MIAMI, FL – Former FIU Men’s Soccer head coach Karl Kremser has been inducted into the 2025 FIU Athletics Hall of Fame. Kremser spent 28 of the program’s first 36 years as head coach.
Some of his most notable achievements include guiding the FIU Panthers to 24 winning seasons and achieving 10+ win seasons in 14 of his last 17 years. His teams appeared in five Division II and eight Division I tournament appearances. Under his helm, the 1982 and 1984 teams won the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Championship.
We are excited to celebrate the return of the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame with an extraordinary class. These six individuals exemplify the highest standards of athletic achievement and Panther pride. Each has left a lasting legacy on their program and on FIU Athletics as a whole. It’s a true honor to welcome them back to campus, where they will be formally enshrined later this year
– Scott Carr
Background
Karl Kremser was born in Salzwedel, Germany, on August 3, 1945. His parents were from Latvia. Kremser was a war refugee until his family migrated to Seabrook Farms, New Jersey in 1952. After finishing his contract, Kremser’s father relocated the family to Levittown, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1964, where he was a standout track and soccer player.
Kremser got recruited by West Point for their track and field program, but he also played soccer. He led the Black Knights to the Final Four in the 1965 NCAA Tournament. Karl Kremser left the USMA after two years. In the spring of 1966, he wrote a letter to the University of Tennessee track and field coach and was offered a work-study position. There was no soccer program on campus, so Kremser became motivated to learn what is known as soccer-style placekicking. He eventually got a football scholarship, and the highlight of his career was a 54-yard field goal in 1968 against Alabama. It set an SEC record for kicking distance at the time and is one of the longest field goals in Volunteers history.
Karl Kremser was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the NFL/AFL Draft in 1969. He was the team’s leading scorer that season but got released after one game in 1970.
He began his coaching career at Palm Springs Junior High from 1970 to 1975, where he taught physical education. Then, he moved to Miami Killian High School in 1975, where he taught German and coached soccer. Kremser led the Cougars to a state championship in 1977. He would then join Davidson College that same year, where he started their soccer program and coached track. In 1979, Karl Kremser was Coach of the Year.
Legacy at FIU
Once Kremser joined FIU in 1980, he gradually transformed the soccer program from a small-scale Division II team to an esteemed Division I program. To date, his two championship teams are still FIU Athletics’ only national titles in any sport. He also had three teams reach the national finals, including his 1996 squad that played in the Division I Men’s Soccer Championship against St. John’s. Karl Kremser won the 1991 Trans America Athletic Conference tournament. The Panthers won the Atlantic Soccer Conference regular season championships in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004.
As an individual, Kremser won prestigious awards. This includes being Florida’s Coach of the Year in 1980 and the Collegiate Coaches’ South Region Coach of the Year in 1985. He was the Trans America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1996. Kremser won the Atlantic Soccer Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2002 and 2004.
Several of Karl Kremser’s players achieved impressive accolades, including 32 all-state selections, with five of those being Player of the Year, 34 All-South Region selections, and eight All-Americans. 43 of his players turned professional. The most notable are Robin Fraser, Steve Ralston, Tyrone Marshall, Greg Vanney, Bobby Boswell, and Jeff Cassar.
Karl Kremser had initially announced his retirement in 2002 after FIU decided to end the soccer program in favor of the new football program. After the alumni protest, the decision was backpedaled the very next day. As a result, he remained as coach until his departure in 2007.
Kremser finished his career at Florida International University with the 17th most wins in NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer history with a 337-210-41 record. While with the Panthers, he held a 324-171-41 record.
We welcome back Coach Karl Kremser 🐐
The winningest coach in FIU Men’s Soccer history, spending 27 seasons at the helm with two national championships and 13 NCAA tournament appearances! pic.twitter.com/iVvU5tsYUE
— FIU Men's Soccer (@FIUMensSoccer) November 2, 2024
Though I am grateful and honored to be selected for induction into the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame, it is my personal belief that the great individuals and teams that enabled my success should have been honored before me
– Karl Kremser
About Post Author
More Stories
TAKEAWAYS: Strong First Half Not Enough, FIU Falls To LSU
Miami Hurricanes Week 12 Preview: NC State Wolfpack
Paws Up Preview – FIU Football vs Liberty