It is clear by his track record that LSU soccer coach George Fotopoulos wins.
It took just two full seasons and the first game of the 2002 season for Fotopoulos to become the school’s all-time win leader. He guided the Tigers in his first season at LSU in 2000 to the team’s second winning Southeastern Conference record.
His predecessor, Gregg Boggs, was just 12-44-3 in his three-year tenure.
In addition, he is the only coach to take two LSU teams to the SEC tournament and the only coach to win an SEC tournament game, setting a conference first when his No. 8-seeded squad knocked out No. 1 Auburn last season.
Fotopoulos points to his spirituality as a reason for his success.
“I’m a firm believer that my Christian strength guides me through good times and bad,” he said. “My spiritual strength and my family has helped me lead the way. My success – if you want to call it success – comes from my upbringing. I just work hard. That’s all I do, that’s all I know.”
Fotopoulos came to the LSU campus after a two-year stint at the University of Tampa, where he sported a 20-14-1 record.
In his debut season in the fall of 2000, Fotopoulos led the Tigers to a school-record 15 wins. The achievement garnered Soccer Buzz’s “Most Improved Team” in Division I recognition.
After a disappointing 7-8-3 2001 season that saw LSU go just 1-6-2 in the SEC, the 2002 squad bounced back. That team notched the first ever win in school history over a Top 15 team when it beat No. 15 Florida State on the road.
Fotopoulos has made recruiting a priority, surrounding himself with the best talent Louisiana has to offer but not being afraid to go out of state to sign the best players. There are representatives from eight different states on the 2003 LSU squad.
“He came to my house and gave me a motivational speech about what it is to be a Tiger,” said junior forward Artie Brown from Baton Rouge. “I like playing for George. He’s fun.”
Despite the fact that Ashley, her older sister played for Fotopoulos for two years, defender Tara Mitnick said Fotopoulos sold her on LSU.
“I was iffy about going out of state, but he made it real comfortable for me making my decision to come here,” said Mitnick, a Lilburn, Ga. native. “He’s serious in times he needs to be and funny at other times. Went we’re down, he always keeps us up. He’s really a personable coach, which is good.”
Fotopoulos said he appreciates hearing things like what Mitnick said.
“That’s tremendous,” he said. “I’m hard on these girls. No student, unless they’re an athlete, can understand what it’s like with two-a-days in 106 degree heat and do it. It’s not just about the scholarship money, it’s about the passion. It means a lot to me. My players are very important to me.”
There have been trying times for Fotopoulos, however. An NCAA investigation of his time at Tampa uncovered violations.
According to an April 2, 2002 NCAA judgment, “violations included bylaws governing extra benefits, recruiting, improperly administered financial aid, impermissible employment in summer camps, tryouts, improper administration of outside income and ethical conduct.”
The main violation Fotopoulos committed, according to the NCAA, was arranging for the payment of tuition and fees for two student athletes.
Fotopoulos said he was trying to do a good thing for those student athletes. He said sometimes the NCAA and its rules do not take into consideration the well-being of student-athletes. He does not deny what the NCAA accused him of doing.
“The NCAA looked at it as I did something wrong,” he said. “I was helping kids out that needed help. That’s where the NCAA rules are a little hazy. I didn’t buy a kid a $20,000 car so I could win a national championship. I had support from my father and support from alumni to raise [money for] scholarship foundations.
“Yes, I was wrong and I accepted responsibility, but in my mind I wasn’t wrong, I made a mistake. Inevitably, I was trying to help kids get an education and help kids get by. Sometimes the NCAA is not very human driven. I was in a situation where my heart and my upbringing went before NCAA rules.”
There was a time when Fotopoulos considered giving up his job at LSU.
“LSU saw the type of person I was and recognized that’s the type of coach I’ll be,” he said. “I always put the right thing first. There were times when I wanted to quit.”
Success had not been just limited to Fotopoulos.
His wife, U.S. women’s soccer star Danielle, owns the NCAA career record (men or women) for points with 284 and goals with 118 during her time at the University of Florida. She currently plays with the Carolina Courage in the Women’s United Soccer Association and is among the league’s career all-time points leaders.
The couple’s only child, Alexia, was born Nov. 18, 2000.
“Being a father has changed my life from the sense that you have to prioritize what’s important,” Fotopoulos said. “If I don’t win a game this year – winning and losing to me don’t matter like it used to – I want to be a good father and a good husband. Those are what I put first. Alexia allowed me to see that’s the most important thing in life.”