University of St. Thomas Athletics
Black History Month: Lue brought chemistry to Tommie soccer
2/12/2021 4:46:00 PM | Men's Soccer
St. Thomas Athletics is proud to celebrate Black History Month, and we recall the many contributions and successes of black student-athletes and coaches who wore the Purple and Grey.
This week's trip down memory lane spotlights a student who came from a far away nation but made history as a head coach to cap a long and successful affiliation with Tommie soccer.
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Denzil Lue was there from the very beginning of St. Thomas Men's Soccer. The young man from Jamaica came to study chemistry in the classroom, but he ended up building chemistry on the field over many seasons in his roles as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
In the process he went on to serve as the first black head coach in St. Thomas athletics.
He retired after the 2001 season, but in his 23-year run as head coach he built a deep resume:
Beyond his list of on-field achievements. Lue's influence was evident with so many players who went on to teach the game of soccer to the next generation of players.
"Denzil is the foundation from which this program was built," said Aaron Macke, a former Tommie head coach who played for Denzil's teams here. "He achieved success on the field, but most importantly he developed players that went on to contribute to the sport of soccer as players, coaches, administrators and mentors."
Early Influencer
In a 1978 Aquin newspaper story, Lue explained that he literally helped create the soccer program. "I marked the field and put the goal posts up, " he recalled, explaining that he later served as a player-coach. "There was nobody around who knew much about the game. It just sort of fell on me by default," he told the Aquin reporter.
Joe Flood was head coach when Denzil was an assistant, and he told the Aquin that Lue's background and passion for the sport allowed him to be a good teacher.
"He grew up with the game," said Flood. "His contribution over the years has been his knowledge of the game and ability to teach what he knows."
As a youngster in Kingston, Jamaica, Lue explained that he played high school soccer and "was the youngest player (age 16) to make the Jamaican national team."
Lue first attended the University of Wisconsin for one year, then transferred here to the Twin Cities, where his older brother was a student and soccer player. He planned to attend the University of Minnesota, but a Madison professor said St. Thomas would be a better fit for him as a smaller, private college.
According to the Aquin story, Lue later tried out for the Toronto Metros professional team, but chose to finish school instead of going to Europe with the club. He graduated in 1970 and went back to Jamaica to get his master's degree in biochemistry before returning to the Twin Cities in the mid-1970s.
Lue's 1984 St. Thomas team ended a losing streak to rival St. John's. His 1985 Tommie team continued that momentum and is remembered as one of the most accomplished units in the first 30 years of the St. Thomas program. That squad's 13-1-2 final record included an MIAC title secured by a 2-1 road defeat of first-place St. John's in the last day of the regular season. That set up an NCAA playoff trip to San Diego and a 2-0 loss to Claremont.
"When our (1985) season started, I knew we had the capabilities of being a winner," Lue told the Aquin newspaper. "We really became a good soccer team when we came together and learned to play as a team." Lue cited the leadership qualities of Tom McCarr and Rich Peller to the team's breakthrough season. "Those guys really know how to get a team fired up," Lue said. "Even in the tightest of matches, those two would grit their teeth and bear down and then our team would wake up."
The man from Jamaica was also known for diversity on his team and his coaching staff. His coaching staff during the 1980s included goalkeeper coach Stan Mirza, a naive of the Ukraine, and Keith Gilbert of England.
In 2010, Lue was named assistant coach of the Kings Football Club, the Twin Cities' soccer team in the National Premier Soccer League.
This week's trip down memory lane spotlights a student who came from a far away nation but made history as a head coach to cap a long and successful affiliation with Tommie soccer.
--
Denzil Lue was there from the very beginning of St. Thomas Men's Soccer. The young man from Jamaica came to study chemistry in the classroom, but he ended up building chemistry on the field over many seasons in his roles as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
In the process he went on to serve as the first black head coach in St. Thomas athletics.
He retired after the 2001 season, but in his 23-year run as head coach he built a deep resume:
- He guided the Tommies to a 242-140-46 record, and twice was voted MIAC Coach of the Year
- His teams won four MIAC championships and claimed four NCAA tournament berths
- His 1985 team had an unbeaten regular season
- He had nine players make All-Region
- Four times a Tommie was chosen MIAC Player of the Year
- He coached two of the first five soccer players in conference history to become four-time All-MIAC honorees
- He was inducted into the Jamaica Soccer Hall of Fame for his national team experience and for coaching Jamaica's 19-under national team
- He also was inducted into the Minnesota Soccer Hall of Fame.
Beyond his list of on-field achievements. Lue's influence was evident with so many players who went on to teach the game of soccer to the next generation of players.
"Denzil is the foundation from which this program was built," said Aaron Macke, a former Tommie head coach who played for Denzil's teams here. "He achieved success on the field, but most importantly he developed players that went on to contribute to the sport of soccer as players, coaches, administrators and mentors."
Early Influencer
In a 1978 Aquin newspaper story, Lue explained that he literally helped create the soccer program. "I marked the field and put the goal posts up, " he recalled, explaining that he later served as a player-coach. "There was nobody around who knew much about the game. It just sort of fell on me by default," he told the Aquin reporter.
Joe Flood was head coach when Denzil was an assistant, and he told the Aquin that Lue's background and passion for the sport allowed him to be a good teacher.
"He grew up with the game," said Flood. "His contribution over the years has been his knowledge of the game and ability to teach what he knows."
As a youngster in Kingston, Jamaica, Lue explained that he played high school soccer and "was the youngest player (age 16) to make the Jamaican national team."
Lue first attended the University of Wisconsin for one year, then transferred here to the Twin Cities, where his older brother was a student and soccer player. He planned to attend the University of Minnesota, but a Madison professor said St. Thomas would be a better fit for him as a smaller, private college.
According to the Aquin story, Lue later tried out for the Toronto Metros professional team, but chose to finish school instead of going to Europe with the club. He graduated in 1970 and went back to Jamaica to get his master's degree in biochemistry before returning to the Twin Cities in the mid-1970s.
Lue's 1984 St. Thomas team ended a losing streak to rival St. John's. His 1985 Tommie team continued that momentum and is remembered as one of the most accomplished units in the first 30 years of the St. Thomas program. That squad's 13-1-2 final record included an MIAC title secured by a 2-1 road defeat of first-place St. John's in the last day of the regular season. That set up an NCAA playoff trip to San Diego and a 2-0 loss to Claremont.
"When our (1985) season started, I knew we had the capabilities of being a winner," Lue told the Aquin newspaper. "We really became a good soccer team when we came together and learned to play as a team." Lue cited the leadership qualities of Tom McCarr and Rich Peller to the team's breakthrough season. "Those guys really know how to get a team fired up," Lue said. "Even in the tightest of matches, those two would grit their teeth and bear down and then our team would wake up."
The man from Jamaica was also known for diversity on his team and his coaching staff. His coaching staff during the 1980s included goalkeeper coach Stan Mirza, a naive of the Ukraine, and Keith Gilbert of England.
In 2010, Lue was named assistant coach of the Kings Football Club, the Twin Cities' soccer team in the National Premier Soccer League.
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