Catholic University of America Men’s Soccer – Coach Connor Keenan

In today’s episode, I speak with Coach Connor from the CUA Men’s Program in Washington, DC. We talk about how he looks for players with high character as well as high soccer ability. Coach also shares about the amazing career opportunities students have after school. Plus, we discuss how he likes to get feedback from his players. Learn more about Catholic University of America Men’s Soccer.

Matt: [00:00:00] Hi everybody. Welcome to Discover College Soccer. Today I’m lucky enough to be joined by Coach Connor at the Catholic University of America. Uh, that is the only time you’re allowed to do the, the, it is not an Ohio State thing. I don’t care what anybody says. As someone who went to Ohio University. For grad school that was founded before Ohio State, but we will go the Catholic University of America, my other alma mater.

Welcome coach. Love it. Appreciate you having 

Coach: me on. Yeah, I think you’re allowed to do the, uh, the, the, for us. That works for us, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Well, whenever, 

Matt: well, whenever I tell anybody, oh, I went to Catholic U they, they’re like, oh, Georgetown, Notre Dame. No, no, not, not either of those actually, but, but, okay.

Oh. We’re, uh, you know, we’re talking here. It’s towards the end of October. In fact, my, my wife was just there for, for homecoming weekend, her 25th, uh, reunion. And you guys got a big dub and your guys are currently sitting, uh, well, I won’t say it because I don’t wanna jinx it. Uh, ’cause I was sitting at, with, with my girls high [00:01:00] school team at, with this record last year, so I under I know, I know.

I, I’m not jinxing it. Um, I appreciate it. Appreciate it. But, uh, but you guys are doing well. We’ll just leave it at that. Um. And you know, I mean, 30 years ago when I went there is, uh, you know, completely different animal than what it is today. So, you know, I think my freshman class, we had six kids on, you know, it was a part-time coach.

Uh, only one of the six had a recruiting call with a coach. The rest of us, you know, just showed up and, and, and played and, um, but. How is, how do you work recruiting right now, like it being the fall, how much your time is spent on recruiting for next year, you know, versus just, you know, doing what you gotta do to, to run the season.

Coach: Yeah, no, it, it’s, it’s, it’s a unique time of year, especially in the fall. I mean, obviously we wanna focus on recruiting and kind of keep up the relationships that we’ve built up. Probably since, you know, mid last year is where we started focusing on the 2026 class. And so, um. Yeah, it, it’s, it’s part of [00:02:00] our, it’s part of our weekly routine for sure.

Myself and our assistant will sit down and kind of go through who’s playing high school this week, what club games are going on. So we do spend time on, but it is also, um, it is difficult a little bit because of the grind of the season. I mean, two, two games throughout the, the week prepping for that, you kind of really get no downtime.

So it’s a bit of a balance, but an about. Two, three weeks, your things pick up no matter what, where you are in the season because, um, as you know, like the club stuff gets going, high school seasons are ending and it’s just full steam ahead with that side of stuff. So we do spend some time with it, but in about two or three weeks that, that really ramps up quite a bit.

So 

Matt: when, well, I guess I’ll ask this question first. Of your recruiting time that you’re spending as a d, you know, as a top 25 D three. How much right now is class of 26 and how much is class of 27? How much are you looking that much further? 

Coach: Yeah. Um, good question. So for the 26 class, we have two recruiter, right, uh, committed right now.

And [00:03:00] just to be full transparent, we’re looking at about. Seven to nine guys in that class. And so it’s a smaller class this year because we lost, uh, we graduated big class last year of about 14. So we brought in a bigger freshman class, which is a little unique. And then we’re only graduating four guys while they’re impactful.

We’re only graduating four this year. So the numbers game and all of that starts to kind of come into consideration. Um, so we’re still pretty heavy into the 2026 class, just the way our admissions process works, where we’re at as a program and all of that. We’re still kind of heavy into the 2026, but with that being said.

We’re now full in still with the 2027. So it’s a balancing act for sure. But I think we would do ourselves a disservice if we were like, ah, let’s put all the 2020 sevens in a folder. We’ll see them in a few months and worry about that. I think that sets us behind. And so, um, it’s definitely a balance, but really still focusing on the 2026 class with now starting to really, um, create relationships, focus on some evaluations on the 2027 class as we get into.

