Garrett College Women’s Soccer – Coach Brandon Jackson

On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Brandon from the Garrett Women’s Program in Maryland. We talk about what it’s like starting a new program. He describes how he sees a great deal of motivation in international recruits. Lastly, we discuss the abundance of outside activities the school offers. Learn more about Garrett College Women’s Soccer.

Matt: [00:00:00] Hi everybody. Welcome to Discover College Soccer. Today I’m lucky enough to be joined by Coach Brandon Jackson from Garrett College in Maryland. Welcome coach. Thank you for having me. Yeah, thanks for being here. I’ve, uh, you know, driven through Garrett County many, many times. Uh, grew up in Columbus, but went to school in DC so made that trip, uh, on numerous occasions.

Uh, It’s, it’s, it’s definitely, uh, pretty country, but, but cold and, uh, snowy in the winter. You gotta be, you gotta be careful, right? 

Coach: A hundred percent right. And you’re, we’re coming to actually have something in common there. I’m actually from Fort Wayne, Indiana, so I drive past you on a regular basis too.

So I know the flatlands and, uh, a whole lot of corn fields and not a lot of, uh, scenery to look at. But I tell you what, getting outta Garrett County, West Virginia, getting out of the, the mountains. My gas mileage definitely goes up. So I definitely like that effect. 

Matt: Well, now I’m down here in Florida. It’s just a, it’s flatter than, uh, than I think even, even Ohio is.

But, uh, but anyway. Well, the, the cool thing is you’re getting to start a brand new program there at, uh, at Garrett. Um, it looks like, I guess last summer, about nine months ago or so, you guys announced that you were adding women’s soccer. So I, I guess you know the blanket question. How’s it been getting tapped to start a new program?

Coach: I’ll tell you what, it’s uh, it’s definitely a love-hate relationship. I will say it’s definitely more on the love side. Um, it’s been a lot of, uh, traveling. It’s been endless [00:01:30] conversations on the phone. You know, I see a lot of students here at the college. You’re like, Hey, coach Jackson, you’re always on the phone.

I’m like, I always gotta be on the phone. You know, I tell you what, recruiting, uh, JUCO wise, um, I don’t have anybody to help me out. I am the, uh, only full-time coach here. So I talk to every agent. I talk to every recruit. I talk to every parent. Uh, I am traveling a lot of times using my own money, uh, to go to these, um, showcases.

Uh, they gave me a small little budget here, uh, at Gera College, which I’m very thankful for. Uh, but at the end of the day, uh, I gotta keep grinding, you know, uh, I’m not having women, you know, knocking on my door left and right saying, I wanna play at Garrett College. You know, I’ve been blessed and thankful enough that I have, uh, 14 committed right now, uh, which is great for a, uh, starting a JUCO program from the ground up.

I didn’t have anybody in place here at the college when I started, so it wasn’t like there was a freshman already here saying, oh, you got a program I wanna play. So I don’t have any girls that, uh, That were just given to me. Uh, all 14 has been, uh, talking to agents, talking to parents, uh, talking to, uh, former coaches, uh, figuring out, you know, from them, uh, just advice and letting them be a little bit more of a mentor towards me.

Uh, picking and choosing your battles. I’ve definitely learned a lot, uh, in my first year of what I’m gonna do differently next year. Uh, and the unique thing about us, well, You know, if I get, the goal is about 18 to 20 is where I want to be for recruiting. But the good thing is, Matt, if I get all women and they have a good experience here, the first [00:03:00] year I’m gonna be returning 18 to 20 women, which will be phenomenal for maybe a sophomore year or second year in a juco.

Uh, with that being said, we know that’s probably not gonna be true, uh, but at the end of the day, if I can get, you know, at least 10 of ’em to return, uh, that makes me recruiting for the 20 fours. You know, anywhere from seven to 13, whatever it’s gonna be. So it’s been a lot of fun. I tell you what, um, you know, it’s, I don’t know.

