To the Editor:
The members of the Dartmouth men's soccer team are disappointed to lose our head coach, Fran O'Leary. We wish Coach O'Leary the best at George Mason University and hope he experiences the same success he enjoyed here at Dartmouth.
Coach O'Leary worked hard to carry on the winning men's soccer tradition Bobby Clark rejuvenated in 1985. In fact, over the last four years the Dartmouth men's soccer team made two NCAA tournament appearances and compiled an overall record of 35-25-8. Yet, despite being one of the more successful men's programs at Dartmouth, support from the athletic department and admissions has been lacking. Over the years it has become apparent that, in regards to recruiting needs, we must fail before we are extended the help and support that is necessary to succeed. We've had two of the nation's best coaches in the country over the last 16 years. Why have we not done more? In order to sustain a nationally competitive program on a yearly basis, support from our athletic department and from admissions must be equally consistent. At this point, our athletic department comes off looking content to dwell in mediocrity.
The struggle of the men's teams and the questioning of the commitment of the College to these teams were well chronicled in a recent Valley News article. In that article Associate Athletic Director Josie Harper was quoted as saying that the College has to do "whatever they can to help the men's teams." Those words will continue to ring hollow to the members of the Dartmouth men's soccer team until consistent support has been offered.
Coaching men's soccer at Dartmouth is a desirable position to coaches across the country. The fact that the Ivy League was recently ranked the second best conference in the nation for soccer only enhances its appeal. Why then are we losing a coach of such high quality to a school whose team is coming off an average season and resides in just the seventh best conference in the nation? It shouldn't make sense. However, given the disparity between the levels of commitment each school has shown its athletics, Fran's decision to leave no longer looks absurd. This must change.
Change starts now. I have no doubt our athletic department will bring in a quality coach capable of replacing Fran. The only question is when. Stanford just recently filled their head coaching position in less than three weeks, not to mention their replacement led Creighton to the NCAA Championship game this past year. Our timetable undoubtedly will be different, but we must struggle to attain maximum efficiency in this process in order to maintain the commitments from our recruits. The recruits also will need immediate feedback from admissions, an area where Dartmouth is among the slowest in the Ivy League. We must have a coach named before our spring season starts in April. Our team anxiously awaits to see how these matters are handled in the coming weeks.