As, you know, the heavy club showcase [00:04:00] craziness of the year. So, um, yeah, kind of bit of both. Okay. Well 

Matt: speaking of that craziness, what, where, I mean, you mentioned going to high school games, obviously the, the DMV’s got, you know, really good high school programs and good soccer there, but also great club soccer.

So what, where. What, what are the events that you go to? What’s on your must hit list each year when you’re looking for players? 

Coach: Yeah, I mean in terms of the high school side of stuff, obviously the WCA C’s massive around here and we always seem to get great kids from, from that, from that league. And obviously the I A A certainly helps.

Um, so that will kind of continue to go to, I think, um, we’re really sort of mindful of our time with that. Like if we tried to go to every single high school game possible, I’d be late for our game tomorrow night. Which isn’t, isn’t a good thing. So we’re always mindful about where we’re going and who we’re going to see in the high school side of stuff.

But in terms of the club side of things, you know, over the last two, three years, even going back through Coach Beachum and when I was an assistant here with him, you know, the EEC and L side of stuff’s obviously massive. I think the way they put things on and how they organize things and the quality of its fantastic.

So we’ll hit a lot of those events, certainly [00:05:00] MLS next events. Um, we’ve been really fortunate enough to continue to get kids from there, but, um, we’re kind of all over. The, the Mid-Atlantic northeast sort of region. I mean, could we go out to California and Arizona and some of these places and go see team?

Sure. And that’s great. But I think there’s so much quality in this region and we do so well in it that, um, we try really be mindful of. Our time and our yield and, and where we can get kids from. And so, you know, the EDP side of stuff, the PDA showcases, the pen fusion side of stuff that I hold. A lot of showcase events, you know, there’s a lot of those and I’m from Philly, so, um, getting back home is really nice, but a lot of those we do really well with.

And so we really try and make sure that we’re there for. And, um, you know, a lot of that set of stuff within. Within the East Coast and then we will head down to Florida. You know, I know ECL does stuff down there and there’s some different camps and stuff around there. So it just honestly just depends on the year and what our needs are and where things are with, um, the ECL mls, next [00:06:00] EDP, US YS side of stuff.

’cause I know they’re always changing things. Like I know MS next this year, um, has really kind of changed locations, so we just have to look at it and see, see what works for us. 

Matt: You mentioned camps too. Do, so you guys run an ID camps at CUA or do you and your staff work other ID camps? Are they part of your recruiting process?

Coach: Yeah, for sure. Um, a little bit of both. And so we started, since I’ve been back, this is my, obviously my second year. Um, we had one in the summer, which was about 50 kids. We kind of capped it at and it was fantastic. We actually, our two commits came from that camp. Um, we had seen ’em a little bit, but ultimately made our final decisions through that camp, which is fantastic.

And that’s kind of been the tradition here at Catholic too, even with Coach Beam, like we’ve always had kids come from camp and it’s a great tool for us because they see how we do things. They hear from our coaching, our coaching staff, and maybe how, how we organize and talk a little bit. And so, and then we also see them in a setting around our guys and we had.

About all 18 returning guys back this summer. ’cause we did a international trip two days later to Costa Rica. So they were all back and got to mix in with our [00:07:00] guys. And that’s a really helpful tool for us too, because at the end of the day, um, they need to fit with our, with our group and what and how we do stuff.

And so we do, we’ll do another one in the spring and then we’ll get another one going in the summer. Um, and then we do go to other camps as well, whether it’s other colleges, camps that we’ll kind of help mix in with or some of the bigger ones. Throughout the summer and throughout the year, we’re always, we’re always looking to find new ways to see kids and, and, and evaluate and, and, um, go through that process.

Matt: Okay. Well, whether it’s at a high school game, a club tournament, a camp, kind of what makes up the hierarchy of things that you’re looking for in a player both on and off the field. 

Coach: Yeah. Um, and we’ve always kind of said this, and it may sound a little confident and cocky, but I think we can always get really good soccer players here.

