Steve Otto begins his first season as head coach of the Hinds Community College Lady Eagles Soccer program after serving the last 13 years as the assistant director of coaching for the Chicago Fire Juniors and Mississippi Futbol Club’s Mississippi Rush.
Previously, Otto was assistant and goalkeeping coach for the men’s soccer program at Belhaven University and the director of coaching for the Clinton Futbol Club. He also worked worked with youth soccer clubs and colleges in Illinois, Colorado, Tennessee, and South Carolina prior to moving to Mississippi.
A Rockford, Ill. native, Otto was an awarded goalkeeper who participated in the Olympic Development Program and played professionally with the Illinois Thunder, Colorado Storm, and the Rockford Raptors.
Otto says he’s been truly blessed and fortunate during his 30 years of coaching to have been part of so many young lives and to have had so many incredible mentors.
“I’ve known since I was young that my life and soccer would always be intertwined,” Otto said. “God blessed me with incredibly supportive parents, and at a young age by putting passionate, for the love of the game men like Danny Gaspar of the SGA in my life. Coaches like Tim Shultz, who gave me my first coaching license in 1992, helped me write my first academy program and molded my beliefs through his vision with Rush Soccer and his willingness to share his time. Kenny White taught me how important loyalty, grace and laughter is to success. Youth coaches like Chris Reed and Bill Felder have led by example and taught me that what you do off the field determines your success on the field. His blessings never cease to amaze, and it would take a lifetime to thank all those who’ve made it possible to do what I love every day of my life.”
Coach Otto has been part of building inaugural women’s programs with the W-League’s Ft. Collins Force (Colo.), Milligan College (Tenn.), and the Holmes Community College women’s program while serving as assistant and goalkeeper coach for Matt Convertino’s men’s soccer program.
Otto is married to the former Jen Williams. They have one son, Jake, 20, and two daughters, Allie, 18, and Tay Collum, 21.
