Concordia University OR Men's Soccer

Birkey finished the 2015 season ranked No. 7 on the NAIAs active coaches list before helping Concordia transition to NCAA DII. Not only has Birkey guided the Cavaliers to regular-season wins, he has steered the team to tremendous postseason success after having won 14 Cascade Collegiate Conference championships crowns in a span of 17 years (1998-2014). In 2012, Birkey led the Cavs to a 16-4-2 record and their seventh NAIA National Championship Tournament appearance since 1999. Concordia hosted the Opening Round of the NAIA National Championships at Tuominen Yard for the second straight year and defeated Arizonas Embry-Riddle University 3-1. In the Sweet 16 the Cavs fell to nine-time national champion Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) 2-1 and earned a No. 11 ranking in the final coaches poll of the season.   Under Birkey's guidance, the Cavaliers have been consistent powers after his rookie season at the helm in 1988, notching winning seasons in 26 of the last 27 years, including a current streak of 21 straight. During the span, the Cavs earned a top-20 national ranking in 16 seasons, climbing to a school-best ranking of fifth nationally in 1993 from a team that posted an 18-3-0 record. In addition, Birkey has coached 55 players to All-American honors. He directed Concordia to regional championships and national tournament berths in 1999, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012. In 2000, Birkey was named to the Cascade Conference Coaches Hall of Fame after receiving numerous district, conference, and regional Coach of the Year awards. In 1992, he led the Cavaliers to a NAIA District Championship and into the finals of the NCCAA national tournament that same year. He served as interim athletic director at Concordia in the mid-1990s and continues now as a professor in the Exercise & Sport Science Department. Birkey also directs the highly successful Concordia Soccer Camps each summer that attracts hundreds of young players each summer. He has served over a decade as the conference chairman for men's soccer and was the regional chair from 2001-04 and 2006-2008.  During 2014-15, Birkey held the the position of President of the NAIA Mens Soccer Coaches' Association, worked onthe NAIA National Ratings Committee and directed the National Tournament Committee. Birkey has continued to develop in his coaching education by numerous appointments and visitations in the professional ranks. In 2006, 2007 and 2008 Birkey was invited to join Harry Redknapp and the Portsmouth FC coaches as a visiting staff member for the English Premier League club. He returned to England in 2013 as he was invited to study and work with Everton FC under David Moyes, Alan Stubbs and David Weir. Birkey has also coached with former English National Team member Terry Fenwick in the Caribbean Pro League of Trinidad, as well as coaching appointments in Antigua and Costa Rica. As a player, Birkey was both an all-star and team captain at Warner Pacific College in Portland from 1977 to 1979, where he was sixth in the nation in scoring as a senior. He played two seasons in South America before coming back to Oregon, where he began his coaching career at Columbia High School. Birkey began coaching at the collegiate level in 1985 at Portland Community College while working in sports medicine. He received his master's degree in kinesiology from Portland State University in 1986.   NAIA / Cascade Collegiate Conference Overall Conference Year W L T PCT W L T Place Postseason Season 1988 7 11 0 .389 NCCAA District Finals 1 1989 13 10 0 .565 NCCAA Tournament Finals 2 1990 11 9 1 .548 NCCAA District Finals 3 1991 17 5 0 .773 NCCAA Tournament Finals 4 1992 18 4 1 .804 NCCAA Tournament Finals 5 1993 18 3 0 .857 NAIA District II Finals 6 1994 7 12 0 .368 4 1 0 2nd Northwest Regional Finals 7 1995 10 9 1 .525 4 2 0 2nd 8 1996 12 7 1 .625 4 1 1 2nd 9 1997 11 9 0 .550 6 4 0 3rd 10 1998 9 8 2 .526 7 3 0 T1st 11 1999 17 4 2 .783 9 1 0 1st NAIA Tournament First Round 12 2000 13 8 0 .619 10 2 0 1st NAIA Region I Semifinals 13 2001 12 8 0 .600 9 3 0 2nd 14 2002 17 6 0 .739 10 2 0 1st NAIA Region I Finals 15 2003 14 9 0 .609 10 2 0 1st NAIA Region I Semifinals 16 2004 11 5 3 .658 9 2 1 1st NAIA Region I Semifinals 17 2005 15 5 1 .738 11 1 0 1st NAIA Tournament First Round 18 2006 12 6 3 .643 9 3 0 T1st NAIA Tournament First Round 19 2007 16 4 0 .800 13 1 0 1st NAIA Region I Finals 20 2008 14 6 2 .682 9 2 0 1st (N) NAIA Tournament Second Round 21 2009 13 5 2 .700 11 3 0 2nd 22 2010 16 3 1 .825 12 1 1 1st NAIA Tournament First Round 23 2011 16 2 1 .868 11 1 1 1st NAIA Tournament First Round 24 2012 16 4 2 .773 12 1 1 1st NAIA Tournament Second Round 25 2013 15 5 0 .750 11 3 0 T2nd CCC Championship Finals 26 2014 13 5 0 .722 12 2 0 1st CCC Semifinals 27 TOTALS 363 172 23 .671 193 41 5 14 Titles 7 NAIA National Appearances NCAA DII / Great Northwest Athletic Conference Overall Conference Year W L T PCT W L T Place Postseason 2015 7 5 5 .559 5 4 5 5th TOTALS 7 5 5 .559 5 4 5 OVERALL 370 177 28 .667 198 45 10 E-Mail: One of the NAIAs all-time winningest coaches, Dan Birkey is beginning his 29th year with the