I mean, that’s always kind of been, you know, with our location, our academics, certainly the success of the program over the years. I think the biggest thing for us is the character of the individual, and I know that may. Sound a little cliche, but someone that fits the experience that we provide here. I mean, you obviously know the experience that you get at Catholic University and with being in DC and it’s [00:08:00] pretty full on, we ask a lot of our guys to do different things and to be involved in some different stuff, whether it’s a little bit silly or a little bit more serious.

And so for us it’s finding the person that just kind of dives into a ton of different things is willing to put themselves out there a little bit. And that’s hard for a 17, 18 to 22-year-old to do. Um, but within the recruiting process, just kind of seeing how they interact with every. Buddy around them and maybe some of the different things they do throughout their high school and soccer careers.

And that’s really important to us. And so aside from just obviously getting good soccer players, because again, I mean the landscape of club and high school soccer has changed so much. There’s so many good players out there. And so not to say that it’s easy to get them. We really focus in on the person and how they fit in with some of the things that we do here, which is a little bit different.

And so, um, we really try and do our due diligence. Our assistants do a fantastic job of calling club coaches and being in kind of that, those circles coming up and, um, making sure we get the right person here. 

Matt: Okay. [00:09:00] Well, let’s talk a little bit more, uh, about the school. Um, you know, you. You’re not an alum, but you were on staff for, for a bit.

Uh, and so this is kinda your second go around, so you got a, a decent perspective on it. So, I mean, I know my opinions, but what are some of the things you find awesome about Catholic? Maybe some things people wouldn’t know just by going through the website. 

Coach: Well, funny enough, uh, and obviously I know you did the interview with Coach Beeman.

If you had asked him about my recruiting process, I actually got recruited to come here and, um, you know, it was, I, to be honest, I thought I was. Kind of in coming to Catholic, and this is why everyone needs good grades, because that kind of held me back a little bit back in the high school days. And so, um, and then I actually did my master’s here too as a graduate assistant.

So technically sort of an alum, but not the full alum experience. But, um, what I love about Catholic, I mean, is just the, the opportunities that you have here. I was just talking to one of our assistant ads about, um, the business school, the Bush School of Business, and how many. You know, internship opportunities, career fair workshops, these sort of mock interview things that they can get [00:10:00] into.

And that’s kind of widespread across our academic side of stuff. And, you know, aside from maybe some of the rankings that we’re in as a school or whatever, the career preparation that they do for you here is unreal. So that’s. For me, one of the biggest things that we offer here and one of the exciting things because we had a bunch of our alums, like you had mentioned, your wife being back for Cardinal Weekend.

This past weekend, we had a bunch of younger alums back and they’re all doing amazing things in their career fields and has everything to do with the opportunities that they have, but also taking advantage of those opportunities. So on the like academic campus side of things, that’s certainly one. But then, I mean, being in DC is awesome.

There’s so many different things you can get into from, you know, some of the museums and restaurants and concerts you can get into. Just going to see all the national monuments, you’re never bored here, and if you are bored here, something’s kind of amiss there. And so it’s awesome. It’s awesome being back in DC like you said, this is my second go around and so coming back to the city and, and the university’s been fantastic.

Matt: Well, I think I’ve mentioned this probably on Travis’ interview, but the, my [00:11:00] favorite fun fact to drop on everybody is Catholic University is the second largest landowner in the District of Columbia behind the federal government. So that’s a pretty cool 

Coach: stat right there. That’s a pretty cool fact. I’ll take that.

So you, so you don’t know, 

Matt: you know, when you’re on campus, you, you don’t really know you’re in the middle of a big city. It’s not like GW or, or some of these other ones that are, that are downtown and, and which is, which, you know, I, I think is also. Cool thing about it, but, well, you mentioned the academics and, and some great opportunities and, but you know, that can be really difficult, right?

Especially for high school kids coming in. So how do you make sure your student athletes really balance their studies and sports commitments and, and what, um, you know, what kind of support services is there for, for folks to, to make sure they’re doing all right? 

Coach: I mean, it’s always a transition even as you go from freshman to sophomore, sophomore to junior, junior, senior, because classes get harder.

