For several years, Medaille College men’s soccer coach Dan Krzyzanowicz fielded offers to coach semi-professional clubs in the summer; his track record of collegiate success and player development spoke for itself.  Still, when four or five different organizations came calling, Coach K showed little interest because the clubs’ visions lacked appeal. 

Enter FC Buffalo owners Nick Mendola, Scott Frauenhofer and Ryan Knapp, three Tonawanda fellas with a burgeoning passion for futbol and a commitment to bolstering the city of Buffalo.  Krzyzanowicz, inspired by their vision, eagerly hopped on board to replace Jim Hesch, who left both FC Buffalo and Canisius College to spend time with his family.  Krzyzanowicz officially joined the club in December 2010 and has adjusted quickly.  Buffalo.com learned a little more about the FC Buffalo manager:

Coaching inspirations:  Krzyzanowicz (again, it’s Krizz-ann-owe-itch) relishes the brilliance of Real Madrid skipper Jose Mourinho, the style and demeanor of Barcelona headman Pep Guardiola (Coach K is a devout Barca supporter) and the constant success of MLS’ Seattle Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid. 

Biggest challenge:  Molding a summer semi-pro team composed of present NCAA Division I athletes accustomed to star-treatment presents an arduous task.  I don’t mean “star-treatment” in the sense that people stand in awe of them, but these players are used to significant playing time in their preferred positions.  Coach K is confronted with the challenge of divvying playing time and keeping 20+ starting caliber players content.  It’s a tough balancing act, I’d say.

Pre-game rituals:  Krzyzanowicz isn’t overly-superstitious, but he generally follows the same procedure.  He addresses his players with a pre-game speech, then gathers his thoughts and prays in a smaller locker-room before entering the field shortly before the match starts.  He’s almost always the last team member to enter the stadium.

Sideline demeanor:  The outspoken Krzyzanowicz strives for composure on the bench rather than loud antics, but it doesn’t always work out that way.  He kept his poise during the rough patches of FC Buffalo’s opening 2-1 loss to FC Reading, however. 

Expect a quick Buffalo.com preview on Friday morning for Saturday’s road match against the Buxmont Torch.