I dt know how to explain it verbally how I want to, but I would say, uh, it’s very rewarding. Uh, and there’s no better feeling in the world when you get that message, uh, from our crew saying, Hey coach, I’ve decided, uh, Garrett College is where I want to be. You know, it’s just this mixed of emotions because you’ve been.

Texting them nonstop. You’ve been calling, you’ve been trying to show ’em attention slash you know, give ’em a little bit of space, but at the end of the time, you don’t wanna let ’em know that you’re not interested. So I, I’ve learned, you know, with women, uh, where to draw that line. I’m still learning. Uh, but I will say, like I said, the headache is, I wish I had more scholarship money.

Uh, I would definitely have probably 20 to 24 women by now that, uh, say, coach, you’re my top three. But I got a, um, tuition waiver. I got this, you know, full ride scholarship. So I’ve lost out on a decent amount of gals that I really think could have impacted our program and, you know, taken us to the next level in the Maryland JUCO region 20.

Matt: Okay. Well you, you mentioned, you know, going to events and things like that. So I guess what has been your. You know, maybe top [00:04:30] three, uh, ways that you’ve been looking at recruiting. Has, you’ve been talking to high school coaches, club coaches, what events have you been going to? Kind of, what’s been that, those things that have helped you get those numbers in?

Coach: So for me, in the fall, I tried to focus on going to smaller high schools. Uh, my thought process was a lot of these girls are not, Being looked at by any means. Um, they haven’t been given really the opportunity, I will say, uh, that it has been, um, it’s been fruitful. Uh, but I’ve also, you know, small, sometimes a small town kids or girls, um, you know, they don’t have the exposure to club ball.

They don’t understand the, uh, the dedication to the grind. Uh, they more think of it as, you know, I’m in high school, I’m just gonna play for fun. So when you open that door of playing college soccer, it’s kind of like, Whoa. Where, where do I can do this in college? You know, you think I’m good enough? So, and it’s also explaining to a lot of, uh, especially when I was in Ohio for a good amount, uh, I was over there by, um, like the Youngstown area, went all the way to Columbus, Zanesville, all that.

Uh, the junior college system is there in Ohio. But it’s not very big. Um, so a lot of time it’s educating the coaches and the parents about what JUCO can really offer. Uh, but I’ve gone into West Virginia. I’ve, uh, made a point to make it to all the state tournaments. Uh, so I went to pa, I went to West Virginia, went to Maryland, um, you know, club coaches and high school coaches.

I will be very straightforward with you. Um, a lot of high school coaches are sometimes volunteers. [00:06:00] Or sometimes just staff members. So, um, trying to get them on the same page as you of that you’re really interested in. One of their, uh, players, uh, sometimes takes a lot of, you know, hello coach following up.

Following up because at the end of the day, they’re a full-time teacher. They have a job, so them. I’m not saying they don’t wanna give that girl the opportunity, but they don’t understand the opportunity that is in front of them. I’ll wear as club coaches, they get it. You know, I’ve had both, both worlds when it comes to club coaches, I’ve had the, the club coaches that, you know, my girls are D two, D one players.

They’re no JUCO player, and I kind of ask, you know, why, how’d you come to that conclusion? You know, and it’s either the academic side or they played high end club level and they’re above juco. But then I’ve also met some great coaches. Uh, you know, one of the ones recently was Kelly Hughes. Uh, he runs the West Virginia Football Academy.

Uh, and I love chatting with him. He said, you know, I wanna do what’s best for the athlete, you know, and. Sometimes that might be a juco, sometimes that might be a D two, NAIA, whatever it’s gonna be. He goes, it’s all about trying to find that fit for that student athlete. So I really appreciate that. You know, myself, I played outta junior college for two years down in Mississippi, and then I went to Lindon Wood in St.

Louis. Um, at the time they were D two. Now they’re D one, of course. But, uh, so it’s been a journey, but. I loved, I loved the JUCO route, and that’s why, part reason why I wanted to coach here, because I’m a huge advocate for the playing time, [00:07:30] for gaining that experience for the smaller classes, because that’s what I needed.

