Yale asst to BU? From Stanford to Yale for a few months then to BU. Movin on up
-
-
Do you have source? I would be surprised as NU has two AC's that were considered candidates although it's been quite a while now you would have thought one would have got the gig if it was going to happen. -
Of course I have a source or I would not of posted it. Just like I’m spot for n with Harvard hire of JS. Unless background checks don’t come back spotless both these jobs are done. Great hires for both schoolsComment
-
The stupidest thread of the new year. Judging by the response no believers of the nonsense.
BU had an experienced AC. Two in fact. It just shows how hard it can be to convince the AD that complete change isn't necessary and the AC can do well if given a chance. The hire looked good and it was one of the mentioned names - good luck.Comment
-
Well, it turns out you are wrong. Kevin Nylen now head coach, per NESJOriginally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
-
What happens to the assistants?Originally posted by UnregisteredComment
-
Most new head coaches bring in their own people, maybe keep one ACOriginally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
-
Kevin Nylen returns to Massachusetts roots as Boston University coachOriginally posted by Unregistered View Post
By Jonathan SigalJanuary 16, 2020
Kevin Nylen has spent the last eight years in Florida before returning to the Boston area. (Michael Berlfein)
When Kevin Nylen (Ipswich, Mass.) originally went to Miami, Fla., to become an assistant coach at Florida International University in 2012, he had a conversation with his wife, Michelle, about possibly returning to New England one day.
“It was one where we agreed if it worked out and it was the right fit, we’d have to entertain the idea,” Nylen said.
After all, Nylen is from Boston’s North Shore and his wife is from Maine. With two young children – their son, Teddy, is 10 months and their daughter, Pearl, is 3 – the conversation shifted to what’s best for their family.
So when the Boston University head coach opening surfaced in late November, one of those ideal situations arose. Neil Roberts (Braintree, Mass.) had retired after 35 years at the helm, and the Patriot League program was seeking a new direction.
The opportunity was ultimately enough for Nylen to depart FIU after a 29-15-9 overall record through three seasons at the Conference USA program, highlighted by an NCAA tournament run in 2017. Nylen was officially announced Thursday as the sixth head coach in BU history.
“We had to make a decision in terms of how you want to raise your kids, where you want to be,” Nylen said. “If you have the opportunity and it aligns, you take it. It has with BU, and this is truly a great opportunity.”
The magnitude of succeeding Roberts isn’t lost on Nylen, either. He led the Terriers to 14 NCAA tournament appearances, 12 regular-season conference titles and amassed nearly 370 career wins.
Kevin Nylen played over 40 games each with the Wilmington Hammerheads and Charleston Battery. (Michael Berlfein)
But the program had also slipped, with three straight losing seasons and last recording double-digit wins in 2015. Last fall’s 4-12-1 record was the program’s worst record-wise since 1984, the last year Hank Steinbrecher was head coach before Roberts took over.
If all goes to plan, Nylen can restore BU’s proud history.
“What we now have to do is get that energy, that passion, that injection back,” Nylen said. “It’s getting BU soccer back to competing for championships again, and winning as much as you can. It’s easier said than done because there’s a lot of work to reach that point, but that’s known.”
Nylen, 38, is relatively young in terms of coaching experience. He’s only been at the collegiate level since 2009, when he began as an Amherst assistant under Justin Serpone, then worked from 2010-12 at Boston College under Ed Kelly. His comparatively-late entry is explained by a six-year USL playing career, after he was an All-American and Northeast 10 Defensive Player of the Year at Saint Anselm, a Division 2 program in Manchester, N.H.
That background gives Nylen a deep understanding of the landscape he enters, but there are tall challenges in the Patriot League. This year’s title for Lehigh snapped a three-year run for Colgate, and the Terriers have never won the conference since coming over from America East in 2013.
The only Patriot League program in a major city, BU arguably has an upper hand in the recruiting game. But translating that into players capable of making NCAA tournament runs won’t happen overnight.
Kevin Nylen also spent 2016 as chief scout and U-16 head coach with the Orlando City. (Michael Berlfein)
“I can’t guarantee wins, I can’t guarantee anything,” Nylen said. “The only thing I can guarantee is we have demanding, fun work ahead of us and we’ll get better from that. But yeah, are you in the city, are you in a conference that you can win, do you have a great city, do you have great academics? That’s all present here.”
As Nylen gets underway, he’s still compiling his coaching staff and is eager to first meet the players Tuesday when they return from winter break.
He outlined his vision for BU’s identity, as of now, as simply being ready to compete every day at training. That’ll coincide with getting to know the players this spring, then building out tactics and a playing style.
“I worry less about the tactics right now and what’s going to be done on the field,” Nylen said. “Let’s get an understanding of the group, who they are as human beings and young men, and making sure they’re ready to work every day. We’ll go from there, because the biggest thing is how they are on a daily basis. I have to learn and start interacting with them soon.”
Locally, Kevin Nylen also played for Ipswich High School. (Michael Berlfein)
Further, Nylen acknowledged that his BU tenure will live and die by the players he brings into the program. Therefore, he plans to recruit players who want to play at the highest level and are passionate about attending an urban, international-heavy school like BU. Being in the heart of Boston along the Charles River sure doesn’t hurt, either.
The project is a lofty one, as it would be for anyone following in Roberts’ footsteps. But Nylen, back in Massachusetts after his Florida venture, is ready to tackle it head on.
“You have a great responsibility as a head coach, and it’s just exciting to work with young men who want to get better and share the same passion we have,” Nylen said. “As a manager, as a coach, it’s all about the guys. First and foremost, it always will be. That should translate into results here.”Comment
Comment