College Soccer News: What Does Western Washington University Look For in a Soccer Player?

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Interview with Greg Brisbon – Men’s Associate Head Coach at Western Washington University 

Greg Brisbon is in his eighth year as associate head coach and 12th year as assistant coach at Western Washington University. He earned Bachelor's Degree in 1998 at Seattle Pacific, holds the USSF National "A" Coaching License and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Brisbon played professionally with Tallahassee Scorpions in 1998.

College Information: Western Washington Athletics

Western Washington University 

General Information 14,979 students - 94% undergraduates - 160+ academic programs - 21:1 student-to-faculty ratio

SNN: What do you think of Surf Cup this year?

Greg Brisbon: It’s a great youth soccer tournament.

SNN: How useful is Surf Cup in looking for / recruiting / identifying players vs. other soccer events throughout the country?

Greg Brisbon: This tournament generally has the best overall teams. Most of the top youth clubs have teams competiting at Surf Cup, which makes it good for us.

SNN: What type of players are you looking for today?

Greg Brisbon: I’m looking for defenders mostly and maybe an attacking player. We mostly just recruit Washington kids because we are in-state, but it’s good to see them play against the out of state players.

The competition here is a good measure if they can play at our level

SNN: What type of off-field aspects are you interested in? What are the most important traits to you?

Greg Brisbon: We look how they are dressed off the field and how they are acting. Little things like that.

SNN: How would you describe your team's playing style?

Greg Brisbon: It varies every year, depending on the personnel.

SNN: Can you describe your coaching style? Are you tough?

Greg Brisbon: I am more of a player's coach.

SNN: If a player wants to play for your school, what steps should they take?

Greg Brisbon: Contacting by email is the best way, and there are also ID camps twice a year as well if a candidate is serious about being considered.

SNN: Is sending videos a good approach to get a coach’s attention?

Greg Brisbon: We look at videos. That’s like a starting point; if we like it we will pursue it more.

SNN: Do you ever talk to coaches to get a sense of the coach-ability of a player?

Greg Brisbon: Yes, maybe at the tournament we talk to the coach. We definitely call the coach if we are interested in a specific player. We ask the youth coach what type of kid the player is and try to learn what the player is like on and off the field.

SNN: How long does it take to make a decision about a player?

Greg Brisbon: I like to watch a player three to six times before I make a final decision, but you can tell if a player is not going to work out in 10 minutes.

SNN: What’s your favorite soccer team?

Greg Brisbon: Real Madrid.

SNN: Who is your favorite player today?

Greg Brisbon: Right now, Wayne Rooney.

SNN: Describe your soccer background.

Greg Brisbon: I played college at Seattle Pacific University and one year professionally in Florida.

SNN: Thank you for your time.

Greg Brisbon: It was a pleasure.

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