So, um, recruiting back to your question, you know, I’ve kind of gone over, I, I went to a lot of small town schools in the middle of nowhere, Ohio. Uh, I thought I was gonna get lost a couple times, uh, spent a little bit more money than I wanted. Uh, I learned, uh, You know, moving forward, you know, focusing on the showcases have kind of been my bread and butter, uh, getting to those early, uh, when I go to showcases, I don’t go to the, the top tier, you know, wherever that’s gonna be.

You know, the elite group, whatever it is, I don’t, I don’t waste my time. Uh, there’s a lot of great town out there, but a lot of those females are being looked at by as mentioned, D one, D two, and I’m not saying they can’t play to Juco, but. They’re probably not gonna gimme the time and day. So I usually, uh, if there’s, you know, four different, uh, brackets, um, for tier levels, I’m looking at the third and fourth one, uh, with girls that, you know, not saying they’re not giving the opportunity to be at the high end, uh, but these are the girls that, you know, enjoy playing.

Uh, they wanna play in, uh, college. Uh, maybe they haven’t had as many offers compared to the other ones. So, uh, you’re kind of. I guess he’d say in the running for maybe getting them to commit for you. So that’s kind of what I’ve been recruiting wise. Um, you know, next year I, I see everyone go into these. E C N L tournaments all over the place in Florida.

I think I would like to go more on the, um, building relationships with coaches, uh, more than the recruiting side. I definitely would recruit down [00:09:00] there, but I’ve learned in the, you know, soccer realm, it’s, uh, good to have, uh, relationship and connections when it comes to coaches, cuz you never know who’s gonna reach out to you saying, Hey, I got this, uh, female.

I think she’d be a good fit for you. She applied here, uh, but I don’t have any roster space, so that’s a good thing about junior college. You also sometimes get the girls that don’t have the academics where they need to be as well. So 

Matt: No, absolutely, and I think that’s one of the, the things that folks, uh, maybe don’t, don’t get it, that if you don’t have the academics that junior college is a fantastic route because it, it allows you the opportunity to get.

Where you need to be from an academic standpoint to transfer to a four year university while also getting the chance to play and develop and, and do that as well. And it really and all while not spending, you know, an egregious amount of money to do it. Right. Uh, so yeah, I’m, I’m right there with you. Um, well, one of the things you mentioned was, you know, you wish you had more scholarship money and I think, uh, just about every college coach will say that, um, So can you just, he help us understand, you know, what division level you are within the N J C A A.

What does the scholarship situation kind of look like at Garrett? Or, you know, if you can give us a little bit more on what an average cost of attendance would be, you know, uh, for someone who might be looking at going.

Coach: Okay, so we are, uh, N J C A, uh, Maryland JUCO Region 20, but, and for N J C A we’re actually [00:10:30] division two, so we have athletic money available there.

Uh, I will say, I won’t go into depth with numbers, but I will say, you know, our budget line is definitely smaller compared to a lot of junior colleges that I’ve chatted with, uh, in the region itself. Uh, I always make the joke, uh, You know, to parents and coaches that I’m, I’m selling ICE to an Eskimo, um, because I truly gotta find gals that, you know, want that opportunity.

Uh, want the smaller, you know, uh, classroom sizes. That’s what Garrett College really has to offer. Uh, we have a lot of pretty nursing students, occupational therapy, uh, you know, criminal justice, whatever it’s gonna be. Being in a class of 10 to 15 is kind of their bread and butter compared to going to a class and being in a hall of, you know, 40 to 60 students in there.

So, uh, with that being said, um, what was that third part of your question? You asked? You asked about the region, just 

Matt: average cost of attendance. If I was comments whether it’s. Uh, in-state, outta state, kind of just what all that looks like. You know, I’m not holding the hard numbers here, but just gimme a rough, a rough idea.

Coach: Okay. Okay. So, um, for outta state, uh, of course everything goes up in price. You’re looking for full-time status, which would be about 30 credit hours if you’re looking at right about $10,000. Uh, now for end-state, that of course is a little bit cheaper. I think that’s about 7,500. Uh, and then of course we have special in county rates.