There’s some different demands, certainly with internships and things. So every year is a little bit of a transition for guys. Um, for us, with our first years coming in, we meet with them every three weeks. Just to go over like how you’re [00:12:00] planning stuff, how are you doing, the time management side of things, how are you doing with that?

How are classes going? How you’re fitting in, you know, socially enjoying things here than any soccer side of, uh, questions that they may have. So. We try and do that throughout the first semester just to see, help ’em get off on a good foot a little bit. But also the resources on campus are unreal from, you know, different tutoring services to the office hours.

With, with professors, there’s always different things that we can kind of point them to, to be honest, we don’t really do study halls and things like that. For me, I, I’ve found that, you know, and it works for, for others, which is great, but me getting a group of 18 to 22 year olds in a room and say, Hey, study for two hours.

Something’s gonna, they’re gonna get distracted at some. Point. And so, um, when we do bring kids in and they’re admitted here, it’s because you can handle the academic material here. I mean, there’s always challenges and things, but we really make sure the time management side of things, um, we kind of focus in on, because that’s the biggest difference.

And so at least that we’ve found, because now you have more free time and all things like that [00:13:00] throughout the year, and there’s just different things going on. And so, um, and especially in the fall, I think kids, for the most part find it a little bit easier too because everything’s scheduled out for ’em from practice to film, to scout to.

Games your week set out so you can kind of schedule around that. It’s the winter and spring that, um, I think there’s probably a little bit more of a, of a transition because there is a little bit more free time on the Division III side of stuff. And so, um, we truly, really try to manage it in the first semester.

So when we do get to that winter and spring semester, they kind of know the deal and know the expectation and kind of have a set sort of foundation of. How to handle stuff, but, um, but the services on campus are fantastic. So we do have an academic liaison that works here in the university with our department.

And so if there are some underlying things that need to go on there, some big issues, we can always point to them as well. So, um, yeah, a ton of different avenues to kind of support them. And that’s the biggest thing. We’re always gonna support you. Um, we wanna make sure that, you know, you’re obviously getting the right, the right resources for, for the academic side of stuff and for the athletic side of stuff as [00:14:00] well.

Matt: Well, you mentioned that. Planned out schedule. So, you know, this is, you’re in the heart of the conference season right now. I mean, you have three games left. It’s like, you know, you, you’re in it. So what, what does this week look like? What, what does a typical week look like for, you know, practices, games, meals, all that stuff you just mentioned.

Classes, all that stuff. 

Coach: Yeah. This year’s a little unique. Because we have Tuesday conference games, which hadn’t really been the norm. And so, you know, early on we met with our captains on, on what this may look like for this year of like, do we want to have Sundays off and just have a Monday pre-game and a Tuesday game?

Uh, what do you guys feel would, would make sense for us? And so for this entire month especially, we’ve had Sunday sessions. That means we’re off on Wednesdays. Um, and the Sundays are more of a recovery day, just kind of getting guys back, um, from Saturday’s game. So we did that last night. Today it’ll be, um, you know, a a 6 30, 6 45, um, pre-game session for us.

And then obviously Tuesday we play. Wednesday, we’re off Thursday, um, we’ll be kind of a, a more [00:15:00] traditional session at six 30. Getting going a little bit. Prepping for Saturday. Um, Friday will be a pregame session. This week’s a little unique ’cause we’re gonna travel overnight for Sprint and so we’ll, we’ll leave after that.

And then Saturday. Obviously play Sunday, we’ll do a recovery session and just kind of some like technical work and a little bit of a harder session for guys that didn’t play, um, a certain amount of minutes Monday pre-game Tuesday game. So that’s kind of been our typical week for the last few weeks even in our out of conference, ’cause we had some Tuesday games.

Um, we’re always really mindful just of the workload we put on our guys. And so if you play 60 minutes or more in a game for us that next day if we’re off, obviously it’s an easy recovery day for you. But if we’re not. It’s gonna be a recovery session for you, meaning you warm up for a little bit, you do some technical work, and then you go off with one of our assistants and do a full stretching, hydration sort of thing.

