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It's all about the coach by needamirer

Nothing earth shattering in this post, but I wanted to highlight something pretty special that happened the other night. Several years ago, the University of Charleston (WV) won the Division II National Championship in Men's Soccer. It was quiet the accomplishment and a complete shock, as our local schools usually do not compete at that level.

Four years ago Marshall University hired the coach away from UC. In his first two years Marshall had a losing record. Last year it had a winning record, but nothing spectacular. This year it had its second winning record in a row and made it to the College Cup, which again, was tremendous and unexpected. In the process of the tournament, Marshall beat several of the blue-bloods of mens' soccer. It beat Clemson, Georgetown and North Carolina. This slate included the No. 1 team in the Country and the defending National Champion.

Marshall then faced 7-time National Champion Indiana in the final game and won 1-0 in overtime. This is Marshall's first national championship of any kind in Division I. It's not about changing landscapes, etc... I great coach can overcome talent gaps and win a national championship. It's much harder for great athletes to overcome a bad coach and still win a national title.

Again, this is not news to anyone, just wanted to share a clear example of what a great coach can do.