Uh, you need to think about Garrett College as well. If there’s any girls. You know, listening or coaches. Uh, we have special border weights for West Virginia and Pennsylvania, so if the girls live in tho certain counties and they go into certain [00:12:00] majors, they can get in county tuition, which is, I think ends up being about $3,500 for the year, which is really, really cheap.

So, um, not the cheapest college in the world by any means. Uh, you know, I’ve of course, you know, researched, you know, junior colleges in Ohio, junior colleges in Oklahoma, you know, and I, I would say we’re probably about. Anywhere from two to $4,000. Uh, more expensive for a junior college compared to most states.

Uh, the bad thing about, you know, being here at Garrett College and being in way, way western Maryland, uh, we’re off a formula for our credit hours and we had to stay in line with the state. So a lot of times I feel like the state forgets that we’re Western Maryland and we only have 700 students that are enrolled here.

Uh, whereas if you’re at Montgomery Community College, Howard, you know, that formula looks a little bit better for them compared to us. So, uh, I will say our budget line, um, I. For scholarship money, you know, is smaller. Uh, but I will say, you know, I think they wanted to see what the first year could look like.

So I’m hoping, you know, I’m kind of praying that maybe moving forward they can kind of expand that a little bit. Uh, but you gotta be creative in the way you sell the program. I gotta be creative and, you know, doing your research. You know, I don’t wanna give out all my. Uh, tools for success. Uh, but when I go to showcases, you know, a lot of coaches will sit down there by the fences and kind of take notes.

I am observing, so I am looking into the crowd and I’m observing parents as they yell. So what I do is, at [00:13:30] halftime I might make my way up to the crowd and I start talking to parents, introduce myself. You know, explain the college cuz if you can get mom and dad sold on the program, uh, there’s a decent chance that you have a.

An opportunity to get that female to come play for you. So I don’t sit down there. I’m a very personable guy. Um, you know, after the game I’m going over, I’m talking to the coaches. You know, I think that’s maybe unique about me compared to a lot of coaches out there that are just gonna email the coach saying, Hey, I was there.

I saw you play against so-and-so. I’m interested in these players. I’m going up there so they can put a name with the face and saying, Hey, this is who I’m interested. Let me know if they’re available, what’s going on. So, um, they’re, I mean, everyone has their own comfort zone, but I’ve learned, you know, starting a new program, you gotta grind, you gotta keep pushing.

You’re gonna, I’ve definitely had way more denials than I have at acceptance. But you know what? It’s, uh, you know, for 14 girls and the goal to get to 20, I think we’re well in our way and I think in the long run it’s gonna pay off, uh, for the program and just setting that foundation.

Matt: Oh. Nope, my fault. No, you’re good. You’re good. Yeah, it definitely sounds like it. So one of the things you mentioned earlier was you said talking to coaches and parents and players, but you also mentioned agents. So are you looking at international players at all? Has that been part of the recruiting process?

Coach: Oh yeah. I think, uh, international, uh, females will start playing a bigger role at Garrett College moving forward. Um, I’ve already got three international women [00:15:00] committed, and I got another three or four that are pending right now. I’ve talked to agents all over Netherlands, Spain, Columbia, Brazil, um, England.

Uh, so, you know, a lot of things is they’re eager to get, you know, gals over here. Uh, they want that opportunity. It’s just trying to figure out if I can. Of course give them any kind of money. Money and give ’em that budget range. So, uh, the cool thing is, you know, Matt, about the international women, I’m not saying this is not the same for American women, but every international female that I have talked to, it’s just like when you chat with them, their energy is outta this world.

You know, you could tell the passion, like, I want to come to America. I want that opportunity. You know, I wanna do whatever I can to fulfill my dreams. Mm-hmm. You know, I’m not saying that’s not what American women want, you know, but I think they grow up in the system where they go, okay, club, high school, college for them.

