion and determination, racking up an impressive 45-22-6 record and being named the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Coach of the Year in 1975. In addition, he established the Women’s Soccer Team, which became an official varsity sport in 1979. Steinbrecher continued his career coaching at Appalachian State University and Boston University before joining the Gatorade team at Quaker Oats Company as Director of Sports Marketing, and, finally, serving U.S. Soccer as CEO and Secretary General. There he oversaw the staging of two of the most successful men’s and women’s World Cups, held in the United States in 1994 and 1999. Steinbrecher was selected into seven soccer halls of fame, including the National Soccer Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Hall of Fame, and our own Warren Wilson College Hall of Fame in 2013. Last year, a group of former Warren Wilson College soccer players and friends, led by alumnus and Board of Trustees member Andy Scott ’75, Ed.D., came together to discuss ways to honor their former coach. They knew this effort would draw a supportive crowd around cementing his legacy, and they ultimately decided to name the soccer complex. “Team Hank” kicked off by contacting fellow players, collegiate and professional coaches, and key corporate leaders who admired Steinbrecher’s many contributions to the sport. After many Zoom meetings, phone calls, and emails, within a few months they had raised over $60,000 of the needed $85,000 to name the soccer complex, with nearly 100 individual donors contributing. At the end of July 2020, “Team Hank” celebrated this work with a virtual “Toast to Hank.” Guests came together from around the country to honor Steinbrecher’s life and career. Each speaker spoke eloquently about his impact—not only to the sport, but also to the people connected to the game of soccer. “I am grateful for all of Hank’s contributions to the sport,” said Will Wilson, the current CEO of U.S. Soccer. “Inspiration is a theme when it comes to
