Coaching Carousel

[SierraFD3soccer]

Hmmm.

Tough shoes to fill for anyone. W&L, prior to Singleton, was just a regional team who competed hard, but, obviously, did not have much success. Just a wait and see.

[laker4141]

Very interesting hire...

[jknezek]

https://generalssports.com/news/2024/6/7/lumumba-shabazz-tabbed-as-w-ls-next-mens-soccer-coach.aspx?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3nNogC04hdLkd7fOEOkXgbjOYcNuqV9rCg-81X2H62ACuhPR1Cgt2ZZMs_aem_AS2L8qtK_HYvsWvI4aEwvnQRf1FDghto_rG50oVwdd1PK369ycztdhJXqj12j_KleEyDAnf5oCNuUIeg9Vb5SlWo

I plan on going to the Sewanee and Covenant games this year. Be nice to put some eyes on the Generals.

He looks like a very solid hire on paper. Great qualifications, I always like coaches that have gone through the process to get an A. Going from one liberal arts school to another, so he should know the recruiting ropes. Good track record. He's got big boots to fill. Going to be a tough ask for anyone.

[SierraFD3soccer]

Hmmm.

Tough shoes to fill for anyone. W&L, prior to Singleton, was just a regional team who competed hard, but, obviously, did not have much success. Just a wait and see.

Not to analogize to Dean Smith or Coach K leaving, but, in my opinion, there will not be huge pressure for W&L soccer to continue on its trajectory. People aren't going to W&L for soccer. Just do well in the ODAC exactly like almost all other W&L teams do and all will be fine.

[Kuiper]

https://generalssports.com/news/2024/6/7/lumumba-shabazz-tabbed-as-w-ls-next-mens-soccer-coach.aspx?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3nNogC04hdLkd7fOEOkXgbjOYcNuqV9rCg-81X2H62ACuhPR1Cgt2ZZMs_aem_AS2L8qtK_HYvsWvI4aEwvnQRf1FDghto_rG50oVwdd1PK369ycztdhJXqj12j_KleEyDAnf5oCNuUIeg9Vb5SlWo

Wow!  We now know why Shabazz left Kalamazoo, but I wonder what happened with Freeman

[jknezek]

Hmmm.

Tough shoes to fill for anyone. W&L, prior to Singleton, was just a regional team who competed hard, but, obviously, did not have much success. Just a wait and see.

Not to analogize to Dean Smith or Coach K leaving, but, in my opinion, there will not be huge pressure for W&L soccer to continue on its trajectory. People aren't going to W&L for soccer. Just do well in the ODAC exactly like almost all other W&L teams do and all will be fine.

I think this is true. We see this with the football team. Scott Abell was a transcendent coach. He really pushed the program to new heights. And he left for Davidson and the following coach is... doing fine. But not as well as Abell. R-MC really runs the conference, and W&L has settled for being in the mix to play spoiler or finish second. But there isn't any pushback because I think the admin is fine with being a good to great ODAC program.

We will see what happens with men's soccer and women's basketball, as a pair of transformative coaches that took the program from ODAC good to national level, left after the last season. Does W&L want to push to stay at that level, or is it enough to bring in the right kind of student athletes and be in the mix?

I suspect it will be enough to be in the ODAC mix as almost every sport is. A little rough in baseball, and men's basketball has moments, but the ODAC is also among the top conferences in both those sports, with Walnut and Bronze winners coming from the conference recently. Otherwise, all the W&L teams have a shot, if not an expectation, to win the ODAC every year (maybe not T&F, Lynchburg really cleans up there).

Regardless, keep the ODAC performance up, bring in enough and the right kind of student athlete, and I suspect you have a job for as long as you want in Lexington.

