New Soccer Coach Kicks Season Forward

On Nov. 3, Samo alumnus Joe Doyle was confirmed as the new coach of the Boys Varsity Soccer team after a long process of interviews and applications by Athletic Director Tim Ballaret. The previous coach, Corey Prost, had resigned from the position early in the preseason due to timing issues.“The old coach had some scheduling problems with his other job because he is an off-campus coach. He just couldn’t commit to a full season,” Ballaret said.Three weeks before the team’s first game, Ballaret began to narrow down the selection and focused on choosing who would be the right fit and the best leader for the boys. With a total of eight interviewed coaches, the Athletic Director was able to reduce the list down to four.“There were a couple of Varsity players that were a part of the second part of the interview process with me. I interviewed the candidates initially at first by myself, narrowed it down, then I invited the Varsity players to sit in on the second part of the interviews,” Ballaret said.Varsity co-captain Will Wisen (’18) describes the process of helping decide on the next coach.“A new coach is very important because our season starts in two weeks. We have been unsure what our season would look like up until the coach was picked, but all the players agree Joe is the right fit for the coaching job. It was a rushed process to pick a coach, and Joe was the one coach that stood out among the others,” Wisen said.Doyle will not be a new face around campus, as he has contributed a number of years to Samo’s Soccer program. “I've been involved with the soccer program for about eight years. This will be my ninth season in total. I played in the program all four years while attending Samohi, and have coached at the JV level the last four seasons,” Doyle said. The Samo alumnus graduated in 2011, after his team went undefeated in League but lost in CIFs. “My senior year, I was on a team that was ranked number one in CIF rankings and failed to achieve anything of note due to the team not getting along. Our goal, as a coaching staff, is to keep the team together and to develop a winning and positive mentality/culture within the group,” Doyle said.The new coach understands the players and what they go through on and off the field which was a major factor in selecting him. “With it being so late, it will be a difficult transition. I will be there to help out in that transition process as best I can. [But the new coach] should fit in the mold and the style of the team,” Ballaret said.The perspective is ambitious for Varsity this year, as they finished in fourth place last season and were not able to qualify for CIFs. But Doyle hopes to turn their record around this year and bring back the winning atmosphere from his high school years.“Just in terms of the Varsity team, our goal is to remain competitive in the league, as I personally feel we have a real shot at winning it this season, and seeing how we do in playoffs,” Doyle said.Winter is here and the team is preparing for changes in who they look up to and how far they will go, but the administration and the players feel confident in their decision to choose Doyle and now it is up to the boys to work hard for their ring.“Season is so close around the corner, and Joe was the only coach we could all trust and rely on quickly. He has been a huge part of the program in the past and has fully earned the position of head coach,” Wisen said.