How does the old song go? "It Takes Two Babe". In an interview with Lee Men's Soccer Coach Derek Potteiger it certainly appears that is the case, or maybe we could change the tune to "It Takes Six".

Said Potteiger: "My wife (Jennifer) is my partner in all of this. We met at Penn State and though she was athletic, she was not a college athlete.  Jennifer was in campus ministry at the time and I was finishing my junior year when we met.  When we got married, she left campus ministry at Penn State and she has been a faithful partner in wherever God has called us.  I tell people I am listed on paper as the Head Coach of the team, but I am pretty sure she does just as much, and that my team usually likes her more than me anyway!" 

That is where four others enter the picture. "My daughters (Alexis (13), Rylee (11), Abigail (9), and Reese (6) love being coaches' kids.  They love the guys, they love coming to training and games, and they have each had a special impact on the program," explained the coach. The Potteigers could be adding more to the staff. "We are in the process of adding more through the adoption process," he added. "All four of our daughters are athletic and each has their specific passions – soccer, track, dance, gymnastics, softball, basketball, but I think they love being a part of this team as much as anything." 

God has Fingerprint on his Life: Derek is the son of Gary and Nancy Potteiger.  "I started playing soccer while my family was missionaries in Zimbabwe  (1984-85). I was only five at the time but it was my introduction to soccer and as we played it every day over there, it became my passion," Derek pointed out. "It is very cool to see how God's fingerprints are all over our lives when we stop and look back. God has given me this platform of playing and coaching soccer because my parents were faithful in responding to a call to move to Africa (as hard as that was) for a year."   

Penn State All-American: Being a native of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Derek quickly jumped on board with Penn State. He became the only Nittany Lion ever to be named All-Big 10 for four years (1998-2001) and All-American (2000-01). He was team captain for three years.

Indiana - Big 10 Roadblock: Indiana University was a roadblock for several Nittany Lion teams. "We did not win a single Big Ten 10 Championship when I was there," noted Potteiger. "We were ranked No.1 in the country for parts of the 1999, 2000, and 2001 seasons, but unfortunately Indiana was the top program in the country those years. I believe they won two National Championships over those four years and went to another Final Four.  I lost to them eight times over my career (never even tied them)! In 1999 we went 19-4-1 and three of those losses were to Indiana.  We lost to them in the regular season, the Big Ten 10 Final, and then the Elite 8.  We had some very good teams over those four years and I had the privilege of playing with some great players, but we never won a championship – and that is a big part of what drives me today, both personally to achieve those championships but even more to help give my players the opportunity to accomplish that – because I know what it feels like to have a good career and yet never win anything significant as a team."

Professional Career: The New England Revolution of the MLS drafted Potteiger and he spent preseason with them at Portugal. "In the end, it did not work out, but I had been selected by the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL, so I spent my first two professional years (2002-03) with them.  I then played for the Harrisburg City Islanders (my hometown team) from 2004-2006 and when I was heading into the 2007 season, I was the first-ever USL player that was purchased.  My contract was bought by the Cleveland (Ohio) City Stars. I played there during the 2007-08 seasons. We won the USL Championship in 2008. That was my first-ever league championship and was a great final moment before I retired," he recalled 

Working with Dave Brandt: There are very few if any soccer coaches held in higher standards than Dave Brandt. "I had known Dave since I was a young player.  He was the assistant coach and then head coach at Messiah College – a National Powerhouse D3 program that was 15 minutes from my home.  I went to all their summer camps and as many games as I could.  He was recruiting me from a young age unofficially but officially once I became a junior at Cumberland Valley High School," said Potteiger.

"We joke that I spurned him in my college decision (going to Penn State), and it took me 12 years to recognize my mistake and join him at the Naval Academy!  He and I had always stayed in touch. I respected him so much as a coach and leader. I jumped at the chance to join him in 2009 at Navy.  I loved working with Dave, I loved the Naval Academy, and my family loved Annapolis," Derek stressed. "Had I not wanted to be a head coach l could have stayed there the rest of my career. In the end I spent four years with Dave at Navy. I have so many fond memories of my time with him, with the teams and players at Navy, and just in my time associated with the Academy."

Making Move to Gordon College (just north of Boston): Potteiger took the job at Gordon in January of 2013.  He admits it was a huge change. "Everything was different: the school, the level of the program, the area of the country, the challenges; but we (me and my family) felt called there. We were fully committed. We loved so many parts of that season of life," he explained. "My main commitment before arriving at Gordon was that even though I went from DI to D3, I was not going to change the way I coached or the expectations I had for the players. I think that made all the difference.  They had won six games the year before, and we won 19 my first season there.  It was not easy, there were plenty of challenging moments, but I did not waiver in my expectations and I was blessed to have a group of players that were willing to keep challenging themselves and keep growing." He left Gordon for Lee with a 76-31-10 record and took two teams to NCAA D3 National Tournament. 

Ready for Bigger Challenge: Potteiger felt he was ready for a new and bigger challenge when the Lee job opened. "As soon as I heard the coaching position was open it seemed like a fit in every way – and so we were all in. The difference at Lee was noticeable right from the start.  It was a higher level of play, with better quality across the board on my team, but also in the opponents we were playing," he allowed. "It was also different because the culture of the team was not at all like I left at Gordon. I had to work hard from the first moment to build, teach, and model the culture I desired.   Any change like this is always hard for a team, but I have so many great memories of those first years here at Lee and the special players that committed to being all in with that transition.  We achieved some external success this past season (2019), but I look back and there are so many players that deserve to be part of that because of what they did those first few years to lay the foundation for what we accomplished this past season."  

All About Team Awards: "Team awards far outweigh any individual honor you can win as a player or coach.  There is such joy in celebrating not just the moment but the journey as a team. It does not even compare to earning something as an individual," Potteiger explained. "This past season was a top moment in my soccer career (coaching Flames to their first GSC championship). I can say that I find even more joy in being part of that success as a coach than as a player.  It is different than winning something as a player. There are moments you are a part of as a player that you never get to have as a coach, but when you help a large group achieve something they desired so deeply, it is so rewarding. In fact, it is hard to articulate just how you feel and the depths of where those emotions come from." 

Sky is Limit: It appears the pieces are all in place as Derek Potteiger enters his fourth season as the Lee head coach. The life of a coach is made so much easier when the wife and children love the sport. They are all aboard the Lee University soccer train.