I, I think it’s more of a pr, like a, uh, they take it for granted. You know, whereas international women, this is like a privileged thing of, you know, if they can get in that range of mom and dad can hopefully support them and get them across seas and start that next journey. So yeah, international agents have been great to talk to.

Um, you know, it’s a social media world that we live in, Matt and uh, everyone’s like, how do you feel about social media? And I go into love hate. You know, it’s opened up a lot of doors that were never opened before. But with that being said, the hay part comes in. Those doors are open to hundreds of college coaches in America.

So now the, uh, process for a female to [00:16:30] commit to you has become that much more stressful, uh, for them deciding as they are getting messages left and right from, uh, Schools that are interested in them. I’m sure even on the agent side, it’s stressful on their end because they’re trying to get this, uh, female placed, but they’re trying to figure out what the best fit for her is and trying to figure out the total financials as well.

Matt: Yeah, no, that makes perfect sense. Well, let’s talk a little bit more about the school. Obviously folks, uh, maybe listen, they may not be familiar with the school, so I know you’ve, you. You’ve just been there, you know, less than a year. But, uh, what have you learned about the school that you really liked?

Really enjoy? What can you tell us about the school? Maybe we’re not gonna find out just by going through the website. 

Coach: Okay. Okay. So actually Matt, a unique thing about me is come June, I’ve actually been working here for six years. 

Matt: Oh, okay. Sorry. 

Coach: Didn’t know that. No, you’re okay. You’re okay. You’re okay. So when I was hired, uh, in the interview process, they talked about the women’s soccer program starting, and they said, Hey, you know, would you be the activity coordinator for a year?

And then that second year we’ll get the women’s program going. I said, yeah, I can do that. I love the student engagement side. I can do programs, I’m detailed. Um, so then year two came and they said, Ooh, you know, It’s not, not gonna happen. We’re gonna do definitely year three. So I’m like, okay, all right, here we go.

I’m gonna go with it. Keep my job. I, I like the school I worked for. So then year three came and wonderful Covid came around. So then it’s like, well we’re not gonna start any new programs right about now cuz we don’t enrollments tanking. We don’t know if we’re gonna be a hundred percent online or in person.

So, [00:18:00] Wait, wait. And then of course, finally, as you saw it, they finally made the approval last summer. Um, actually it was later, I think it was August or something like that, uh, where they approved the program. So here we are, and, uh, next year we’ll be the first year of course. So I just wanna give you the background.

But with that being said, you know, um, you know, we only have about 700 students and I, I tell all the girls I recruit, any student, you know, when you come on campus, you’re not seeing 700 students. You’re maybe seeing like 115, 130 that come here on a regular basis. We have two rest halls on campus. So US in Allegheny Community College are actually the only two junior colleges in the state of Maryland that offer on-campus housing.

Uh, so we definitely have that as a strength. Uh, but sometimes it’s a weakness, um, because when the students look at that total number of cost with the room and board, all of a sudden we look like we’re way, way more expensive than other schools. But I always had to remind them, you’re on campus.

Everything’s paid for. You got the room, you got the board. So if you live off campus somewhere, you got that cost. Utilities, food, travel. Uh, so anyways, um, I like here Matt, because you know, I was always a small school kind of guy. Uh, relationships are very important to me. I like to walk through campus and I like to know all students.

I like to know the faculty, I like to know the staff. That’s just kind of who I am. I never was a, I don’t like to be a number kind of guy. I like to know, you know, body language, catching on to that. And when I’m talking to a student and they’re always smiling and they’re not smiling, I can be like, Hey, what’s [00:19:30] going on?

You know? Cause I notice those little things. So, uh, every grow I recruit, you know, for me, coaching’s important. I get, that’s my full-time job. But at the end of the day, building those meaningful relationships. That’s what I love the most, and I think at Garrett College, I don’t wanna use the term family.

Cause a lot of people say we’re a family, but I don’t know about you Matt. I know a lot of dysfunctional families out there. Uh, so I say, you know, we are a small school. We’re in this together. Uh, we have the underdog mentality that a lot of people don’t put us up there cuz we are the smallest duco in the state of Maryland.

