Time to start the new thread. Only one to add to the list to begin, as it's technically an interim position. OPEN Le Moyne - Callum Donnelly (Le Moyne assistant; 7/5-7/18 *interim) FILLED None Here's the new coaches for 2023: Bryant - Ruben Resendes (Franklin Pierce head; 11/8-12/7) Cal Poly - Oige Kennedy (Stanford associate head; 10/18-12/8) St. Francis - Mads Kaiser (St. Francis assistant; 11/18-12/12) Georgia Southern - Lee Squires (Lander head; 11/4-12/14) Jacksonville - Ali Simmons (Elon associate head; 11/3-12/20) Robert Morris - Jonathan Potter (Presbyterian head; 11/11-12/20) Gardner-Webb - Scott Wells (UNC Greensboro associate head; 11/8-12/22) Temple - Bryan Green (Louisville Associate head; 11/13-12/22) Rider - Chad Duernberger (Dartmouth assistant; 11/1-1/3) Lindenwood - Kris Bertsch (Saint Louis assistant; 12/5-1/11) Presbyterian - Nick Finotti (Wofford assistant; 12/20-1/24) Oregon State - Greg Dalby (Penn State associate head; 12/22-1/26) UMBC - Anthony Adams (UMBC associate head; 1/31-2/6) Detroit Mercy - Nate Kopunek (Bowling Green State assistant; 11/28-3/6) Evansville - Robbe Tarver (Evansville assistant - 3/14) Seattle - Nate Daligcon (Seattle associate HC - 4/4) Wright State - Alex Van der Sluijs (Wright State assistant - 3/30-4/18) Columbia - Michael Casper (Georgetown assistant; 3/20-7/7) Le Moyne - Callum Donnelly (Le Moyne assistant; 7/5-7/18 *interim)
and it begins...very strange timing here. https://drexeldragons.com/news/2023...o-steps-down-as-drexel-head-soccer-coach.aspx
I see he is now a coach at a high school. When a coach leaves voluntarily, when do they usually leave. Immediately after the season ends? Also, when do players report to campus? https://www.loyolablakefield.org/news-detail?pk=1445859&fromId=197643
It's not great form for a D1 college coach to leave at this time, especially since preseason report date is typically in early August. Drexel has its first preseason game Aug. 24 this year. Sometimes life or another opportunity, however, forces a move at a bad time. My guess is that his new position opened up now, which is not uncommon in HS because coaches stay through the school year if they also have teaching responsibilities, but there were other factors at play that led him to take it, such as a job location change for his spouse and a need for a more predictable schedule with less travel.
one minor correction. The NCAA D1 season starts on August 24. Some teams have preseason games starting in August 11 (I wouldn't be surprised if a team has a match prior to that, too.)
https://drexeldragons.com/news/2023/7/28/drexel-names-mark-fetrow-head-mens-soccer-coach This makes sense but I figured Liu the current assistant would get the job. Very similar resume to Fetrow, maybe came down to the interview or the "Associate Head Coach" title.
I believe he commuted to Philly and his family stayed in Maryland. At some point, something has to give and you make a choice. He is most likely back with his family in Maryland and an opportunity came up too good to pass up. Kids will get a $25,000 education for free, and between high school and club can probably make more than he was at Drexel without having to scour the country and world for players, being away on weekends, etc. You NEVER get the time back with your kids so good for him.
I believe that Mike was chatting up Loyola coach, Steve Nichols, and GM coach and former MD player, Rich Costanza before their scrimmage on Sat.
OPEN Le Moyne - Callum Donnelly (Le Moyne assistant; 7/5-7/18 *interim) FILLED Drexel - Mark Fetrow (Villanova associate head; 7/19-7/28) Old Dominion - Tennant McVea (ODU associate head; 8/15)
Went back and looked at my post from last fall and the 2 of 10 'potential changes' that happened were Georgia Southern and Columbia. Decided to keep a few of the schools down for this year also like (UAB, Michigan, Marquette, and Winthrop). Potential Job Changes after this fall below. Michigan - Mind boggling that they haven't won or advanced more. NC State- Don't think Kiefer has shown enough with what's given to them. UAB - Haven't shown any signs of improvement since Kinney has been hired. UAB has put an easy schedule together for this year likely to help save their jobs. Marquette - Beautiful set up, should be in at-large contention every other year at the very least. Wouldn't be surprised if they make a change prior to their new stadium being built. Holy Cross - Been struggling for years. Their 2021 season in which they still only finished at .500 is looking to be an outlier in Marco Koolman. In 2022 it seems they returned back to old ways. Furman - Just time for a change down in Greenville Winthrop - Program needs new life. Cal State Bakersfield- Richie Grant has been given more than enough time to get them back to what they were at the DII level.
