|
||||
Intercollegiate AthleticsFor Sports EnthusiastsFor Student Athletes |
Evergreen men's soccer coach Tom Boatright resigns |
|||
|
Contact: Erik Snyder (360) 867-6537 March 1, 2006 OLYMPIA, Wash. Tom Boatright, who guided The Evergreen State College men's soccer team to its first berth in the NAIA National Championships, resigned Wednesday after four-plus seasons. Boatright, a state employee who served part-time at Evergreen, cited conflicts with his other career as a primary reason for his departure. "This is based solely on the fact that I no longer feel I have the time or ability to continue the program's progress forward, Boatright said. I will make myself available in the near future, and will offer to help in the upcoming efforts to transition the program. Evergreen athletics director Dave Weber expressed disappointment at Boatright's departure and appreciation for his accomplishments in the position. "It's understandable from Tom's perspective. We've had a part-time coaching situation here since (long-time coaching legend) Arno Zoske left after the 1994 season, said Weber. Tom did a phenomenal job turning Evergreen's program around, particularly since he was part-time. Boatright, who played on Zoske's outstanding Evergreen teams of the late 1980s, took over four games into the 2001 season after Scott Martin had been released and then-women's coach Arlene McMahon posted a 1-3 record while doing double duty. McMahon's victory had snapped a 38-game losing streak and came over a Northwest University team that brought just 10 players to Olympia that day. Since then, Boatright has compiled a 46-45-1 record overall, including a 16-7 season in 2004 that included a trip to the final eight of the NAIA National Championships, held that season in Olathe, Kansas. The Geoducks opened the tourney with an overtime win over the host school, William Jewell College (MO), then came back the next night to down defending national champion Rio Grande University (OH), 2-1 in overtime, to snap a record 66-game winning streak compiled by the Redmen. Boatright's teams were ranked as high as ninth in the NAIA and produced four All-America selections: Ryan Dey, James McDonnell, Nate Ford and Joe Gjertsen. Gjertsen has become a mainstay for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the United Soccer League, finishing among the top three vote-getters for the USL's Rookie of the Year Award last summer. "Tom will be a tough act to follow, said Weber. But there are some quality coaches out there and given the momentum of our program, we should be able to get an outstanding coach in place in a timely fashion. Steve Zimmerman, Boatright's top assistant coach, will continue to recruit and work with current players. The search for a new head coach will begin soon.
|
Men's Soccer InformationAffiliatesRelated Links |
|||
|
Last Updated: January 06, 2007 All content and images on this site are copyrighted by The Evergreen State
College. © 2008 |
||||