Cavaliers, amassing a 370-177-28 record with a .667 winning percentage at Concordia. One of only 16 coaches to reach the 300-win plateau in his career, Birkey finished the 2015 season ranked No. 7 on the NAIAs active coaches list before helping Concordia transition to NCAA DII. Not only has Birkey guided the Cavaliers to regular-season wins, he has steered the team to tremendous postseason success after having won 14 Cascade Collegiate Conference championships crowns in a span of 17 years (1998-2014). In 2012, Birkey led the Cavs to a 16-4-2 record and their seventh NAIA National Championship Tournament appearance since 1999. Concordia hosted the Opening Round of the NAIA National Championships at Tuominen Yard for the second straight year and defeated Arizonas Embry-Riddle University 3-1. In the Sweet 16 the Cavs fell to nine-time national champion Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) 2-1 and earned a No. 11 ranking in the final coaches poll of the season.   Under Birkey's guidance, the Cavaliers have been consistent powers after his rookie season at the helm in 1988, notching winning seasons in 26 of the last 27 years, including a current streak of 21 straight. During the span, the Cavs earned a top-20 national ranking in 16 seasons, climbing to a school-best ranking of fifth nationally in 1993 from a team that posted an 18-3-0 record. In addition, Birkey has coached 55 players to All-American honors. He directed Concordia to regional championships and national tournament berths in 1999, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012. In 2000, Birkey was named to the Cascade Conference Coaches Hall of Fame after receiving numerous district, conference, and regional Coach of the Year awards. In 1992, he led the Cavaliers to a NAIA District Championship and into the finals of the NCCAA national tournament that same year. He served as interim athletic director at Concordia in the mid-1990s and continues now as a professor in the Exercise & Sport Science Department. Birkey also directs the highly successful Concordia Soccer Camps each summer that attracts hundreds of young players each summer. He has served over a decade as the conference chairman for men's soccer and was the regional chair from 2001-04 and 2006-2008.  During 2014-15, Birkey held the the position of President of the NAIA Mens Soccer Coaches' Association, worked onthe NAIA National Ratings Committee and directed the National Tournament Committee. Birkey has continued to develop in his coaching education by numerous appointments and visitations in the professional ranks. In 2006, 2007 and 2008 Birkey was invited to join Harry Redknapp and the Portsmouth FC coaches as a visiting staff member for the English Premier League club. He returned to England in 2013 as he was invited to study and work with Everton FC under David Moyes, Alan Stubbs and David Weir. Birkey has also coached with former English National Team member Terry Fenwick in the Caribbean Pro League of Trinidad, as well as coaching appointments in Antigua and Costa Rica. As a player, Birkey was both an all-star and team captain at Warner Pacific College in Portland from 1977 to 1979, where he was sixth in the nation in scoring as a senior. He played two seasons in South America before coming back to Oregon, where he began his coaching career at Columbia High School. Birkey began coaching at the collegiate level in 1985 at Portland Community College while working in sports medicine. He received his master's degree in kinesiology from Portland State University in 1986.   NAIA / Cascade Collegiate Conference Overall Conference Year W L T PCT W L T Place Postseason Season 1988 7 11 0 .389 NCCAA District Finals 1 1989 13 10 0 .565 NCCAA Tournament Finals 2 1990 11 9 1 .548 NCCAA District Finals 3 1991 17 5 0 .773 NCCAA Tournament Finals 4 1992 18 4 1 .804 NCCAA Tournament Finals 5 1993 18 3 0 .857 NAIA District II Finals 6 1994 7 12 0 .368 4 1 0 2nd Northwest Regional Finals 7 1995 10 9 1 .525 4 2 0 2nd 8 1996 12 7 1 .625 4 1 1 2nd 9 1997 11 9 0 .550 6 4 0 3rd 10 1998 9 8 2 .526 7 3 0 T1st 11 1999 17 4 2 .783 9 1 0 1st NAIA Tournament First Round 12 2000 13 8 0 .619 10 2 0 1st NAIA Region I Semifinals 13 2001 12 8 0 .600 9 3 0 2nd 14 2002 17 6 0 .739 10 2 0 1st NAIA Region I Finals 15 2003 14 9 0 .609 10 2 0 1st NAIA Region I Semifinals 16 2004 11 5 3 .658 9 2 1 1st NAIA Region I Semifinals 17 2005 15 5 1 .738 11 1 0 1st NAIA Tournament First Round 18 2006 12 6 3 .643 9 3 0 T1st NAIA Tournament First Round 19 2007 16 4 0 .800 13 1 0 1st NAIA Region I Finals 20 2008 14 6 2 .682 9 2 0 1st (N) NAIA Tournament Second Round 21 2009 13 5 2 .700 11 3 0 2nd 22 2010 16 3 1 .825 12 1 1 1st NAIA Tournament First Round 23 2011 16 2 1 .868 11 1 1 1st NAIA Tournament First Round 24 2012 16 4 2 .773 12 1 1 1st NAIA Tournament Second Round 25 2013 15 5 0 .750 11 3 0 T2nd CCC Championship Finals 26 2014 13 5 0 .722 12 2 0 1st CCC Semifinals 27 TOTALS 363 172 23 .671 193 41 5 14 Titles 7 NAIA National Appearances NCAA DII / Great Northwest Athletic Conference Overall Conference Year W L T PCT W L T Place Postseason 2015 7 5 5 .559 5 4 5 5th TOTALS 7 5 5 .559 5 4 5 OVERALL 370 177 28 .667 198 45 10