Coaching Carousel

[Kuiper]

Chris Brown and Darren Moore, Head Coach and Assistant Coach, respectively, of Kenyon men's soccer have resigned

https://athletics.kenyon.edu/news/2023/6/20/mens-soccer-end-of-a-coaching-era-for-kenyon-mens-soccer.aspx

[SimpleCoach]

Chris Brown and Darren Moore, Head Coach and Assistant Coach, respectively, of Kenyon men's soccer have resigned

https://athletics.kenyon.edu/news/2023/6/20/mens-soccer-end-of-a-coaching-era-for-kenyon-mens-soccer.aspx

I knew there would be consequences to changing their name to the Owls.

SC

[OWU Dad]

Wow! This is huge. Anybody have any ideas why?

[Kuiper]

Wow! This is huge. Anybody have any ideas why?

I don't have any inside information, but this tweet from the NCAC suggests that it is a retirement.

https://twitter.com/NCAC/status/1671311679584337920?s=20

"The end of an era, indeed. And what an era it was! We wish all the best to Coach Brown and Coach Moore in their retirements. #ncacmsoc #NCACPride"

That makes some sense from a timing perspective (colleges operate on a fiscal year and appointments are usually July 1 to June 30).  You would think the press release about a retirement would include quotes from the coaches though.  This one only has quotes from the AD and the Asst AD. 

Denison coach Bianco's tweet also says it was a retirement.

https://twitter.com/BMBianco/status/1671265548976689153?s=20

"Congratulations to our nearby rivals coaches Brown and Moore on an incredible career. We had some epic matches against each other over the years. Playing against your Kenyon teams always forced myself and our program to be at our best. Enjoy retirement!"

[EnmoreCat]

Nothing from Paul Newman.  Are negotiations ongoing?

[Another Mom]

I would have thought if this were a planned retirement,  a)both coaches wouldn't retire at the same time, leaving the program rudderless and b) there would have been a transition period, allowing for a search for a new head coach, so the handover would be seamless. Plus, Darren Moore is too young to be retiring. (Chris Brown looks too young too).

[Shamrock]

Just extraordinary news out of Gambier, and such a challenging time in the academic/athletic calendar to be making a transition.

[Kuiper]

I would have thought if this were a planned retirement,  a)both coaches wouldn't retire at the same time, leaving the program rudderless and b) there would have been a transition period, allowing for a search for a new head coach, so the handover would be seamless. Plus, Darren Moore is too young to be retiring. (Chris Brown looks too young too).

I don't want to speculate needlessly (and this may have been what you were implying in your post), but you can "retire" in the sense of taking the status for retirement plan purposes with respect to your vested benefits, without actually settling into a rocking chair on the front porch.  So, this wouldn't have had to be a planned retirement - their decision could have been recent and for reasons other than age etc - but they chose to classify it as a retirement.

[PaulNewman]

Breaking news....Paul Newman breaks his silence on the Kenyon College bombshell that disrupted my wondrously relaxing and rejuvenating early Summer properly lounging on the French Riviera...I know the number of folks repeatedly refreshing to check for new posts could be teetering into the high single digits.

There are several different directions I could go, and I am tempted to go full on humor, but indeed I was caught off guard by the news.  Most of all, though, I find myself appalled by the horrifically pathetic press release/article out of Kenyon posted on the Owls' website.

To anticipate a couple of questions first...

I truly was surprised and did not see this coming.  I don't have any inside information, and I literally have had none for more than the last half-decade.  In truth, I had very little when my son was there and for the first couple of years thereafter.  I've never communicated with Brown except to thank him many years ago for giving my kid a chance and being fair with him.  Some other parents may have interacted with him more freely and more effectively.  I was not one of them.  He's never communicated with me about my participation here.  I don't know him really, for sure, and I experienced minor frustrations over the years which occasionally have boiled over into my comments on this site (ironically, mostly around communication, doing little things like videos, interviews, trips abroad, doing an SC interview, etc, etc).  I'm guessing he's not a favorite of some other coaches.  But what I do know is that he is who he is, and he isn't a phony.  He was true to the program, true and honest with the players, and gave everything he had to the program within the context of his abilities.  Brown was deeply and desperately committed to winning a national championship for his players, former players, the college, and maybe himself and Darren too.  He was almost maniacal in the way he cared about the program, and one small window into that was watching him and the whole team at his direction patching up divots on his beloved Mavec Field for at least an hour after every home game. 

I was not shocked about Brown's retirement.  I think he probably is tired.  As I suggested, I do think he gave everything he had, and while nobody deserves a particular result, I think most fair observers would agree that he was a bit unlucky to not win at least one title or at least not make at least one or two Final Fours.  I really, really wish he could have gone out in a blaze of title glory, but as I will detail more below, he should (and I hope he does) feel a tremendous amount of pride about what he and the program accomplished during his tenure.  I am more surprised and taken aback by the departure of Darren Moore.  Again, with no inside information, I had just assumed he might take over and the transition would have made sense given that he already was the primary recruiter and a very accomplished soccer person in his own right.

