Augsburg University - Class of 1972
Men’s Soccer (Honorary Inductee)
Dr. Jim Agre is an award-winning soccer player, coach, medical researcher, and now, Academic All-American.
A 1972 alumnus at Augsburg University, he was a part of the school’s first men’s soccer team in 1968 where he was a central defender. During his four years in the sport, Dr. Agre never experienced a minute of any game from the sidelines, having played all 90 minutes and started every soccer game of his collegiate career.
He was selected to the All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Team in 1969, 1970, and 1971 and captained the Auggies during his sophomore and junior years. His skill on the field matched his commitment to success in the classroom, as Dr. Agre made the dean’s list in every semester he was enrolled at Augsburg.
Dr. Agre shared, “As a graduate of Augsburg University, it is a privilege and a great honor to be selected for induction into the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Hall of Fame. I am truly grateful to the selection committee.” He continued to reflect on his time at Augsburg saying, “Back in 1968, when I was a freshman at Augsburg and a member of the original Augsburg men’s soccer team, I would never have dreamed that in the future I would be selected as an Academic All-American.”
Shortly after obtaining his bachelor’s in chemistry and biology, Dr. Agre returned to Augsburg to coach the men’s soccer team. During his two-year tenure, beginning in 1974, the Auggies won back-to-back MIAC championships, boasting a 24-5-2 record. Agre was named NAIA District-13 Coach of the Year in his first season. After the 1975 season, he stepped down into an assistant coach position while he pursued a master’s degree, still coaching the Auggies up until 1981. In 1993, he was enshrined in the Augsburg Athletics Hall of Fame.
He finished medical school in 1976, then did a four-year residency, followed by a half-decade of graduate fellowship, and received his PhD in physical medicine and rehabilitation from the University of Minnesota.
Of his many professional accomplishments, the highlights include publishing over 90 papers on groundbreaking research he conducted on polio and postpolio conditions and rehabilitation. He and his colleague, Arthur A. Rodriquez, were recognized for the best peer reviewed article published by a PM&R physician in 1990. He retired from professional practice in 2008 and concluded his teaching career in 2020 after rejoining the University of Minnesota.
He gifted an estate worth over a million dollars to Augsburg’s StepUP program, which supports students who are recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. Dr. Agre continues to serve on the advisory board of the StepUP program.
“I am so very grateful to Augsburg for the education it provided me,” said Agre. “This helped me in my development to become the person I became.” Dr. Agre said that his Academic All-America Hall of Fame induction, “Completes my life.”