From the Center Circle with Head Coach Keith O’Connor

(Photo: Sherry Saccoliti)

Where are you from originally?

I grew up in Ridgewood, N.J.

What made you decide to coach at the college level?

I fell into coaching by dumb luck. After I graduated from college, I was on my way to an interview in New York.  As I was waiting for the PATH train to return home, an announcement came over the speaker saying that the service was suspended. That pretty much confirmed my belief that I did not want to work in the city. While searching for another job, I received a call from my high school’s varsity soccer coach asking if I wanted to lead the junior varsity program.  I was excited about the opportunity to go back to my alma mater to coach in a program where I had so much success. After one season of coaching success, I was hooked and found my new profession.  Here I am, 27 years later, still doing what I love.

What does a typical practice look like for your team?

We always start with some sort of technical work, attempting to master ball skills and the small things that make players/teams successful. We then move on to a small exercise that focuses on our topic of the day (defending, attacking, shooting, etc.). We typically move into a larger exercise, still working on the topic of the day, and then finish with a full game to incorporate the small ideas into a realistic game scenario.  We then have the players cool down with a post-session stretch, with a final thought of the session from our staff.

What do you expect of your student-athletes?

I expect a lot from my players. I tell them that being a student-athlete at FDU is a privilege, not a right.  First and foremost, my expectation is that they never miss a class unless we are traveling for an away contest. I expect them to abide by the standards we set forth for them to be a part of the FDU Men’s Soccer program, both on and off the field.

During a game, what is the energy of your sideline/bench?

I think the reserves on the bench play a huge part in a game. They have the ability to bring life and energy to the players on the field.  In essence, they can have a huge impact on the momentum of the players on the field.

Where would be your dream location for your student-athletes to play?

Many of our players follow various overseas professional leagues. I think any of those venues would be fantastic. But the success and history of a Manchester United or Chelsea would be a dream come true for many players.