The Muskingum University Athletic Department has named John Bluem Muskingum Men's Soccer Head Coach.
Bluem is the most accomplished men's soccer coach in Ohio State history and will be inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame this fall. In 21 seasons in Columbus, Bluem guided the Buckeyes to 206 wins en route to winning five Big Ten Championships and being named The Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year four times. Ohio State appeared in the NCAA Tournament 10 times during his tenure and advanced to the College Cup finals in 2007.
"Bringing someone with the reputation of John Bluem into this position excites me first and foremost for our student-athletes, but also for our department and institution," said Director of Athletics Kari Winters. "John is not only bringing with him an unbelievable coaching resume, but the ability to create a vision with a track record that showcases successful execution. I look forward to our young men developing under John's tutelage, while watching us continue improving in the classroom and on the pitch."
Under Bluem's leadership, the Buckeyes were also successful in the classroom and engaged in the community. During his career, four student-athletes were named All-Americans, two earned Senior CLASS Awards, six were Big Ten Distinguished Scholars, 31 earned First Team All-Big Ten honors, 191 were Academic All-Big Ten honorees, and 17 were Major League Soccer Draft Picks.
"I believe that Muskingum has the potential in the next few years to show great improvement," said Coach Bluem. "The facilities are excellent, the school has great academic standards, and the program has the full support of the University. I'm excited to get started."
Before Ohio State, Bluem led the Fresno State men's soccer team from 1991-96. The Bulldogs won 86 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times. Bluem was recognized with Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year honors three times.
Bluem attended Hartwick College in New York. While there, he played on the men's soccer team and made three trips to the NCAA Championships, advancing to the Final Four in 1974. The Hartwick Hall of Famer (Class of 2002) was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who won the 1975 Soccer Bowl. Bluem earned a master's degree in sports education from the University of Akron.