Other-Sports
Former MLS star, Ohio State head coach Brian Maisonneuve reflects on career, ’96 Olympics and collecting
His playing career was legendary as Brian Maisonneuve was a star soccer midfielder at all levels — and many of his teams won championships.
His team at De La Salle Collegiate High School in Warren, Mich. won the state championship. Then, at soccer powerhouse Indiana University, Maisonneuve led the Hoosiers to the 1994 national championship game and he won the ’94 Hermann Trophy, the sport’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy in college football.
Maisonneuve played 172 games for the Columbus Crew in 1996-2004, which included the first Major League Soccer (MLS) season. He also was a member of the U.S. teams at both the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1998 FIFA World Cup, earning a total of 13 caps with the U.S. National Team.
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So, what’s the one playing highlight that stands out today as Maisonneuve turns 50 on June 28?
He can’t pick just one.
“There were just so many, so many neat moments and memories,” he said. “Winning the state championship in high school was awesome. We lost the 1994 NCAA national championship at IU, but I wouldn’t change that experience … other than the finals outcome. The World Cup, the Olympics, opening Crew Stadium … all of that was really, neat.
“I can’t say I have one defining moment from my career or this is something I remember above everything else. I loved to play; I loved to hang out in the locker room, and as crazy as it may sound, those experiences and the relationships [with teammates and coaches] probably mean more than some of those big games because that’s what it was all about.”
MEMORABILIA REGRETS
Memories are plentiful, but not a lot of memorabilia from those magical moments.
“I was and am bad with [collecting memorabilia]. My wife saved [memorabilia], but I gave away a lot of stuff, including jerseys,” he said. “My wife saved some and had them framed.
“Now, I wish I had collected more stuff.”
Maisonneuve admitted his man cave is limited of souvenirs from an illustrious three-decade career.
“My wife kept Olympic and World Cup items, but that stuff is stored in boxes. When I do stumble on those items, the memories come right back,” he said. “I wish I had saved more items, including items from 1996 and the start of MLS. Those items would help me reflect on how far the league has come.
“I wish I had some of the stuff that was given to us [for the Olympic and World Cup teams], as well as pictures.
“One of the neatest places I’ve been to [for soccer] was Egypt. My wife told me to take pictures [there], but I never did. I joke around, the memories are all in my mind.”
Maisonneuve was an IU superstar, finishing his career as the Big Ten’s all-time career goal scorer (44) — and he still sits at No. 5 all-time heading into the 2023 NCAA soccer season, with three other former Hoosiers sitting ahead of Maisonneuve.
He was allocated to the Columbus Crew for the 1996 MLS season and ultimately played his entire career for the Crew, finishing with 23 goals and 37 assists.
“I was blessed to play at the highest level,” he said. “It was a fun career; I know I was very fortunate, and I never take it for granted. It was a neat run.”
Especially wearing red, white and blue to represent America.
“Both were unbelievable experiences,” Maisonneuve said. “The Olympics were so cool because they were here in the United States. The World Cup was amazing.”
The first game for the U.S. in the 1996 Summer Olympics was against Argentina at Legion Field in Birmingham in front of a crowd of 83,810 fans, still the stadium’s record for any event.
“I don’t know how many of those fans were truly soccer fans, but they were U.S.A. fans,” Maisonneuve said. “I can still remember the ‘USA, USA, USA’ chants.
“We weren’t able to [attend] the Opening Ceremony because we had a game the next day. They actually did an opening ceremony of sorts for soccer because a lot of the teams could not attend [the real Opening Ceremony]. So, we couldn’t warm up on the field [in Birmingham]; we had to warm up in the locker room and in the parking lot.
“Before that [Olympic opener], the biggest [crowd of my career] was in the College Cup in 1994 with about 12,000 fans. So, to walk out at Legion Field, in front of 83,000 fans — and again, that was the first time I saw the crowd — that was amazing.”
