This feature is part of a series profiling the seven members of the UIC Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023. This year's class will be inducted during ceremonies on Sept. 23 as part of the inaugural Flames Fest weekend at UIC.
 
By AJ Schraffenberger, UIC Assistant Athletics Director – Communications & Creative Services
 
In three seasons, Baggio Husidic blazed trails seldom seen in the annals of UIC athletics, as one of two men's soccer first-team All-Americans in school history. His legendary career reaches its pinnacle this weekend, as the former Flames' midfielder is inducted into the UIC Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
A native of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Husidic was instrumental in two of the finest seasons in UIC men's soccer history, helping pace the Flames to the 2007 NCAA Elite Eight and the 2008 NCAA Sweet Sixteen. During his career, UIC also captured two Horizon League championships (2006, 2008), as well as the 2007 Horizon League Tournament title.
 
Husidic is the eighth men's soccer player to be inducted to the UIC Athletics Hall of Fame and the first from the Flames' 2007 Elite Eight squad.
 
"It is very special for me to be included in the Hall of Fame Class of 2023," Husidic said. "There are other extremely deserving individuals alongside me, and without the teammates and coaches who supported me during my time as a Flame, I would not be where I am today."
 
As a senior in 2008, Husidic was named both the Horizon League Player and Offensive Player of the Year, along with earning his second consecutive first-team All-Horizon League selection. During his 65 career games for the Flames, Husidic tallied 31 points, scoring 12 goals and adding seven assists.

"It is a tremendous honor for Baggio to be inducted into the UIC Athletics Hall of Fame," said UIC men's soccer head coach Sean Phillips, who served as an assistant coach during Husidic's playing career. "Not only do Baggio's individual accomplishments while at UIC and as a professional in the MLS and Sweden deserve a Hall of Fame induction, but team success earned by Baggio and his teammates is also reflective of this honor."
 
Husidic was drafted by the Chicago Fire in the 2009 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft and played in 197 professional games from 2009-11 for the Fire, Hammarby IF (Sweden) and the Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS). After signing with the Galaxy ahead of the 2014 season, Husidic became a crucial player for the Galaxy in their MLS Cup-winning campaign. Husidic appeared in every MLS Regular Season match, contributing five goals and four assists.
 
After retiring from professional soccer in 2019, Husidic turned his attention to the coaching ranks where he served as an assistant coach at Saint Mary's College (Calif.) and the University of San Francisco. He currently is an assistant coach for the Puerto Rican men's national team that recently competed in the CONCACAF Gold Cup preliminaries.
 
"Throughout my UIC career, the coaching staff instilled in me a strong work ethic, and that certainly carried over into my professional career as well as my coaching endeavors," Husidic noted. "They carried the same expectations for every guy, regardless of accolades or success, and that allowed me to stay grounded and focused on the task at hand."