For all of the praise that gets heaped on Tim Alexander in regard to his coaching ability - dedication, attention to detail, communication skills and an ability to craft effective game plans that pinpoint an opponent's weaknesses - there is one characteristic that perhaps carries as much weight with his Edgewood College soccer players as all the others combined.

They are not only allowed, but encouraged, to call him Tim.

"That's another testament to his character," said Nick Lombardino, a former Madison Memorial athlete who is a senior on the Eagles' men's team. "He's a fun-loving guy, easy to talk to, and you can joke to him. In that respect, he always encourages players to come into his office to talk to him in regards to soccer, school, even personal matters. Just shoot the breeze."

The fact that so many of them take him up on his offer speaks to the level of respect Alexander commands at Edgewood, where he is on the verge of a milestone that underscores both his impressive track record and his unusual dual role as the men's and women's coach.

According to research by the school's sports information director, David Petroff, Alexander is on the verge of becoming just the fifth soccer coach in NCAA history, regardless of division, to win 200 games with both genders.

Notable in Alexander's case is that he is the only coach either Edgewood program has known. He founded the men's program in 1990 and is 197-161-28 in 20 seasons at the helm; his mark with the women's program, which he started in 1993, stood at 226-97-18 heading into Tuesday night's match at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, the Northern Athletics Conference leader.

Only two other active NCAA coaches have spent more time leading both programs simultaneously. What impresses Edgewood College athletic director Al Brisack is that the 53-year-old Alexander's work ethic and outlook is as strong as ever.

"He comes into every year as if it's the first year he's coaching soccer," said Brisack, who has worked with Alexander for the last decade and served as his boss for the last three years. "He ends every year with the same excitement about the players that are getting better and how they've improved. There's an incredible passion for soccer. He just loves the game."

Building, and balancing

Alexander's enthusiasm traces to his playing days. As a defender at UW-Green Bay, he twice earned All-Midwest Conference honors, and in 1977 he helped the Phoenix reach the Final Four of the NCAA Division II soccer tournament.

Alexander stayed on as an assistant coach for a year at UW-Green Bay before taking a job at Green Bay Premontre High School. His teams compiled a 153-31-6 record over 11 years and finished runner-up five times in the private-school (WISAA) state tournament. Alexander said that as time went on, he thought more and more about turning his passion for soccer into a career.

"It started out as just something fun, helping kids with something I knew," he said. "I had just gotten done playing and thought, 'I'll give something back.' The longer I stayed, the more I enjoyed it."

When a head coaching job opened up at Edgewood College, Alexander seized the opportunity. But it wasn't an easy task building up two programs with few resources, especially on the men's side. Alexander tried to raise recruiting interest by booking games at Breese Stevens Field, where the University of Wisconsin's teams played at the time. The move provided an exciting atmosphere and more credibility.

With hard work, Alexander's teams eventually broke through on the men's and women's sides. During his tenure, the Eagles have won a combined 11 Lake Michigan Conference regular-season titles and eight tournament championships.

Alexander says that juggling both teams can get pretty overwhelming at times (he's also had stints as the men's baseball and tennis coach at Edgewood). But luckily for him, he hasn't had to do everything on his own.

"He's got some assistants that share his passion and relate very well to his players," Brisack said. "That's important because he can't be in two places at once, so he has to rely on those assistants quite a bit."

Lombardino, who also credited the work of an assistant coaching staff that includes former Eagles standout Tony Winter, said Alexander is organized to the point of being laughable.

"I actually don't know how he does it year after year," Lombardino said. "To me, it seems like an enormous challenge, but he has it so well laid out. By the preseason meetings, he not only has each team's practices scheduled for the year, he's even got the bus schedule for away games set."

Putting players first

Alexander said he still learns new things about coaching every year. In particular, he's had to implement varying styles between the men and women.

"I think he's realized over time that with the women's team he has to be a little softer," senior midfielder Tammi Hagensick said. "With the men he can yell at them and that gets them fired up, but with our women's team he has to approach it differently."

Much of Alexander's approach, though, is the same for both teams.

On the field, it's common for him to jump into a practice drill to personally demonstrate what he wants to see occur, rather than just offer constructive criticism. And while his skills in analyzing the strengths and weaknesses both of his team and the opponent yield solid game plans, Alexander enjoys being able to turn his players loose on the field, to let them make the decisions.

Off the field, he is credited with developing a loyal group of program alumni, which he honors with occasional write-ups for the Edgewood College athletics website.

"He's out for his players, through and through," Lombardino said.

While soccer is Alexander's primary focus, he hasn't lost sight of the importance of being a student-athlete, especially at a small college like Edgewood.

"I've told a lot of recruits, even if you don't come here and play soccer, go to school here," said Alexander, who is practicing what he preaches by pursuing a master's degree in religious studies at Edgewood. "That's what it's about, kids coming here and getting an education."

Alexander said he hasn't thought too much about the significance of the approaching milestone, which can be achived with three more victories by the Eagles' men. They'll have to press to make it happen this season, as Edgewood has just two regular-season games remaining and at least one match in the NAC tournament.

Instead, Alexander gives credit to all the individuals who have helped him attain this success.

"It's an honor to be recognized, but it's not something that I strived to get - it just comes along with the longevity of being here," he said. "To me it's more about the kids; they're the ones who go out and get the victories. They're the ones that you're glad to see get honored at the end of the year because they deserve it."

mfox@madison.com

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