USA struck early against world power Argentina, as Claudio Reyna scored 28 seconds into the game — on his birthday, no less, and Reyna is, ironically, of Argentine descent. Ultimately, Argentina prevailed, 3-1.
“I still remember, after celebrating [Reyna’s goal], jogging back to midfield and I was exhausted. The crowd, the goal, the emotions,” Maisonneuve said. “I had to take a deep breath, knowing I still had 89 minutes to play. That was an incredible moment.”
Maisonneuve’s cardboard legacy is three cards, starting with his 1999 Upper Deck MLS rookie (No. 59), followed by a 2000 Upper Deck card (No. 23). He also appeared on a 2005 Crew card.
He saved some of each.
“It was really neat when they came out with my cards,” Maisonneuve said. “I dabbled in baseball card [collecting] when I was younger, and some of my buddies were into football card collecting.”
He still doesn’t have any of his vintage baseball cards.
Maisonneuve was and still is not an autograph collector. But he’s long been a willing autograph signer. In Columbus, for instance, the team often asked players to sign autographs after games — for 30 minutes, or 60, or at times longer.
“I always enjoyed spending time with the fans, signing autographs. It was fun to build the relationship with the fans. Columbus fans were fantastic,” he said.
When asked if he could score one signature from anyone, Maisonneuve didn’t hesitate — Michael Jordan, he said.
“I grew up a Detroit Pistons fan, but Michael Jordan was someone who I always enjoyed watching, watching him compete,” he said.
From soccer, Maisonneuve said he’d seek a signature from Lionel Messi, who will make his Inter Miami debut against Cruz Azul during a Leagues Cup matchup on July 21.
“I’m so excited for him to join the league,” he said.
Maisonneuve said he’s received a “decent amount” of fan mail over the years and added that it’s always flattering when fans seek his signature. He still gets fan mail in 2023, mostly cards and photos to sign.
“I’ll sign them and send them back,” he said.
BACK TO COLLEGE
Maisonneuve is now the head coach at Ohio State University, heading into his sixth season for the Scarlet and Gray in the fall. Ironically, he never envisioned a coaching career when he was younger.
“I got an itch for coaching toward the end of my career with Columbus. I had a bunch of injuries when I was playing for the Crew, so I knew my career wasn’t going to last forever,” he said. “Once I started coaching, I got the same excitement, the same butterflies I had as a player.”
His coaching career also has included time as an assistant with the U.S. U17 National Team and an assistant for the U.S. U20 National Team. He was on staff at the University of Louisville from 2008-09, then back in Bloomington for a coaching run with the Hoosiers. Maisonneuve was a part of Todd Yeagley’s staff at Indiana University for nine years.
He landed in Columbus in 2018, a team that finished 1-15-2 in his first season. In 2022, Ohio State went 11-3-6 overall and advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 Big Ten Tournament before being selected to the 2022 NCAA Tournament, where the Buckeyes advanced to the second round with a win (3-0) at Wake Forest.
“In the first six months [as a coach], I knew it was something that I really had a passion and love for,” Maisonneuve said.
No doubt he’s already circled Oct. 15 on his calendar when the Buckeyes travel to Bloomington for a battle against the Hoosiers.
“I can’t say [games against IU] are not emotional,” he said. “It is a weird feeling, having gone to IU and being such good friends with [IU coaches] Todd Yeagley and Kevin Robson. They are fun games, but emotional.”
Maisonneuve The Coach is a mix of the masters he’s played under – from Terry Mukhtar in high school to Jerry Yeagley at Indiana to others such as Bruce Arena and Steve Sampson, among others.
“I take a little bit from every coach,” he said. “I’m not a yeller or a screamer; I try to focus on the positives and strengths – of players and teams. I try to teach my players how to think the game. Soccer is so dynamic, thus when you’re on the field, you have to be able to think the game and not just tell them what to do. I really focus on teaching them how to think [on the field].
“Communication and leading by example, from a coaching philosophy and coaching standpoint, I think it’s real important to always have honest communication. Working hard and being consistent, I think the players see me as a coach doing that, and they then do the same.”
