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South taps Thielemann to coach girls soccer By DON HUNT -- Buzz Thielemann may be a rookie when it comes to coaching high school girls, but he is hardly new to the sport of soccer. Thielemann, 53, was named head coach of the South Medford High girls soccer team earlier this week. He brings 17 years of coaching to the program, including the last four at North Medford High, where he was an assistant and junior varsity boys coach. "I don't see Buzz having any problems transferring what he knows to the girls," said Dave Potter, head coach at the Rogue Valley Soccer Club who doubles as the South High boys coach. "Buzz is a very upbeat individual, a fine communicator, and he really has the interest of the kids in his mind and in his heart." Thielemann, who started coaching youth soccer at Sunnyside, Wash., in 1983, has coached in the classic and premier leagues in Medford for the past several years. He earned his national C license -- which entails passing written and on-the-field tests -- two years ago. His 1998 under-19 boys team -- Southern Oregon United -- finished third in state and won the Rogue Valley Cup. "U19 boys are a challenging group to coach, and Buzz made it work," Potter said. Thielemann became an assistant coach at North Medford when his sons Ben and Paul played for the Black Tornado in the late 1990s. He then stayed on as a junior varsity coach after they graduated. He takes over a South girls program that returns eight starters from a year ago, when the Panthers tied for the Southern Oregon Conference championship with North Medford. "How often does a new coach get handed a team like this?" said Thielemann, who met with his players Wednesday evening. "These kids are already well-schooled. They've got a lot of talent and they're used to winning. It's just a matter of putting in my system. "I can't wait to get started." Thielemann said he will bring an aggressive, creative style to the offense and won't be afraid to get his fullbacks involved in the scoring. "We won't be boring, I can tell you that," he said. Thielemann is a graduate of Beaverton High School and the University of Oregon. He worked for Pacific Power for 27 years before starting his own business -- RHT Energy Solutions -- 2 years ago. Thielemann resolves energy problems for large businesses. Thielemann replaces Leslie Lang, who is going back to school to pursue a nursing career. Lang, school nurse for six Medford schools, is moving to San Diego to establish residency before studying to become a nurse practitioner. She guided the Panthers to an 18-11-1 record and a pair of SOC co-championships in two years. She was named SOC coach of the year in her first season at the helm. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA