Charleston Battery to honor head coach Mike Anhaeuser

Mike Anhaeuser has been one of the most persistent variables in the Charleston Battery since joining the team as a player in 1994, one year after the soccer club’s genesis. Currently serving as the head coach, Anhaeuser will celebrate his 25th anniversary with the team on August 11.

Anhaeuser spent his first four years with the Battery raking in 115 appearances on the field, 17 assists, and a 1996 League Championship. He retired as a player in 1999, but before long joined the team again as an assistant coach, where he helped take the team to an A-League Championship. One year later, Anhaeuser became the Battery’s head coach.

The United Soccer League named him Coach of the Year in 2010. He currently sits in the USL Hall of Fame, having managed more than 430 games for the Battery and making the playoffs for 11 of his 13 seasons as head coach.

Anhaeuser says that it’s “kind of amazing” to be affiliated with the same team that he started on after all these years.

“In the old days, guys stuck with the team, coaches stuck with the team,” said Anhaeuser. “Even with jobs, you move around. Maybe you take a new job. People sometimes get tired. In this business, if you don’t win, you can’t keep your job. So, I think it’s amazing, as a player, I was here so long.”

The coach says that he is very satisfied with the way that the Charleston Battery has grown. “This is a club that kind of started from the ground up,” he said. “I’m very proud to have been here the whole time. I could stay longer, which I’m hoping to do. It’s just something that makes me have a good feeling, and it means that we’re doing something right as a club because we keep having success.”

The Charleston Battery will recognize Anhaeuser at an “Augie Night” this Saturday, Aug. 11, when the team takes on Atlanta United II. The festivities will include a Mike Anhaeuser bobblehead giveaway, drink specials, and a jersey presentation at half-time. All former Battery players have been invited to the match as special guests to help in honoring Anhaeuser.

“We’re looking forward to celebrating Mike,” said Charleston Battery Chairman Eric Bowman. “To reach the 25-year mark with any company is a huge accomplishment, but to do it in professional sports with the same club is extremely rare. Mike has had unrivaled success in this league and has played a huge role in making our Club what it is today. His impact in Charleston reaches far beyond the Battery; he’s always made it a priority to give back to the community and he instills that in everyone around him. The Battery and the community are very lucky to have him.”

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. General Admission tickets are $13 in advance and at the gates to represent the #13 jersey Anhaeuser wore as a player. Visit www.charlestonbattery.com for more information.