Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Saint Louis University men’s soccer coach Kevin Kalish knows St. Louis’ soccer landscape as well as just about anyone.
Kalish played at SLU, served as vice president and Missouri boys club director for local powerhouse St. Louis Scott Gallagher, and has more recently spent time as both an assistant and head coach on both sides of the Bronze Boot rivalry between SLU and SIU-Edwardsville.
Last month, Kalish added another honor to his resume, serving as a coach at the MLS College Showcase. He wasn’t the only Billiken to attend the four-day event in San Diego. The showcase, which was held in advance of this year’s MLS SuperDraft, also invited SLU junior defender Max Floriani as one of 44 college players to work out in front of MLS scouts. Floriani, who started 53 of the 56 matches he played in three seasons for the Bills, was selected second overall by the San Jose Earthquakes.
All in all, it was a positive experience for the two St. Louis representatives.
“We’re there to make sure everything runs smoothly, to put these guys in the best position to make a good last impression,” Kalish said. “And Max just thrives in those situations.”
Floriani is only the latest SLU player to earn a place in Major League Soccer. He is the 39th Bill to be drafted, and the ninth in Kalish’s seven seasons. The draft is a big deal to Kalish, who takes pride in his program’s ability to prepare players for the next level.
That’s where SLU’s place in the St. Louis soccer ecosystem continues to evolve. There was a point in time when SLU and SIUE produced some of the best college soccer the country had to offer. However, as MLS has found solid ground over the past 20-plus years, the role of NCAA soccer has shifted—and shifted some more—as clubs throughout the league have begun producing players from their own academies.
“We have to appreciate all of the development pathways that we have available to us now,” Kalish said of the national landscape. “Of course, St. Louis will produce its Josh Sargent-level talents, but those are special players. What St. Louis probably doesn’t get enough credit for is the amount of professionals that we produce compared to our size.”
Although Kalish’s SLU program has played a major role in shaping those professionals, it is far from a one-man show. Kalish says having CITY’s Academy system running in his program’s backyard has only added to the opportunities that players see for themselves in the region.
“It’s been good for the entire region,” Kalish said. “Players don’t have to go far to see that there are opportunities in MLS. Just in our area, we now have multiple pathways for players to potentially climb.”
Kalish has coached players from the region’s major pipeline programs—St. Louis Scott Gallagher, Lou Fusz, and CITY. Three CITY Academy players, including Jackson Delkus, Zach Stanton, and Braydon Sellers, joined SLU last season, helping the Billikens produce one of the nation’s top recruiting classes.
For Kalish, it’s not just about recruiting and player development. He wants to win games, especially after SLU navigated a stretch of six seasons without an NCAA Tournament appearance. Kalish has rebuilt the storied program, leading the Billikens to back-to-back A10 titles in 2021 and 2022, and guiding the 2024 squad to a third NCAA Tournament berth in four years.
With SLU, Kalish has led a resurgence for the once-dominant program, and his inclusion in last month’s MLS showcase event is further evidence that the nation’s soccer brass knows it can look to St. Louis for talent.