So, I can't overstate how disappointing I found the article on the website.  I would have rather they posted nothing.  The article hit me as formulaic, obligatory, shallow, anemic, and feeble.  I am hurt as a lover of Kenyon College because I love the College even more than I love the soccer program, and nothing that amateurish, from the school that publishes The Kenyon Review, should ever be associated with Kenyon.  I'm embarrassed for Kenyon.  I hope this post somehow will make it to the Kenyon administration. 

Brown restored Kenyon to D3 soccer elite status.  There are not more than a handful of schools you can say have been more consistently successful over the past decade. 

Some may not know that Kenyon had a period of great success from the late 80s to around 1997...with a trio of coaches familiar to many here....Mike Pilger (long-term Trinity CT coach), Fran O'Leary (of Bowdoin and Toronto FC fame), and Jack Detchon (of England fame).  Those years saw Kenyon make two Final Fours including a 4OT national final in Gambier in 1996 and a slew of classic head-to-head tilts with OWU and Jay Martin.  After Detchon left following another very strong 1997 season, Kenyon's program rapidly declined.  In the three years before Brown took over from 2002-2004, Kenyon was 6-13, 4-13-2, and 3-16.  Brown's first two years were tough as Kenyon was 4-9-4 back-to-back in 2005 and 2006.  By Brown's third year, in 2007, Kenyon won the NCAC and was 14-2-2 but did not make the NCAA tourney (due to not advancing through the NCAC tourney I think at the hands of Allegheny! and presumably an inadquate SoS).  He made his first NCAA tourney in 2010 with a senior-laden group, beating York before losing to OWU in the 2nd round.  In 2011, my son's group of 20 frosh came in, followed by major talent the next year, and Brown's magical run from 2013 to the present was ignited.   NINE consecutive NCAA tourney appearances and counting.  Won every NCAC regular season title from 2015 to the present.  SEVEN Sweet 16s.  THREE Elite 8s.  After a while it is easy to get anesthetized by the outstanding records, just as I'm sure happens when looking at a string of seasons for a Messiah or Calvin, but just take this in for a moment...

2013 -- 16-5-3

2014 -- 18-2-2

2015 -- 19-2-1

2016 -- 20-3

2017 -- 16-3-3

2018 -- 18-1-3

2019 -- 19-2-2

2021 -- 16-3-1

2022 -- 19-2-1

2023 -- ??

Kudos and thank you to Coaches Brown and Moore....you made Kenyon soccer a big and exciting part of my life and I loved every glorious and excruciating minute (except for all of the excruciating minutes).

[Hopkins92]

Mic drop post...

Thanks for sharing PN.

[Another Mom]

Tyler Sheikh, former Bates Head Coach, is now Head Coach and college advisor at the Frederick Gunn School in Ct.
https://www.frederickgunn.org/athletics/our-teams/boys-varsity-soccer

[OldNed]

Tyler Sheikh, former Bates Head Coach, is now Head Coach and college advisor at the Frederick Gunn School in Ct.
https://www.frederickgunn.org/athletics/our-teams/boys-varsity-soccer

Thanks for finding that. From the bio on the website, it appears that Sheikh left Bates in order to move closer to home, but that's 100% speculation.

[stlawus]

Tyler Sheikh, former Bates Head Coach, is now Head Coach and college advisor at the Frederick Gunn School in Ct.
https://www.frederickgunn.org/athletics/our-teams/boys-varsity-soccer

Thanks for finding that. From the bio on the website, it appears that Sheikh left Bates in order to move closer to home, but that's 100% speculation.

He himself said as much on here I believe.  He responded on the NESCAC board last year.

[Le ‘CAC]

Tyler Sheikh, former Bates Head Coach, is now Head Coach and college advisor at the Frederick Gunn School in Ct.
https://www.frederickgunn.org/athletics/our-teams/boys-varsity-soccer

Thanks for finding that. From the bio on the website, it appears that Sheikh left Bates in order to move closer to home, but that's 100% speculation.

He himself said as much on here I believe.  He responded on the NESCAC board last year.

SheikhDaddy!!!!

[PaulNewman]

No clue...and only beginning to think about....

Dan Toulson

Travis Wall....can't imagine an OWU guy would go to Kenyon but that would be petty,  right? More likely he's got at least a soft promise with OWU or being a Minnesota guy perfectly happy in Northfield.

Would love the other OWU star down in Granville...but he looks set for life.

The irony is that Darren Moore lives in Granville.

Saw J. Sitch in an ESPN commercial last night while watching the NBA draft with footage of her celebrating title with her former team in Roanoke.