So, um, we try and manage that as best as possible, but then also getting a full session for the other guys because they need it. They need the fitness, but also to continue their development. And that’s, they need that, that’s what [00:16:00] we, we owe them. And so, um, that’s kind of been our week for, for a little bit and that’ll continue to be us hopefully for a little while longer here.

So, yeah, it’s pretty routine for our guys. Um, and the meal side of stuff and everything, they get that sorted, um, with the dining hall and stuff like that. And they’ve always kind of been prepared because they know what to expect throughout the week. So now it’s been pretty, pretty routine for us, for now.

Matt: Okay. Well, let’s talk a little bit more about the, the team, the soccer side of things. I know you mentioned the amount of recruits coming in and people graduated, but like, is there a roster size you’re trying to hit each year that you, you you’d like to have? 

Coach: Yeah, I mean, there’s not a specific number each year that we’re getting told, Hey, you’ve gotta hit this.

But we certainly want to, um, obviously be competitive with the teams around us and make sure that we’re not too low of a number to where if we pick up injuries or something, we’re at a disadvantage. I also, you know, we’re fortunate enough, I think, for us not to have. Being told we’re having to have a roster of 40 or 45 or something like that.

It works for us, it may work for others, but it works for us. Having, um, we’re always gonna kind of be around that 31 to 34 range, I think, and that’ll be [00:17:00] with three or four keepers. Um, and so that takes in like obviously injuries and things like that that go on. And so, um, that’ll always kind of be our sweet spot in my opinion.

You know, in other years we’ve had had a couple more, depending on transfers or what the year looks like. ’cause it’s, I mean, as you know, the recruiting side of things is always changing. Like next week, the recruiting side of things may be a little. Bit different for us and what that looks like. But, um, we’ll always kind of be around that 31, 34 ish range for us.

Um, hopefully is is what we can continue. 

Matt: What about the other part of the roster, the, the coaching side, kind of who helps out with the team? What role does everybody play? Maybe what their support staff are there helping out, uh, on a regular basis. 

Coach: We’ve, we’ve got a fantastic group of assistants. I’m really fortunate.

Um, we’ve had who now who’s our graduate assistant in a home Faha who’s been with us, this is his, oh my goodness, now his third year. So he is, been with us for two years as a part-time guy. He’s really connected with the DMV side of stuff. He grew up here, was a big time player, went to St. Mary’s and so he does a fantastic job [00:18:00] with some of our day-to-day stuff now is our graduate assistant, but.

On the recruiting side of things and our players sort of management side of stuff. He does everything to be honest. And so, um, he’s been fantastic for us and consistent for us too. That’s been the biggest thing, um, for us is having someone like that that’s really consistent with us, um, over the years, especially for our guys too.

And then we have a goalkeeping coach, Nick Ortiz, who’s been, this is his. Second year, and he’s, he’s fantastic and he does everything goalkeeper related. He’s also stepped up in his role a little bit in terms of some of the tactical side of stuff and feedback for us. Um, he’s unreal and I’ve been really fortunate enough to, to bring him on.

And then we just added a new assistant this year. Danny Tierney, who was a teammate of mine at ko. Fantastic. Fantastic player was part of a Sweet 16 team, and he’s come in and just kind of given a fresh perspective on things and a different set of eyes, and I think he really meshes well with our guys.

And so again, I’m fortunate to have three really good assistants that all bring something different to the table, have different personalities for [00:19:00] sure, and I think aren’t afraid to give their opinion. There’s there’s room for that. And so, um, they’ll give me stuff that. We know that sometimes we agree on and sometimes we disagree on, but they know that, um, we can have those conversations.

So again, really fortunate. Yeah, it’s been awesome. 

Matt: Oh, that’s great. Well, what about you? Talk to us about your coaching style and the style of play you look to, to have there. 

Coach: Yeah. Um, I think kind of, again, the cliche thing’s, probably like a player coach, which I certainly am. Like I love mixing it in with our guys and we’ll joke before practice, we’ll do soccer, tennis, and just have fun throughout, throughout the week.

But I also, I’m pretty upfront about like, we’re gonna coach ’em, we’re gonna coach you hard. And, um, we build those relationships early on so they know. Where it’s coming from and that it’s not a personal thing, it’s for them to get better and for our program to get better. And so, um, we’re really kind of hands on with the training side of stuff.

