NATCHEZ — Dai Vu was not prepared financially to coach the Natchez High School boys soccer team in 2013.

Two years after taking the job as head coach of the soccer team, Vu signed a new contract right before the season began in 2013. It wasn’t until after the fact, Vu noticed he signed to coach for half of his 2012 salary, when he had a $4,500 stipend to coach. Because Vu planned out his income accordingly, he was unable to commit to coaching Natchez, as he was forced to find another means for making the money he planned on having for the 2013-14 soccer season.

With a better understanding of what Natchez was willing to pay for a soccer coach, Vu, who is self employed, actually took less money to coach the team this season when Natchez contacted him in August and asked if he’d like to return.

“I have to manage my team, balance the money that I’m going to make,” Vu said. “I took less this year, but I could do it because I had setup all my time. I got everything scheduled.”

Coming off of a 9-4 season, falling just short of reaching the playoffs, the 2013 season had promise with veteran players returning to the team. One of those few players was Jarrell Morris, who sacrificed football for soccer preparation, only to find out that his season had been stripped from him.

“Last year, I was going to play football, but I stopped to prepare for soccer because I knew I was the only veteran returning,” Morris said. “When I heard it got cancelled, I blanked out, got upset. Since then, I’ve been practicing. Been talking to Coach Dai since then, and he told me he would come back for my last season.”

So far, the Natchez soccer team boasts a 1-0 record with its only win coming against Cathedral. Vu admits the team’s speed was the only reason for that victory, as his cast is far from experienced.

“I have maybe four or five guys that I’ve coached, and the rest are guys that have never played soccer in their life,” Vu said. “It’s hard. I’ve been asking all coaches around, ‘How do you coach a kid that has never played soccer in their life?’”

It’s not like Vu hasn’t done it before, though. Junior Travon Marsaw came to Vu as a freshman with no experience at all, and now, Marsaw is one of his few experienced players.

“(Vu) taught me how to trap, do defensive plays, score and run the offense,” Marsaw said. “I didn’t have any soccer experience before him.”

The team only has nine games scheduled this season because Vu was tasked of compiling a schedule in August, a task that Vu admitted was a daunting one. Luckily for Vu, his aspirations for making the playoffs still exist despite the few contests. If the Bulldogs defeat two of its three district opponents —Winfield, Pearl or Brookhaven — Natchez will reach the playoffs for the first time since Vu started coaching in 2011. The Bulldogs will begin that quest Friday when Wingfield comes to play at 7 p.m.

“I came back for unfinished business,” Vu said. “We have had good teams, but we need to make the playoffs.”