Michigan State University Athletics
Pirmann Joins Men's Soccer Staff As Assistant Coach
6/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
June 21, 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- - Michigan State head soccer coach Damon Rensing has announced that former Spartan midfielder Ben Pirmann has joined the coaching staff for the fall of 2011. Pirmann replaces his former collegiate coach Joe Baum, who recently announced his retirement after nearly four decades on the Spartan sideline. Pirmann begins his duties at his alma mater on July 1.
"We are really excited to bring Ben back to the Michigan State soccer family," said head coach Damon Rensing. "We had a great applicant pool, and it was great to see a former Spartan rise to the top of that list. Ben is an up-and-coming star in this profession because he has a good work ethic, great people skills, a very good soccer brain. "Obviously, Joe Baum is a hard person to replace, but I could not think of a better person who will bring that same pride, character, and passion for Spartan Soccer that we enjoyed from Joe on a daily basis than Ben Pirmann."
"Im thrilled for Ben, and I think it's going to be great for Damon to add a great Spartan to his coaching staff," added Baum, who announced last week that he was retiring from Michigan State after parts of four decades on the sidelines as a Spartan coach. "He is an intelligent and dedicated individual who will bring passion, loyalty, and a great love of Michigan State University. I think he is going to be a great asset to Damon and the entire soccer program."
Pirmann spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Western Michigan and has been involved in all facets of the Bronco program, with his primary responsibilities including the areas of compliance, recruiting, travel, video analysis, camps and scouting. Pirmann was a large part of the rebuilding process at Western Michigan the past two years, which has seen the Broncos return to the upper echelon of the Mid-American Conference. In 2009, WMU doubled its win total from the previous year with a 6-10-1 record and took third in the MAC, going 3-2-1 in league play. Additionally, the Brown & Gold advanced to the conference tournament semifinals for the first time in the last four years.
 Ben Pirmann was a part of two Big Ten Championship teams as an undergrad.  | |
Western Michigan had one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2010, reaching the conference tournament championship for just the third time ever and finishing as runners-up in the regular season, only behind national champion Akron. The Broncos posted an overall record of 10-8-2, going 4-2-0 in MAC play, and finished the year ranked No. 10 in the Great Lakes Region.
"I have a lot of respect for what Stu Riddle has done over the last 2 years at Western Michigan and what he is continuing to build there," noted Rensing. "I feel fortunate to bring Ben back to MSU with the knowledge and experience he has received from Stu."
A four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at Michigan State, Pirmann concluded his career with the Spartans in the fall of 2008, helping lead MSU to a Big Ten Championship. Pirmann was also part of the Spartan squad that won the Big Ten title in 2004. He was part of NCAA Tournament teams in 2004, 2007, and 2008.
Pirmann earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Michigan State in May 2008 and also earned a master's degree in kinesiology with a concentration in coaching the following year. During his playing career, Pirmann was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and also earned the team's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award in 2008. The former Spartan midfielder had one career goal and 13 career assists. He took a medical redshirt year in 2007, so he is the only player to play on both of MSU's two Big Ten Championship teams (2004 and 2008). In his career, the Spartans went 4-0 against Michigan and made three NCAA Tournament appearances. "Ben has been a part of some of the most important games and most successful seasons in recent history here at MSU," added Rensing. "Hopefully the current players use Ben's experience as a student-athlete as well as his proficiency as a coach as a great resource. Ben will help us continue to strive for the type of seasons that he enjoyed as an undergrad, and help us build upon our recent successes."
Pirmann, who also played for the West Michigan Edge (2007-08) and Indiana Invaders (2005-06), has been a USSF licensed coach since 2006, and currently holds a National B license. He helped the team as a student assistant coach at Michigan State in his medical redshirt season, and continued his duties following his final playing season while working on his graduate degree. In addition, he has worked a variety of high school and youth camps across the nation, including those at Michigan State and Notre Dame.
