Field of dreams

He sits inside the glass-enclosed press box donning his newly issued crimson adidas golf shirt, complete with the stripes over the shoulders and a sixth star added to the arc over the IU trident logo, black dress pants and his trademark yellow-tinted glasses. He sits alone in the front row of the box and speaks positive words that only those near him can hear when the team he formerly coached does something well on the pitch below. \nThe location is a change in viewing perspectives for former men's soccer coach Jerry Yeagley, as he is used to walking the sidelines of what is now called "Jerry Yeagley Field."\nThis weekend's adidas/IU Credit Union Classic marked the first time Yeagley has not coached the men's soccer team during the regular season. It was also the first time he had not walked the sidelines, as he retired at the end of last season's College Cup Championship game, when his Hoosiers brought the cup back to Bloomington for the sixth time in Yeagley's career with a 2-1 victory versus St. John's.\nYeagley coached IU for 31 years and never went more than a decade after beginning the program in 1972 without winning a national title; his first title came in 1982 and followed by subsequent titles in 1983, 1988, 1998, 1999 and 2003.\nLast school year, the IU board of trustees voted to change the name of the varsity soccer field to Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium, and the official ceremony honoring Yeagley and his name took place prior to the start of IU's match against Boston University Friday night. He got the first kick on the field bearing his name, sending the ball and his black dress shoe toward the north bleachers.\n"You know, most of the time when something is named after you, you are dead and gone," Yeagley said. "It's one of the greatest honors I've had, and this has been a major part of my life, IU soccer. I'm just thrilled that the university did this."\nIU secured victory in the first two games played on the newly named field, as it defeated BU 3-2 in overtime with sophomore forward Jacob Peterson's shot from sophomore forward Kevin Robson's assist four minutes into the overtime. \n"I think for the first half we didn't play so well, but the second half they came out strong and they caught us not looking," junior midfielder Brian Plotkin said. "Coming out, Coach (Yeagley) is here, we wanted to put on a show for him. Luckily, we came back and got it in front of everybody. Anything we can do for Coach, we are going to do as much as we can as best as we can."\nThe Hoosiers returned Sunday afternoon and continued their offensive attack when the team beat Oregon State University 3-1. Yeagley said he was just as thrilled watching from the press box as he would have been on the sideline.\n"It's just a special moment. For me to be able to start my career on Jerry Yeagley Field is the way it should be," said current IU head coach Mike Freitag, who still consults Yeagley for advice. "He's done so much for not just Indiana soccer, but for college soccer and soccer in the U.S. in general. He deserves to have this turf named after him."\nYeagley said he kept busy from January to July transitioning numerous speaking engagements, appearances and the soccer camp, which Yeagley ran for more than 25 years, from him to Freitag.\nHe said he has experienced withdrawal from not having full-time contact with the team, but he still feels part of the IU men's soccer program because his son, Todd, who was an assistant coach under him, is now Freitag's top assistant. Yeagley said he considers Freitag a younger brother and the connection to the team is still there because Yeagley recruited most of the players on IU's roster.\n"I still get the competitive juices before the game and throughout the game as well," Yeagley said. "But, I am very much at peace with myself, the situation, and I do better off not being down in the crowd. I like to sit alone in the press box so I can focus on the game. I did try in the spring to sit out, in the spring exhibitions, but naturally your friends want to talk to you, 'How are you doing?' 'How are you feeling?' 'What did you think about that?' All kinds of questions. I'm better off, for now, being by myself."\nNow that Yeagley is free of his full-time coaching commitment with the University, he said he has the opportunity to do what he wants when he wants to do it, including returning to the golf course.\n"The golf clubs aren't cooperating like I liked," Yeagley said. "I was never very good, but I can compete and I want to get back to that. I need to lower my expectations and it is hard to do that when you are a competitor."\n-- Contact staff writer Steve Slivka at smslivka@indiana.edu.