After missing out on postseason play last season, Kansas State soccer head coach Mike Dibbini, going into his eighth year, knew some changes needed to be made.
The Wildcats had worked hard to get themselves out of the Big 12 basement as the newest soccer program in the conference, so falling behind again was discouraging for a very young Wildcat squad that was starting six or seven freshmen by the time the season came to a close.
“That’s our number one goal. If we’re going to get back (to the postseason), it is because of who we are and what we’re trying to do,” Dibbini said. “Last year reminded us of where we don’t want to go. ... Our goal is to get back to the tournament. I can confidently say we have the players. We have the depth. And I just feel like as long as our key contributors stay healthy, I think the sky’s the limit with this team.”
One of the big changes Dibbini settled on is the offense is a change in play style. In 2024, the Wildcats plan on moving toward a possession-oriented play, which emphasizes ball control and short passes to minimize the opposing offense’s chances at a goal.
“When we have the ball, we don’t have to worry about the other team scoring on us,” Dibbini said. “And I think that’s the mentality we’ve kind of generated and is like, ‘Hey, when do we have to worry about the other team scoring? It is when we don’t have the ball.’ So the longer we keep the ball and create opportunities and try to unbalance our opponents, I think it only suits us in our style of play, and who we are.”
It sounds simple in theory, but in reality, playing possession requires multiple players to be comfortable handling the ball, something that not every team is built to facilitate. It also requires precision passing to create a sort of rhythm that keeps the ball away from your goal for as long as possible.
“Each team is built differently,” Dibbini said. “This team is built that way. And we’re utilizing the strength of our team, which is what you see. We’ve been training in the last six months and to be possession-oriented team with the purpose and trying to find ways to create more chances.”
Dibbini also said that playing with a possession style is something he’s wanted to do, and something he coached successfully before arriving in Manhattan.
“It’s being true to myself as a coach, to be honest,” Dibbini said. “It’s who I was at the very beginning. And if I stick to that, I think good things will happen. Hopefully, it pays off here with our players because they’ve bought into it stylistically. And you can definitely see a fun, dynamic, possession-oriented team with a purpose.”
The Wildcats were picked last in the new 16-team Big 12 coaches poll that was released on, with BYU, Texas Tech and TCU picked to finish in the top three. The top 12 teams will advance on to the Big 12 Tournament, which is a tougher barrier to entry than in years past.
Regardless, the goal of returning to the postseason is locked in, and Dibbini is hopeful that the experience gained from the Wildcats’ 2023 struggles make the difference this season.
“It wasn’t a good feeling for us at the end of the season, being in last place,” Dibbini said. “It was a humbling season for a lot of us, including myself. ... There’s six or seven players that probably played over 1000 minutes each. They went through the gauntlet and those minutes are crucial. We didn’t get the results last year. We were in every single match. They just didn’t go our way. ... I think the biggest lesson is we take one game at a time, don’t look past the team that is in front of us and just continue to figure out ways to get better each and every day.”
The Wildcats hosted Arkansas in a exhibition on Friday after this paper went to press. They officially kick off the season on Thursday when Nevada comes to town.
