Aleksandar Saric, a highly accomplished goalkeeper coach, joined the Loyola Chicago men's soccer program in 2023.
With a UEFA "A" coaching license and accreditations as a goalkeeper coach from the Spanish and Austrian football federations, Saric brings a wealth of expertise to the team. Over the course of 18 years, he played as a goalkeeper for clubs in seven different countries.
"We're thrilled to add coach Saric to our coaching staff," said head coach Steve Bode. "His playing and coaching experience will add immense value to our program. He's truly a goalkeeper specialist that has a passion for developing top, young keepers. I'm thrilled for our student-athletes who will learn so much from him."
Saric's coaching experience extends to international success, as he served as the goalkeeper coach for the Serbian U-20 team that clinched the 2015 FIFA World Cup in New Zealand by beating Brazil 2-1. This victory marked a significant milestone for Serbia, as it was the first time the country won a FIFA competition title since gaining independence from Yugoslavia. Under Saric's guidance, the team's goalkeeper, Predrag Rajkovic, received the prestigious Adidas Golden Glove award.
Saric's dedication to honing his coaching skills is evident through his training alongside esteemed goalkeeper coaches such as Frans Hoek, Packie Bonner, Andrew Menger, José Sambade, Miguel Ángel España Rosado, and Luis López. In 2010, he founded the B1 Goalkeeping Academy in Serbia, emphasizing his commitment to developing goalkeepers. In 2017, he expanded his academy by creating the B1keeper Goalkeeping Academy in Chicago.
Prior to joining Loyola Chicago, Saric served as the goalkeeper coach for Chicago Fire FC from 2016 - 2020, showcasing his experience in coaching at the professional level. Alongside his coaching prowess, Saric possesses linguistic versatility, being trilingual in English, Portuguese, and German.