Is their any indication that any of the athletic directors at these schools care enough about soccer to make a change just based on wins and losses?
Not really. Men's soccer coaches are safe. Possibly 10-20 (MAX) would actually have winning as a priority for the athletic director/department. Same goes for women's soccer. This discussion happens every year. In the end, the "hot seat" isn't really that hot for being fired. Sure, they may not get a contract renewed, but very few are going to get bought out of their contracts.
Agreed, most will get the chance to run out their contract. But take NC State, they did not renew Kelly Findley's contract after 6 years. His win/loss record was Overall 45-51-13 ACC 9-33-9 Kiefer 6 years Overall 44-43-20 ACC 11-23-12 Slightly better record, Different AD, Covid 2020 - Will his contract be renewed next go around?
You'd be surprised. Especially with a new AD at schools wanting to make their mark, even some winning coaches being let go. The days of the 20-year losing coach are for sure over. Similary pressure of other sports without any of the $$$.
That's the million dollar question. I think most ADs are happy if their BIG 3 sports are healthy. For most schools that is Football, Basketball and Baseball. Most ADs keep their jobs safe if that happens. The average DI Men's soccer coach doesn't even make 50K, the average DI coaches salary is 49.5K per year. Only 26 coaches out of 205 make over 100K and the Top 5 are Chris Grassie - Marshall (375,750), Todd Yeagley - Indiana (317,000), Mike Noonan- Clemson (300,000), Sasho Cirovski- Maryland (280,000) , Jeremy Gunn- Stanford (240,000). I would think most of the 205 ADs and university presidents that have men's soccer stay happy with their current coach as long as they stay compliant with the NCAA and don't bring embarrassment to the school. Winning isn't a requirement just a bonus if you do. I done a little digging going back to 2017 and there have been 133 coaching changes since then and only 15 actual firings, most either let the contract run out or the coach resigns. Then you have the occasional hiring away and five programs were dropped altogether and 2 moved down to DII and DIII.
That is very far from the truth. With turnover in ADs comes their ego and desire to put their own coach in thinking it is easy to win. You say the contract expired or resign? In many cases that is the same as firing. Unlike Football and Basketball, coaches don't get 10-year contracts and buyouts paid for by alums. Most are on three-year contracts so a non-renew is the same as a fire or a suggestion to resign or retire so there is no firing. 133 Coaching changes in 205 schools means there is A LOT of turnover - an average of 2 out of 3 schools changing coaches!!! ADs are treating soccer maybe not like football or basketball but you don't see lifelong losing records too much anymore without a change. In the old days, many of the coaches came through the faculty system so in essence may have had some equivalent of tenure. Now, even some of the weakest programs in the country with limited resources don't renew/fire/or have their coach retire/resign.
There may have been 133 changes but from what I seen it was like the same 25-35 programs changing coaches and not 133 actual programs. In that time span Northern Kentucky, Stetson and one other has had 4 different coaches since 2017. VMI who hasn't won a DI Game since 2014 has had 8 coaches since then. I haven't looked it up but Im guessing the average tenure in DI as a soccer coach would be 6-8 years if not longer. Im a Marshall fan and before Chris Grassie arrived in Huntington, Marshall had 6 coaches from 1979-2016 including an alum who coached the team in 1981 that didn't get paid. This included Bob Gray who most people loved because he was just a good human. But truth is he should have never been the HC for 22 years. For most of Coach Gray's tenure he was put behind the 8 ball. Marshall played soccer on a field or pitch that was built by the same alum who coached Marshall, not by the school. That pitch was pushed up against Marshall's Joan C Edwards Stadium (Football) and had maybe 100 temp seats for games. At that time the Marshall ADs and presidents were just happy that the coaches were in line with the NCAA. Not all but a lot of college programs have the same issues with stadiums. Ive watched enough college soccer to see all but the top 40 maybe top 50 programs have a stadium is just awful. A lot just have a soccer field and no stands, lights or locker rooms. Take for instance GA State who just opened a soccer complex in 2021. As you notice I said complex and not stadium. That's because there are no stands and SRO for maybe 100-150. Its also 8 1/2 miles off campus. Even if you did want to go how many people are gonna bother.