[SierraFD3soccer]

https://generalssports.com/news/2024/6/7/lumumba-shabazz-tabbed-as-w-ls-next-mens-soccer-coach.aspx?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3nNogC04hdLkd7fOEOkXgbjOYcNuqV9rCg-81X2H62ACuhPR1Cgt2ZZMs_aem_AS2L8qtK_HYvsWvI4aEwvnQRf1FDghto_rG50oVwdd1PK369ycztdhJXqj12j_KleEyDAnf5oCNuUIeg9Vb5SlWo

Wow!  We now know why Shabazz left Bethany, but I wonder what happened with Freeman

My guess and only a guess is that he'll be there at for a year and maybe more. Wife is the women's head track coach for the past 10 years or so and he teaches PE which is a requirement for all students at W&L. Until a year or so ago, you had to pass a swim test to graduate. Generally, all took the swim test during freshman orientation. 

Back in the day, coaches used to be considered professors and had tenure sometimes.  There were several in my day no longer coaching teams and just doing PE.  They were all characters and several WWII/Korean War vets. Told great stories during PE classes.

[SierraFD3soccer]

Can we add this??  Too soon?? FYI he's saying that we used to do this all the time at Ursinus. Worked every time. https://x.com/USMNTTAKES/status/1799573060007170119

[Kuiper]

JD Nord elevated to interim men's soccer head coach at Kalamazoo

JD Nord '18 has been named interim head men's soccer coach for the 2024 fall season.

An assistant coach with the Hornets since 2018, Nord will assume his new role beginning on July 1. A full search for the next head men's soccer coach will begin before the end of the season.

[4231CenterBack]

Lycoming:

https://lycomingathletics.com/news/2024/6/10/mens-soccer-schwien-named-lycoming-college-head-mens-soccer-coach.aspx

[Ejay]

Lycoming:

https://lycomingathletics.com/news/2024/6/10/mens-soccer-schwien-named-lycoming-college-head-mens-soccer-coach.aspx

Great hire.

[NEPAFAN]

I am not qualified to do so, but would be interested in a ranking/grading of the coaching hires this offseason..

[Kuiper]

Union men's soccer HC Matt Brown has stepped down to take the HC job at DI Holy Cross; AC Anthony Scaravillo to be interim HC this season.

Following a successful two-year stint as head coach of the Union College men's soccer team, Matt Brown has stepped down to take the head coaching position at the College of the Holy Cross, Director of Athletics Jim McLaughlin '93 announced on Monday afternoon. McLaughlin also announced that assistant coach Anthony Scaravillo will serve as interim head coach for the 2024 season.

"Thank you to Matt for his efforts in helping move the men's soccer program forward over the last two years," said McLaughlin. "The team has made great strides both on and off the field during his time on campus and we appreciate the work he has done to support our student-athletes and the program.

"We are happy that Anthony will remain with the team to serve as the interim head coach," McLaughlin added. "His presence on the sideline will provide a high level of continuity for both our current student-athletes and incoming recruits, which will allow for the greatest opportunity for success."

Brown and Scaravillo led Union to a 13-14-8 record in their two seasons together with the program. The team had one of the most successful seasons in recent history in 2023, posting an 8-6-5 (5-2-2 Liberty League) record to mark the most wins in a season since 2019 and the most wins in conference play in over a decade. The successful regular season saw the Garnet Chargers earn the second seed in the Liberty League Tournament, punching their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2015 and earning a home game for the first time since 2010. Following the season, four players earned All-Liberty League recognition, tied for the most by a Union men's soccer team since 2011.

[Caz Bombers]

Second time in the last decade or so Holy Cross has raided the LL for a head coach. They hired their baseball coach from Bard.

[kevdog]

That kinda sucks for the recruits who came in for the previous head coach. Although I was told you should never go to a school just based on the coach, you do want to know if you would fit in and can play for the coach. Kinda late in the game to back out of their commitment. Can't fault the coach either to better himself and his family. Just feel sorry for those kids.  In two years he changed Union around as a very competitive team. Hope they can still be it.  Makes the league a lot better