Nobody has actually broken out in song upon seeing Todd Yeagley back at the Indiana University Athletic Department offices, but “Back Home Again in Indiana” would be appropriate enough.

“Not yet,” Yeagley said when asked if he’d been serenaded since being named the new head coach at IU last Friday. “But everywhere I go it’s like a reunion time, so that song might break out at some point. It’s been a nice homecoming. Of course I was only gone for a year so a lot of the senior staff and other coaches I already know, and with the support staff throughout the department and people around the soccer program, there are people I’ve known since I was a little kid.”

That of course is because Todd Yeagley is the son of Jerry Yeagley, who founded the IU program and won 6 national championships in 31 years of coaching. Born in 1973, Todd grew up as the IU program was being built. He played at IU in the early 90s and then, following his professional career with Columbus, served as an assistant coach in Bloomington for his father’s final season and then head coach Mike Freitag for five years. After taking his first head coaching position last year at Wisconsin, Todd Yeagley was immediately a leading candidate for the IU job when Freitag was dismissed earlier this month.

That Freitag’s contract wasn’t renewed is proof positive of just how hard it is to follow in the footsteps of a living legend. Freitag had been a player at IU and a longtime staff member under the elder Yeagley. He won the national title in his rookie coaching season (2004) and consistently had winning records with a number of Big Ten titles to go with it. Even in his final season, the worst under his direction as far as wins and losses go, the team advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament. Not a bad record by any means, but not good enough for the decision-makers connected with IU soccer.

Todd Yeagley, who stressed his continued friendship with Freitag, had told me a few years ago that he thought following in his father’s footsteps would be exceptionally difficult, but in our discussion this week he also acknowledged he is uniquely qualified to handle the challenge.

“I always felt it would be hard, but for me to be able to handle the pressure of the program, in some ways felt I could do that as well as anyone,” he said. “My own background and a big part of my makeup is that I know every element of the program. I’ve been intimately involved with alumni, friends of the program and I’ve enjoyed a great rapport with all of the folks. Yes, the pressures are great to succeed, but I don’t really think of it in those terms. The way I coach and think, I don’t worry a lot. I’m optimistic and forward-thinking by nature and this is a great opportunity to lead the program I love. The important parts of coaching are going to have pressure with them. Any high-profile job will, but to not go and take the opportunity because of fear, that isn’t what I’m like.”

Now charged with making the Hoosiers a perennial national championship contender, Yeagley points to players and pride as the essential ingredients on which he will focus.

“The key for every good Indiana team through the years is the talent we were able to bring here. The unique ingredient with IU teams has been a really nice collection of special players, combined with a hard-working disciplined, goal-oriented team. It has been a great makeup and that’s been a common thread,” he said. “On top of that players understood their role and what it meant to wear the uniform. You need to put special players on the field but they have to have a complete commitment to everything the program stands for.

“We have everything here a player could want. There are facilities, the school, the campus, the support staff and fan support,” he continued. We can provide everything you would want if you want to play at the next level. Having been to the pros myself and knowing what the environment there is, I need to make sure prospective players know that we understand that is part of our role too. Along with helping them have success in the classroom, to grow as young men and fight for championships on the field, we want to help them achieve their goals in soccer.”

Yeagley, who expects to name his staff in January, begins almost immediately the dual roles of assessing his current squad through spring practices (which begin in January) and looking ahead to the recruiting class of 2011. While the recruiting schedule in college soccer is somewhat accelerated as of late, many of the top players who are currently juniors remain uncommitted, and Yeagley plans making a full-court push for those who fit into the program’s needs and aspirations.

“We’ll be taking a hard look at making sure we can get the right pieces. With the 2011s we want to identify our specific needs and make sure we can create a special relationship with the kids and their families. That has to happen really fast,” he said. “At the same time we’ll be conducting the maximum amount of team training that we’re allowed. I’ll get a quick pulse of where we are. That wont’ be as hard for me being removed just a year from the program, but I can also see those players who didn’t play as much the past year and the freshmen who have come in. I’m not going to go back and review a lot of film from last year. I want to give everyone a fresh start and then evaluate what our top priorities are position-wise, and then go after that.”

Yeagley realizes the climate of college soccer is different than in the days when IU, UCLA or Virginia had dynasty programs, but believes some principles still make all the difference in the world between programs that lead and follow.

“We all hear the parity is a common used term. A big reason the level has gotten better is that middle-tier teams who used to have a weak piece in their team are mostly solid now and can stay in games and compete with the top 20 programs. The special players are still there in the top, but middle to upper tier players are better. This allows more teams to have success and make deep runs in the tournament,” he said. “So it is more difficult but that is still the charge. You have to believe in doing great things and that’s something we’ll talk about quite a bit. Every Indiana player wants to say they played on the best team. We love to banter about it. Every team tries to have a stake in that history, to prove it through their performance and results.

“Players from this program have taken pride in that and I want these players to be able to talk about being on the best IU soccer team 15-20 years from now. That competitive nature goes with pride in wearing the uniform, and that has to be displayed from the top down through the leadership. It’s a unique privilege. “