Naperville North’s Terada steps down

Updated: June 7, 2011 7:53PM

Citing the time commitments of a growing family, Naperville North head coach Brent Terada acknowledged his decision to step down as head coach two days after directing the Huskies to a second-place finish in the IHSA Class 3A state girls soccer finals.

“I am leaving my position at North because my wife and I are expecting twins. With these new additions plus my other two kids, I don’t have time to coach North,” Terada responded via e-mail in between end-of-the-year teacher’s meetings. He also indicated his future plans included coaching his daughters on the Eclipse Soccer Club’s U-7 squad.

Naperville North finished the 2011 season with an 18-6-1 record that included a nine-game win streak snapped by a 1-0 loss to Granite City in the June 4 state championship match. The Huskies --- ranked No. 2 in the season-ending Chicago Sun-Times Top 10 --- began their run with a pair of back-to-back road victories that helped them finish second in the DuPage Valley Conference (5-1-1) before capturing their own regional with a 1-0 triumph over Metea Valley.

The Huskies then edged cross town rival Naperville Central in another 1-0 thriller before registering the same tally in the Waubonsie Valley-hosted Sectional championship over then undefeated and season-long top-ranked Neuqua Valley. After ending the Wildcats’ year at 24-1-0, North beat York (2-1) in the Lisle SuperSectional and posted another 1-0 triumph --- the last of the team’s 14 shutout victories for 2011 --- over a newly No. 1-rated Conant to make the school’s first title game appearance since 1998. The Huskies did claim a girls soccer crown in 1988.

Naperville North athletic director Doug Smith’s e-mail response regarding Terada was as follows: “I cannot comment because I have not heard anything officially from coach Terada nor has a resignation been tendered.”

However, Terada met with members of the team Monday evening to inform them of his decision.

“He’s a great coach and one of the things I really liked best was that he was so very team-oriented and that’s why we had such a great run at the end,” said sophomore Cora Climo. “I know he put in so much time over the previous summer to make sure we were able to be our best, from conditioning to scouting reports. I can’t thank him enough and only hope we get a coach as good as him.”

Junior playmaking forward Hunter Drendel echoed Terada’s impact on team chemistry.

“In the last couple of years he’s really molded our team and helped develop our bond, connecting us closer as a family, so between the seniors we’re losing and him not being back, I know it’s up to me and the other returnees to provide some extra leadership,” Drendel added.

“It’s awesome that he gets to go out on such a high note with us finishing second,” Angela Widlacki said. “He always had us prepared for every opponent and we respect his decision to put his family first.”

North did graduate eight talented seniors including the heart of its defense in goalie Abby Green, plus defenders and co-captains Jamie Meno and Andrienne Schertz. However, the Huskies are expected to have 13 returnees from their state tourney roster including Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association All-State pick Zoe Swift, a sophomore forward who led the squad in scoring with 23 points.

Terada’s career mark as a head coach for seven campaigns is 95-44-13 (.668) including five years at North (72-30-12 / 2007-11) preceded by two years at IMSA (23-14-1 / 2002-03). A graduate of Conant, Terada earned his undergraduate degree from Northern Illinois (1999) and his master’s from Aurora (2005).

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