fridal

Jon Fridal

Jon Fridal is entering his third season as the Eastern New Mexico Men's Soccer Head Coach for the 2020 season as he plans to lead the Hounds into the postseason following a historic 2019 campaign. 

Fridal helped coach the Green and Silver to a record breaking 12-5-1 overall record in 2019, finishing seventh in the Lone Star Conference and barley missing out on the conference tournament. Eastern began the season with two huge shutout victories over then ranked #17 Colorado Mesa and #3 Fort Hays State before jumping out to a 6-0-0 record. The Hounds appeared in the first five United Soccer Coaches National Polls and eventually climbed as high as the No. 9 spot, the highest ranking in program history. Fridal also led the High Plains Squad to their first LSC victory on Oct. 25 following a dominant 4-1 showing against Dallas Baptist. Eastern would finish the season on a three-game winning streak sparked by a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over #13 Midwestern State on Nov. 2. Eastern finished ranked No. 12 in the final NCAA Super Region 4 and where just two spots shy of making the national tournament.

 A program-high five athletes were named to the 2019 All-Lone Star Conference Team highlighted by LSC Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team Honoree Ross Dalton. Junior Gabriel Peres earned Second Team recognition while senior Julian Trapp, junior Robbie Jenkinson and sophomore Joe Conway were named to the Third Team. Jenkinson would also be recognized as a D2SIDA All-South Central Region Second Team member while Trapp and Peres received United Soccer Coaches All-South Central Region Third Team honors. Fridal proved to be an academic inspiration to his squad as well after the Hounds received a USC Team Academic Award for their exemplary performance in the classroom during the 2018-19 academic year.

In Fridal's first season with the Hounds, he led ENMU to an 8-8-2 record, placing third in the Heartland Conference West Division and a tie for eighth overall in the conference standings in Eastern's final season in the Heartland Conference. Fridal guided ENMU to a pair of big wins during the season as the Hounds defeated Newman, the third-best team in the Heartland by scoring a pair of goals in the final eight minutes to come away with a 4-2 win at home over Newman on Sept. 22 as well as defeating HC South Division Co-Champion St. Edward's in a 2-1 comeback victory on Oct. 20 to keep the Hounds' Heartland Tournament aspirations alive. Eastern also rallied back from a two-goal deficit in the second half at No. 23 West Texas A&M to force a 2-2 draw.

Under Fridal's mentorship the Greyhounds had three players earn All-Heartland Conference honors and two named to All-Region honors. Sophomore midfielder Gabriel Peres was named to the All-HC First Team, while freshman forward Aderi Arthur-Dede earned HC Freshman of the Year and All-HC Second Team accolades. Freshman forward Julian Trapp was named to the All-HC Third Team as well. On top of all-conference honors, Peres was named to the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) All-South Central Region Second Team while Arthur-Dede received United States Soccer Coaches Association Third Team honors.

Fridal joined the program prior to the 2018 season after a successful stint at Indian Hills Community College during which time he was named the 2017 NJCAA Region XI Coach of the Year and the NJCAA Great Lakes District Coach of the Year. His staff was also named the United States Soccer Coaches North Region Staff of the Year following an 18-3 season that saw his program win the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference regular season title for the first time in school history. 

Fridal inherited an Indian Hills program that won just six total games the season prior to his arrival in 2016, and quickly turned things around in his first season at the helm. A program record 11 wins was immediately bettered in his beforehand mentioned second season that included a regular season championship, four All-American honors, a NJCAA All-Tournament selection, a NJCAA Region XI Player of the Year performer, and 10 total All-Region XII nominees. 

His team's ability to create and capitalize on scoring opportunities was on full display throughout the 2017 season as his squad ranked second in the nation with 98 goals scored. Their ability to rise to the occasion and compete against some of the nation's best night in and night out was also evident as that team posted a record of 7-2 against nationally ranked opponents throughout the season. 

Prior to his record setting career at IHCC, Fridal served as the head assistant coach for two other Division II programs in Alderson-Broaddus University (2014-15) and Maryville University (2010-14). His Alderson-Broaddus unit reached their highest ranking in school history that year at 16th in the NCSAA National Polls during the 2015 season and advanced all the way to the GMAC conference tournament championship game before ultimately losing in penalty kicks. 

Along with his work at the collegiate level throughout his career, Fridal has spent multiple seasons as an assistant coach for a number of semi-professional soccer teams in the Premier Development League including the West Virginia Choas and the St. Louis Lions. 

Fridal's playing career included collegiate stops at Division I institutions College Saint Francis University and Western Illinois University. He was a member of a Western Illinois team that captured a Mid Continent Conference regular season and tournament championship, which earned the program a bid into the NCAA Division I national tournament.

Following his collegiate career, Fridal put together a five year professional stint over the course of 2009-14. He tallied 45 goals and 24 assists in 52 career matches with the St. Louis Illusion and the Illinois Piasa of the Professional Arena Soccer League. He then spent one season as a reserve for the St. Louis Ambush of the Major Indoor Soccer League. 

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from Western Illinois University. Fridal currently resides in Portales with his wife Brittany and daughters Kinley and Maelyn.