We’re Western Maryland. People forget about us over here. Sometimes they think we’re part of West Virginia, pa, whatever you wanna say. Uh, but we we’re close-knit. Um, It’s, you know, like any other small school, we all wear a lot of hats, uh, as duties assigned, uh, when you get your job description. So I’m helping out with all the sporting events.

I know all the basketball players, softball, volleyball, baseball. Um, you know, it’s crazy when you get to see ’em here for two years, uh, and you build that relationship when they graduate. It’s like, dang, I wish I would’ve got four years with you. You know, that’s my only withdrawal is that I wish I had longer time with, uh, some of these student athletes.

And I will be honest, some of the student athletes, I’m like, See you later. Uh, good luck at your next school. You know, and it’s kind of blessing in disguise, but, uh, you know, we’re in a beautiful area. You’ve, uh, you’ve drove through it. You know, we’re a tourist heavy area if people don’t know that. Uh, we have the biggest, uh, man-made lake in the state of Maryland.

Uh, we also have a ski resort that is literally like a two minute drive from campus. Uh, we [00:21:00] also have, you know, six, seven state parks within a 30 mile drive from here as well. So if you are. An athlete, you love nature, you love doing outdoor activities, kayaking, whitewater rafting, um, you know, if you have a dog or anything or your parents like coming to visit, this is a perfect area for you.

Um, you know, Matt, we live in a crazy world as you see on the news. Hate to say it there, there’s shootings or all this robbery theft going on. Um, But I always tell all my recruiters and their parents, I’m not saying it can’t happen in Garra County, uh, but I will take my chances any day being here, living in a safe community, uh, where you can get away with keeping your door unlocked.

I’m not saying you should do that, uh, but if I did forget, I think you’ll be okay coming back and having your car in the parking lot and all your belongings. So, uh, it’s unique here. Um, it’s a friendly area. You know, I’ve, I’ve met a lot of people locally. Uh, you go, hey, to, say you go to Walmart, you’re probably gonna walk into.

The store and probably know eight to nine people right away, which is sometimes a good thing and a bad thing when you’re trying to get in and out. So it’s a good school, great coaches. Um, but yeah, that’s kind of what Garrett College is all about. 

Matt: Okay. Well, let’s talk a little bit about the soccer side of thing.

I know, uh, things, I know you mentioned before. Right now you’re lonely, full-time staff. Will, will the team have any other staff during the season?

Coach: Yeah, so, uh, there’s a guy locally, uh, Nate Hensler, uh, he’s gonna be my assistant coach. Of course, he’s gonna be a small stipend, uh, positioned. Um, You know, that’s all I got is you notice that one assistant coach, uh, he is [00:22:30] my walking encyclopedia of drills.

Uh, you know, we offset each other very well. I’m clearly the talkative guy here. I’m, I’m the selling guy. I’m the energetic guy, the passionate guy. He’s a little bit more quiet, reserved, uh, but man, that man’s mind is always moving a hundred miles an hour. Uh, we both coach our Western Maryland Travel Club team, which is a fors football club.

Uh, and that is, uh, U nineteens all the way down to seventeens. Um, you know, sometimes we have practice and he’ll explain the drill to the girls and they’ll all be like, huh. And I’m like, Nate. Simplify it. Simplify. They’re like, oh, okay. Okay. Okay. So, uh, we all said each other well. Um, the cool thing about here, which I put myself into consideration is, um, hopefully for fall of 24, a men’s program will be coming and the goal is to be able to coach men and women.

So that’s, we’re kind of hoping to tag team moving forward. And, uh, yes, I just have Nate, and that’s pretty much, you know, I’m not one of those coaches. I don’t like a lot of people in the hands in the pot. You know, the more hands you got in there, the players get, uh, You know, different directions.

