Corey Brinkmeyer is back on the sideline as Linn-Mar boys’ soccer coach: ‘You never lose that fire’

It’s been four years since Corey Brinkmeyer walked the sidelines at Linn-Mar as head boys’ soccer coach.

Yet, his coaching reputation resonates with current players.

“We are all excited to play for Coach Brinkmeyer,” junior goalkeeper Nic Ahlers said. “He has a proven history of success and is surrounded by a coaching staff that will push us and contribute to the team’s success.”

Brinkmeyer returns as Linn-Mar’s coach this season after stepping away in 2019.

“He’s (Brinkmeyer) a loose dude,” senior forward Tristan Howard said. “He’s happy. He jumps around. I can really sense a calmness in him where he’s not panicked.”

During his first tenure (2001-2019), Brinkmeyer amassed nearly 200 wins, qualified for the state tournament six times and won a Class 3A state title in 2015.

“I watched ‘Brink’ win state in 2015,” senior midfielder Jack Johnson said. “My brother (Ben) started as a striker that year, and as a kid, it kind of inspired a dream for me.”

Brinkmeyer left the program four years ago to spend more time with his family.

“When I left, my oldest was graduating,” Brinkmeyer said. “He graduated in 2019. My youngest just graduated from Linn-Mar last year. So, from that perspective, that was one reason that I left initially was to be able to spend more time watching what they were doing.”

He kept his passion for coaching alive by volunteering as an assistant for the Mount Mercy men’s soccer program under long-time mentor, Amir Hadzic.

“I became their goalkeeper coach as a volunteer right after I stepped away from Linn-Mar,” Brinkmeyer said. “So, I never really left. I just left one position and went to another.”

Brinkmeyer teaches entrepreneurship, marketing and manages Linn-Mar’s student-run school store “theROARstore.” It’s allowed him to keep close to the students and the game. However, it didn’t quite satisfy his “fire” for coaching.

“Between family and assistant coaches, many of which I hired first time around, I think I felt a little bit disconnected despite being a teacher in the building,” Brinkmeyer said. “I felt like there was something missing.

“For anybody that coaches, I don’t think you ever really leave it. You always are kind of dipping your toe in the water. You never lose that fire.”

He inherits a Linn-Mar team that finished 10-10 last season and returns several key pieces, including college-bound players Johnson (Truman State University commit) and Howard (Wartburg College commit).

“I’m looking at both of those guys as being leaders,” Brinkmeyer said.

While the Lions were defense-oriented last season, Howard believes the team will play faster and with more of an offensive mindset.

“Last year, offensive production was definitely an issue,” Howard said. “I believe speed of play is going to be one of our main strengths, and our ability to possess the ball. If you can score more, you’ll improve that record.”

“I think he’s (Brinkmeyer) coming in with a new game plan and a new way of thinking that will help us a lot on how we score goals,” Johnson said. “I think the other thing is that we’re an older team this year. A lot more physical and technically advanced than in years past.”

The Lions return last year’s leading goal scorer, Bryce Rosene, who had eight.

“Bryce, as it’s been described to me, because again I am largely working off of what my assistants have told me, really has a knack for cleaning up loose balls and being opportunistic in front of the goal,” Brinkmeyer said.

The Lions open their season at Ankeny on Saturday.

“It sounds like we have a core group of players that really like being around one another,” Brinkmeyer said. “I’m hopeful that with that we can really make a splash and catch some people off guard.”