Joshua Pransky ('09YC) is the Assistant Athletic Director for Recruiting and Alumni, and Head Coach of the Men's Soccer Team. The Philadelphia native has been coaching since 2007 and holds the title of most career wins in the history of soccer coaches at . Before coming to , Pransky served as a senior coach and Regional Director of Coaching for the Legends Soccer Club. Pransky just returned from coaching the Maccabi USA U16 Soccer team at the Maccabi Pan American Games in Chile.    

1. What is your favorite aspect of your job at ?

As a coach, being a part of molding young people in the final stages of their youth is incredible.  Helping them develop their character in all respects - morally, religiously, ethically and more - is a huge responsibility and an unbelievable honor.  We try to extend what happens on the soccer field into lessons for everyday life.  Showing young people that you can strive for excellence and victory, while embracing a core set of moral values is a challenging and therefore rewarding experience. As Assistant Athletic Director, it is a thrill to introduce to potential students who either did not know about or who may not be considering .  There is a lot of misinformation out there about and I have had hundreds, if not thousands, of conversations that all ended with the other party exclaiming that they have a better and brighter understanding of what is about.  

2. What profession did you think you would one day hold when you were a child?

I was going to school to go into Physical Therapy before this hijacked me.  To be honest I remember watching college games on TV as a kid and thinking, I want to do that one day.  But to be here and living it was at just about the farthest reaches of my imagination of what was actually possible.  I had no plans on doing this all the way until it actually started to happen.  

3. What are the biggest challenges of your job?

Convincing elite level student athletes to forgo the glitz and glamour of playing for one of the schools they watch on TV and instead choose to play for and get the chance to take advantage of all we offer.  Explaining to people who did not grow up practicing Orthodox Judaism that does not have to be a foreign concept to them is a close second.  When the two of these challenges apply to the same person it is a great experience!  

4. What would your colleagues and players be surprised to learn about you?

  Probably nothing.  I talk too much!