When a head coach at any level of sport gets fired, steps down or retires, the number one priority for that team becomes finding a new successor.
For the men’s soccer program, this is the situation they find themselves in.
When former coach Fred Thompson resigned at season’s end after posting a 4-13-2 record, it ended his five year stint with the University. In those five years, Thompson compiled an overall record of 18-69-8.
With Thompson out, the always difficult task of finding a replacement is underway. Ironically enough, the BG football team was in the same position when coach Gregg Brandon was released following the 2008 campaign with a 6-6 record. Two weeks and fifteen candidates later, Dave Clawson came out on top to become the 17th head coach in BGSU history.
Now that the search for a head football coach is officially complete, BGSU Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Greg Christopher is shifting gears to the hiring a new men’s soccer coach. Christopher, along with Senior Associate Athletic Director Janna Blais and women’s soccer coach Andy Richards, will be working together for the next few weeks to begin the interviews.
As with any search within BG athletics, Christopher said he and his staff will develop a set of priorities like those put together for the football search to help guide in their hiring for a men’s soccer coach.
“The interest in the job has been very high,” said Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Mike Cihon. “The administration is working on narrowing the field of candidates.”
Narrowing the field of candidates is just one of the many tasks in the process of hiring a head coach. With a countless number of phone calls and interviews, the procedure of finding “the right man for the job” can be a long and strenuous one.
Cihon said as soon as Christopher, Blais and Richards have narrowed the field of possible candidates, he would expect to see some interviews in the coming weeks.
Although there is no set timeline on the search for a new men’s soccer coach, the priority of finding a suitable fit is important nonetheless. While perhaps soccer may not be as high profile as the football program, Christopher knows how vital it is to find a coach for the soccer team.
“The men’s soccer hire is just as important for the future of the program,” Christopher said. “Men’s soccer has a rich history at BGSU and it’s a sport in which we should compete for [Mid-American Conference] championships.”
Only time will tell who the next head coach will be for men’s soccer. However, when the time does come for a new man to roam Mickey Cochrane Field, he will become only the fifth head coach in the soccer program’s history.
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Contact sports reporter Paul Barney at [email protected].
