MALORY LORING/Arizona Daily Wildcat New Arizona soccer coach Dan Tobias helps his team prepare for game situation by taking part in intrasquad scrimmages, just as he did last night during practice at Murphey Stadium

New coach Tobias has young Wildcats confident, prepared

Making two postseason trips in three years.

It just wasn't enough.

Vaulting to second on the all-time wins list at Washington State in just five seasons as head coach.

Couldn't stop Dan Tobias from packing his bags.

Winning the 2002 Pacific-10 conference coach of the year award.

Nice try, but it just wasn't enough either.

Despite the success, no matter the accolades, Tobias ÷ the Wildcats' new head soccer coach ÷ knew from the get-go that this was one opportunity he couldn't pass up when he chose to leave his five year-post at the helm of the Cougars for the fledgling women's soccer program in the Tucson desert.

"The University of Arizona for me really projects an image of excellence both academically and athletically," Tobias said after practice this week at Murphey Stadium. "My wife has family in Phoenix. I have family in Southern California. I'm excited and honored to be the coach at the University of Arizona."

Tobias, who graduated from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in 1987, heads to Tucson for his second collegiate head-coaching stop after spending the past half decade in Pullman, Wash.

So why would he trade in the chance to jump into the upper-echelon of the Pac-10 for a team that has been at or near the basement for each of its first nine seasons?

"Between my mom and my wife, they have both observed that I like to build things," Tobias said at media day last week. "I think the initial attraction (to Arizona) was the quality of the institution itself and the opportunity to work with two of the best people to work with in the country in (athletics director) Jim Livengood and (senior associate athletics director) Rocky LaRose."

Tobias said that despite the program's shaky past, he looks forward to the opportunity to bring the UA soccer team to the top of the Pac-10 standings.

"I looked at all the sports and all of them have been successful," Tobias said of the UA athletic programs. "I know soccer has been working hard at getting to the level of other sports and I think that's an exciting thing as a coach to come in and try to establish a tradition of excellence in this particular sport."

Tobias has taken more of a hands-on approach with this team, actually suiting and joining intrasquad scrimmages during practice sessions. His major goals for the team include trying to create a more organized and efficient defensive scheme. Tobias believes a stronger defensive gameplan will be a solid compliment for the Wildcats' already potent offensive attack.

"I think, coming in here, that the team's been great," he said. "They play with a lot of heart and the fact that we've been able to get ourselves organized in the early part of the preseason has been great."

As for the school he left behind after five more-than successful seasons?

"Every one of the players on that team, I recruited," Tobias added. "I am still very close to those players and all the staff that are there as well."

Tobias may have the date that UA takes on Pac-10 foe Washington State marked on his calendar this season, but he knows his priorities lie right where they should be ÷ with his new team.

"It's going to be very emotional, but it's not for awhile now until we hit that part of the schedule," he said. "For now, we're just going to try and take it one game at a time."