Fishbein taking hands-on role with Boise's new USL club

As a player, coach and program builder, Jeremy Fishbein has seen the world through soccer.

Fishbein’s next stop is Boise, Idaho, where he figures to put all of his accumulated experiences to work.

Fishbein, the former longtime University of New Mexico men’s soccer coach, has signed on to help establish Athletic Club Boise, a United Soccer League One franchise set to kick off competition in 2026. Fishbein was officially hired as the club’s vice president of soccer this week.

His duties will include hiring AC Boise’s first head coach, establishing a recruiting network and helping to forge a club identity in Boise and around Idaho. Fittingly, Fishbein sported a construction hardhat for an introductory video released by the club.

“We’re not just building a roster,” Fishbein said in the clip, “we’re building a culture of excellence, inclusivity, and competitiveness. That starts now.”

It’s a new role for Fishbein, but the 59-year-old brings impeccable credentials to the League One franchise. The Cincinnati native played professionally in New Zealand and Australia, coached three successful collegiate programs and, more recently, developed a state-of-the-art soccer club and residency program, Madras FC, in India.

Fishbein is well-known and respected in Albuquerque, where he coached UNM to a remarkably successful 17-season run. Fishbein’s Lobos compiled a 207-79-40 record that included 11 NCAA tournament appearances, a national runner-up finish in 2005 and a Final Four berth in 2013.

Having previously been named NCAA Division II Coach of the Year at Fort Lewis College, Fishbein was selected as Soccer America National Coach of the Year in 2004.

UNM’s men’s soccer program was shut down for budgetary reasons after the 2018 season, but Fishbein and his family remained in Albuquerque where his two daughters attended high school.

AC Boise will not initially compete at the same level as USL Championship New Mexico United, but the two clubs could end up squaring off in the near future. USLC and League One clubs are competing directly this season in the first-year Jägermeister Cup. The USL is also planning to implement a promotion and relegation system in 2028, which could put NMU and AC Boise on a collision course.

For now, Fishbein is focused on pursuing some of the same goals New Mexico United has set and accomplished since its debut season of 2019 — building an identity and a passionate following in Boise.

“I don’t view this as just a job, it’s a lifestyle,” Fishbein said in his introductory video. “You want the club to be part of the community. The goal is to be the best-run club in the country at any level.”