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Men's Soccer
John O'Connor enters his second season as the head men's soccer coach at Rhode Island in 2007-08. In his first year with the program, the Rams posted a 12-5-6 record, captured the Atlantic 10 championship title and advanced to the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Senior Jeffrey Gonsalves also earned All-America recognition and was drafted in the fourth round of the MLS Superdraft by Toronto FC. The winningest soccer coach in University of Chicago history, O'Connor brought an impressive resume to the URI sidelines, which includes five seasons as an assistant coach at Dartmouth under current Notre Dame Head coach and Scottish international Bobby Clark. O'Connor replaces Ed Bradley, who retired last fall after 17-years on the Rhody sidelines. "John's passion for soccer, proven results in developing the infrastructure for program success, and the highest respect he has from former student-athletes, coaching colleagues and administrators continually impressed us during the search process," said then URI Director of Athletics Tom McElroy. "His many accomplishments as the architect behind Chicago's success on the field and in the classroom gives us great confidence that he will be able to build upon what Ed Bradley accomplished at URI before him." He was named the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 1996, after leading Chicago to the NCAA Tournament Semifinals and earning the program's highest ranking (No. 5) ever. It was only his second season at the helm of a program that had registered just three winning seasons in the previous 20 years. "John is a great coach because of his mastery of the x's and o's of the game, but what sets him apart is the way he deals with student athletes," said his mentor Clark. "I've seen the way his positive energy impacts a soccer program, an athletic department and a community. I have no doubt he will be very successful in his new position." O'Connor, a native of Wayland, Mass., guided the Maroons to a 14-5-1 record and a No. 18 ranking in the final national polls after making their second NCAA Division III Tournament semifinal appearance this past season. O'Connor became the leader in all-time wins in the program's history in 2001, a campaign which marked Chicago's first-ever University Athletic Association (UAA) men's soccer championship. The Maroons finished the season ranked No. 2 in the South Central region and No. 14 nationally. With a 113-74-17 (.596) record in 11 seasons at Chicago, O'Connor tops all Chicago men's soccer coaches in winning percentage (.596) and winning seasons (9). O'Connor developed 46 All-UAA performers, 12 All-Region selections, an All-American, an Academic All-American, and an NCAA postgraduate scholarship winner. Prior to his arrival at Chicago, O'Connor spent five seasons at Dartmouth College under Clark. During their tenure together, the Big Green posted an overall record of 40-19-7, including a 17-10-1 mark in the Ivy League with two conference titles (1990, 1992) and two appearances in the NCAA Division I quarterfinals (1990, 1992). While at Dartmouth, O'Connor also served as Director of Coaching for the Upper Valley Lightning Youth Soccer Association and was a Region I Olympic Development Program staff member. "O'Connor has proven himself successful on the Division-I level, and was able to transform Chicago into one of the elite Division III programs in the country," said URI head women's soccer coach Zac Shaw. "He is a student of the game and there is no question in my mind he will be a great success and a tremendous addition to the athletics department here at Rhode Island." O'Connor, who also coached at Orono high school, was an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Maine, from 1984-1986. O'Connor earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from the University of Maine in 1984 and a master's degree in education from Maine in 1986. He holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) "A" License and a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Premier Diploma. O'Connor resides in Wyoming, R.I. with his wife Sheila, who is the former women's swimming coach at the University of Chicago, and their two children, Megan and Michael. |
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