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As a player, Erik Visser was a four-year letter winner for the Dons under Coach Negoesco and played on USF's 1978 and 1980 National Championship Teams. Following his graduation from USF in 1982, he served as an Assistant Coach on Negoesco's staff for 19 seasons until he succeeded him as Head Coach in 2001. In addition to his Bachelor's Degree in Government in 1982, he earned Master’s degrees from USF in Education in 1986, and in Sports and Fitness Management in1993.
In 13 seasons as Head Coach, their 109 wins ranked Visser as the coach with the third most all-time wins behind Negoesco (540) and Gus Donoghue (121) and sixth among all-WCC Head Coaches in conference wins with 57. He received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Regional Coach of the Year honors in 2004. He guided USF to four NCAA Tournament appearances (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008) and three WCC Championships (2004, 2005 and 2008), the same years he was named WCC’s Coach of the Year.
Under his tutelage, Aaron Chandler (2004), Rob Valentino (2006) and Conor Chinn (2008) earned West Coast Conference Player of the Year awards, while Valentino also became the first USF player to capture the Conference's Defender of the Year award in 2005. Brendan Roslund was the inaugural Goalkeeper of the Year in 2011. Four of his players captured NSCAA Far West All-Region Honors, 12 earned first team All-Conference Honors while 17 garnered 28 Second Team All-Conference accolades.
He received National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Regional Coach of the Year Honors in 2004. He also served as Head Coach of the Women’s Soccer program from 1985 to 1991, and as Associate Athletics Director for Compliance and Academic Services from 1991 to 2000. In 1993, he was awarded the University’s Merit Service Award.
In 2013 Erik Visser announced his retirement from the University of San Francisco after 35 years of service as a student athlete, coach, and administrator. "I feel very fortunate to have been associated with the University of San Francisco and its soccer programs since 1978. USF will always hold a special place in my heart. I am proud of what my players, staff and I were able to accomplish together over the last 13 years and take great pride in all of the young men who came through our program who are great representatives of USF. I am looking forward to seeing my son, Brian, who played for me for two seasons, graduate from USF in December, and to opening a new chapter in my life," said Visser (USF Athletics).
"Erik's dedication and loyalty to the program as a student-athlete, coach and administrator over a 35-year period has been exemplary," said USF Director of Athletics Scott Sidwell. "He has been and will continue to be a great ambassador for the University of San Francisco." After USF, he began serving as Athletic Director of Solano Community College, in Fairfield, CA.
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