And even in game, you know, obviously like things get heated, but they know, I think where it’s coming from and, and, and why we’re doing it. And the moment they don’t, they know our doors always open, [00:20:00] come in and chat with us. And those are the days that I love the most. Like, yeah, we have to do stuff on the computer and recruiting calls and all this kind of stuff, but.

Getting our guys to come in and just chat about things and give their opinion on stuff is what I love the most. And so, um, it’s certainly not my way or the highway. There is a set way that we do things within our process, but I love hearing the feedback from our guys on what they need, what they’re looking for, what may work, um, what may not work.

And so, um, we certainly take their, take their opinions in pretty highly. But then also in terms of our, I guess, playing style you’d call it, I mean. We kind of have six things that are pretty set for us. Three on the attacking side of the ball that are pretty general, and three on the defensive side of the ball.

And then within that, like whether we change personnel formation or something happens in a game where we have to change things, I don’t want our guys to freak out when we do that kind of stuff. Where, I mean, obviously we’ll train certain things, but if something needs to be tweaked in a game, we still have our foundational principles that don’t change, and so they can have that as a fallback where, I mean, it’s the same thing in club soccer when we talk [00:21:00] to recruits, like if they have to change something because they can’t scout every club, soccer opponent.

Are they all of a sudden freaking out and don’t know what to do? Or can they go back to their foundation and what they’ve trained and work through that? And that’s how we kind of approach our guys a little bit. And certainly like if you, you know, if anyone watches any of our games, we like to keep the ball.

We certainly like to have possession, but it’s also, you know, not stringing together 18 passes our own 18, just ’cause it looks good. We want to be really intentional to how we do things. And so, um, we’re kind of rooted in those a little bit. And, you know, they’re very general. The three things on the attacking side of the ball, value possession.

Be creative in the attack, be efficient in the attack. And within that, depending on who we bring in each year, that changes how that looks. But those three things never change for us. On the attacking side of the ball, on the defensive side of the ball, it’s three very general things. Be organized and compact.

Whether it’s a high press, mid-block, low block that never changes for us. Um, be prideful in your one V one defending. If you don’t have some sort of sense of wanting to defend here, you’re probably not gonna play for us. And then be dominant on our set piece, on our set pieces. And so those six [00:22:00] things never changed for us.

The formation, how that looks like. The personnel may change and that’s okay. We have to be adaptable. But for us, that’s kind of how we, how we approach things the last year and a half or so. 

Matt: Yeah. Love it. Well, hey, I really appreciate you. You know, you, you’ve given us your time and, and telling us all about CU UA.

But I’m gonna leave you one last question and that is, if you had one piece of advice for, you know, any high school potential student athlete in going through this process right now, what would that be? 

Coach: Um, well, it’s certainly a stressful one and always changing, even for us coaches, but I think the biggest thing for me that I’d stress to, to potential student athletes is just to be open to any, any option, any possibility, any place.

Don’t shut anyone out. You never know what happens in your recruiting timeline and your recruiting process. And not to say you have to go on every single visit and take on everything, but. Don’t close off options ’cause you never know what’s gonna happen and what opportunity may arise. And so be open to everything.

Um, respond to emails in certain texts, and I think that’ll certainly [00:23:00] make your recruiting process, um, a little bit more efficient, but easier and just enjoy it a little bit more. And ultimately you’re gonna find the spot at the end that fits you and fits best for you, um, if you, if you’re open to any sort of possibility.

So, um, that’s, that’s kinda the number one thing for us. Awesome. 

Matt: Well. I wish you nothing but the best of luck here finishing out the conference season and, uh, the conference tournament and, uh, you know, hopefully we’ll, we’ll see you guys back in the, in the national tournament and, and just keep, keep things going man.

I’m, I’m rooting for you from, from down here and if you get to, if, if any of those, uh, recruiting events come down to Bradenton, you know, gimme a shout so we can get together. All right. 

Coach: Definitely. And I appreciate Matt, this is awesome. 

Coach: love the platform and appreciate what you’re doing. So thanks again for having me on.

Matt: Thank you.