Misunderstandings can sometimes turn into drama, so I don’t like having a big staff. Um, I know I’ll regret that later on. You know, it’d be nice when it comes to recruiting to have other people out there. But, you know, with recruiting, I just feel like it’s so much more meaningful, uh, for the ladies to actually meet the head coach, uh, to show the importance of that eye contact, the body language, letting them know like, Hey, I want you here.

I’m not saying assistant coach can’t [00:24:00] do that. But it’s a little bit more powerful coming from the head coach, showing that player like, Hey, I’ve been watching you play, I’ve been to a couple games, you know, I want you here. So, yeah. Okay. 

Matt: Well, in terms of playing in the fall, uh, you know, let’s just assume we’re fast forward.

It’s, it’s fall. Uh, how are you gonna describe, uh, your style of coaching? What’s, what’s it gonna be like being a player on your team and, and what’s that gonna look like?

Coach: So when every girl, ever crew, I make sure they know upfront, kind of who I am as a person type of coach. Uh, as you mentioned, style. Uh, I’m more of a lover than I am a screamer.

Uh, I’ve seen a lot of coaches and nothing against coaches that watch this. If you’re a screamer and that’s your style, you go for it, my friend, if that works for you. Congratulations. Um, I, as I, the way I look at, it’s when you scream at girls, it’s just kinda a demoralizing, um, for me. I’ve never had a, uh, good turnout from it.

Uh, they shut down. A little bit easier. I also, you know, at the end of the day, Matt, we’re a junior college. I’m not saying we can’t be competitive, uh, but a lot of our females are doing this because they love the game. You know, if you, they don’t love the game, they don’t wanna be part of this team. You know what?

They’re gonna turn in their jersey and say, I’ve had enough. Cause clearly they’re not on full ride scholarships here, you know? So they’re gonna, they’re kind of, I’m not saying volunteering to do this, but they’re doing this because they wanna be a student athlete. They wanna be part of something bigger.

So my style is, you know, if I got an issue with a gal on the, the field, you know, I sub her out. Let her take a deep breath, we’re gonna talk about it. [00:25:30] You know, my job is to develop. I wanna develop not only on the field, but off the field. You know, I wanna make sure that all the girls that commit to me, that you’re not just a number.

You know, after we get done with that first year of you plan for me, we’re gonna talk about where do you want to go next. You know, some coaches will look at me and say, why are you opening that door? Because I’ve seen a lot of girls as sophomores at junior colleges, even guys that are scrambling to find their next home, they have no idea where they wanna transfer out next.

And I made the commitment, especially to my international women, saying, you know, after your first season, let’s start talking about where you want to go next and what your fit’s gonna be. So, Making sure that you have doors open, but coaching style out there, Matt. You know, um, I’m very possession based. I don’t like kickball.

I don’t know a lot of coaches do. Uh, but I’d rather have the ball than turn the ball over. Um, I don’t really counter press. Uh, we’ll do that maybe a little bit more in the second half. I like to switch it up. Uh, you know, I’ve seen coaches that come out there and they do the same formation throughout the entire game.

I adjust to our opponent. I make sure that I’m reviewing game tape, looking at stats, all that good kind of stuff. All the women get notes, uh, day of the game, uh, before we start travel. If not, we’re a home match so that they know the key players. We also do film review. Uh, favorite formations for me, I love, uh, 4 2 31, uh, and, uh, 4 1 41 are usually the top ones I like.

Uh, depending on the personnel, I could do a 4 33 as well. Uh, but those are kind of what I like. Um, I like the backs to be able to flank, uh, for doing four in the back. I like, [00:27:00] you know, one of my center backs to be able to play that long ball. I like the other one to be able to drop back and be able to make that short pass.

You know, I’d love to have a goalkeeper. With that being said, sometimes with the junior college you never know what you’re gonna get, but a goalkeeper that can play with both feet. And be able to switch a field. Um, so yeah, that’s kind of what we’re at playing wise. You know, I wish I could tell you I have a better idea of what we’re looking at right now.

