JOE MAASS

 Coach
​Inducted in 2013

Joe was inducted into the Packer Sports Greats in 2013.

Joe Maass has been the soccer coach at SHS from 1999 to the present.  He graduated from Bryan High School in 1992, and then he attended Midland College in 1992-93 on a football scholarship.  Following that, he completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1998 with a BS in Education.  Joe earned his MS in Education from Peru State in 2004. 

He has been with OPS from 1999 to present.  He taught at Norris Middle School for his first six years, and then followed in his dad’s and uncle’s footsteps to SHS for the last eight years.

He began his coaching career in 1998 at Park Hill South High School in Parkville, Missouri as an assistant football coach.  In 1999, he was an assistant football coach at Burke High School and became the Head Soccer Coach at SHS.  From 2000-2002, he coached the Norris Middle School soccer team.  Joe also was an assistant football coach at SHS from 2000 to 2005.  He has also coached club soccer from 2000 to present, working with Viva Futbol Club, Leones Negroes Futbol Club, South Omaha League and Nebraska Futbol Club as well as a few others in the surrounding community. 

Joe was selected as the Head Coach of the Shrine Soccer Classic in 2010 and was picked as Assistant Coach in 2001.  After many wins and coming close to being State Champs, his latest team made the dream come true.  The 2013 team not only is the Nebraska Class A State Champion Soccer Team, but is also rated as the #1 soccer team in the nation.  South beat nationally rated Creighton Prep three times this year, once for the Metro Championship, again on the road and finally for the Nebraska State Championship.  The team defeated Prep 1-0 in another epic battle between state soccer powers.  The game played at Creighton University’s Morrison Stadium was witnessed by more than 8,200 fans – the largest attendance ever recorded to watch any high school sport in Nebraska. The team went on to an undefeated season posting a 23-0 record and setting a state record 134 goals scored in a season.  They earned 20 shutouts and had only three goals scored against them all season.  Five of the 2013 soccer team senior class members have received full-ride academic scholarships to continue their education in college.  Eleven of the thirteen graduating seniors attended college. 

​By the way, Joe also teaches dance at SHS, and now you know where these soccer kids get the foot moves that leave opponents wondering what happened to the ball.  Is it mandatory to take dance classes if you want to play soccer?   The athletes also must maintain academic standards to participate in sports.  Currently, under the leadership of Coach Maass, SHS’s soccer program flourishes with four teams per year, providing opportunities for more than 150 kids.  In the summer, Joe can be seen coaching youth soccer around the area parks taking a look at future soccer players.  At the end of the day, hopefully the buzz created by Joe Maass and his teams will lead other student-athletes at SHS to dream big, win championships, graduate from college and more importantly be successful in life.