Coach

IFC Dayton is proud to announce the appointment of Sid van Druenen as the club’s first head coach, ahead of the club’s inaugural season in the UPSL Premier Ohio/Indy Conference this Fall.

Van Druenen arrives at IFC Dayton after four seasons as head coach of NCAA Division I IU Indianapolis (IU Indy) men’s soccer, and as the club kicks off its first season in the UPSL Premier, IFC Dayton is delighted to have someone of Sid’s calibre leading the program.

A proven Division I head coach. Appointed in February 2022 as just the seventh head coach in the program’s history, van Druenen led IU Indy to its most successful season in 12 years in his first campaign — a third-place regular-season finish in the Horizon League and the program’s first-ever appearance in the Horizon League Tournament Championship game. Across his tenure he coached eight players to All-Horizon League honors, including the 2023 Horizon League Player of the Year and the 2022 Freshman of the Year, while his sides earned results on the road against programs like Notre Dame, Butler, Akron, and a nationally ranked Saint Louis.

Deep roots in Dayton soccer. Van Druenen knows this city’s soccer landscape as well as anyone. Before IU Indy, he spent five years on staff at Wright State University, rising to top assistant of the Raiders’ Division I men’s program. During his time in Fairborn, Wright State posted the best regular-season record in program history (13-3-3) and claimed a Horizon League regular-season title in 2018, then followed it in 2019 with a season of firsts: the program’s first Horizon League Tournament championship, first NCAA Tournament appearance, and first NCAA Tournament win — over Notre Dame.

His connection to the region runs deeper still. Van Druenen served multiple spells with the Dayton Dutch Lions FC — winning a W-League division championship as manager of the women’s team in 2012, becoming the youngest head coach in USL PRO history when he took charge of the club’s professional men’s side in 2013, and later returning as Director of Soccer Operations and men’s head coach. He also served as Technical Director and Head Coach of the Cincinnati Dutch Lions FC, where his team posted the best defensive record in club history.

A global football education. Born in Venray, Netherlands, van Druenen played youth and semi-professional football in the Netherlands with EVV and in Portugal with CD Boliqueime, before beginning his coaching career in Portugal as a youth coach at CDR Quarteirense. He moved to the United States in 2011 and has spent the past 15 years building teams, developing players, and running professionally structured club environments across Ohio and Indiana.

"We couldn’t have found a better fit to grow what we know will be a world-class program under Sid’s leadership. His experience across every aspect of the role — his success on the field, his network, his recruitment record, and his understanding of what a professionally run club looks like — is exactly why we hired him for this position. He also knows this area well, and that plays a big part in settling in and hitting the ground running. We couldn’t be happier, and we’re excited for the season ahead." — Oliver Templeton, Club President, IFC Dayton

The task ahead. IFC Dayton joins the UPSL Premier Ohio/Indy Conference this Fall — a division inside the fastest-growing soccer league in the United States, and one that will be a serious test for the club’s inaugural season. The conference brings established, well-run clubs and a demanding fixture list, and that is exactly the environment IFC Dayton was built for: a competitive platform with daily training, weekly fixtures, and a professional standard running through everything the club does. Van Druenen takes charge of the program immediately, leading squad building and player evaluation ahead of the Fall campaign.

Want to play for Coach van Druenen? Roster places for the inaugural season are limited. Players interested in being evaluated should submit a player profile — club staff review every submission and will contact suitable players regarding next steps.