Uh, with the four or five pending girls I have. Uh, that could definitely change the dynamic, uh, for what we’re gonna roll with next year. Uh, but like I said, Matt, you know, we might start out with the 4 1, 4 1 and then at halftime we might adjust it and go to something else. Uh, depend what’s going on and what the game’s looking like.

So that’s kind of who I am formation wise. Um, you know, even as a coach wise, You know, I love the game. You know, I’ll, I can tell you a story real quick. I was talking to a, a female and her dad from Scotland about a month ago, and I got done talking and I, I asked the dad, I was like, do you have any question?

He goes, coach. He goes, I gotta admit, you are the most passionate coach I’ve ever met. And I go, what do you mean by that? He goes, he goes, man, Scotland coaches, they have no emotion. You know, you’re over there smiling. You’re energetic. I can tell you got passion for the game. So I said, I appreciate that. So I told all the women, you know, I’m not the oldest guy in the world.

I’m not the youngest by any means, uh, but I bring energy every day. That’s not gonna change. This is gonna be a, a fun experience for the girls. You know, life is short if you get the opportunity to play college soccer. I love my experience. I’m trying to make sure that they love their [00:28:30] experience as well.

So that’s kind of what I sell, uh, when it comes to Garrett College and who I am as a coach. Do I know every drill? Matt? No way do I have every fancy license in the world. No, I do not, Matt, but I, I know the game. I know how to talk to young adults. I know how to talk to parents. You know, so I feel like I’m a ahead of the game compared to some coaches out there and I’m behind the game compared to, compared to some coaches as well.

So I’m always learning. I’ve already been talking to, you know, previous coaches and coaches in the area, um, for mentorship because I’m learning, man. I tell you what, there’s, I’ve already learned so much after this full year and it’s not even been a full year. I’m still recruiting for the fall. So it’s a lifelong journey.

Um, You know, if I could find coaches that kind of meet the style that I want, you know, then I’m on board of going up to ’em, getting out my comfort zone and being like, Hey, I love your program. I love the way you handle your gals, guys, whatever it’s gonna be, I wanna learn. So, you know, some coaches give you the night and day, you know, some coaches are like, I’m too busy for it, and that’s okay.

Matt: Well, I’ve been lucky enough to, uh, now I’ve talked to you, I’ve talked to Allegheny, I’ve talked to Frostburg, so I know some folks up in that air and they’re all just good people, so, so I love it. Well, hey, coach, we’ve, we’ve covered a lot of ground. I want to end with just one last question, and that is, if there was one piece of advice you had for any high school age, uh, person going through this college recruiting process, what would that be?

Coach: Ooh, okay. Um, I would say the biggest piece of advice that I’ve learned along the journey [00:30:00] is, Um, just communicate communication’s key in everything, in every part of life. You know, if you’re not interested in the program or you are, communicate both messages. Let the coach know, you know, I’ve spent, you know, numerous hours and days and weeks, you know, chime sometimes chasing, uh, certain players, you know, if your mind’s made up, just let me know.

No coach is gonna take it to heart letters. They shouldn’t, you know, we all win and we lose battles, you know, and that’s okay. Uh, but communicate, don’t just ghost them, you know? Cuz when you get in into coaching world’s a small world, you never know if, uh, you open that door and you close that door for a coach and things don’t work out at that next school, and all of a sudden you’re like, Hey coach, uh, you got a roster spot?

You know, and all of a sudden you’re like, oh wow, I haven’t talked to you. And like, Six months, you know, whatever it’s gonna be. So communication, just let ’em know what’s going on. You know, like I said, that goes beyond soccer. That comes down to your professors, that comes down to life in general. So communication.

And then the last part of the, I know that’s the second part. Matt, you asked for one. I’m gonna say just enjoy it. Enjoy college. Enjoy soccer. You’re only gonna get it for four or five years. You’re never gonna get these days back. Enjoy it while you got it. You know, there’s days where I still talk to my teammates and we talk about, you know, what we went through and the memories.

So you’re gonna enjoy the process. It’s a little overwhelming at the beginning when trying to figure out the school is the best fit for you. But once you get there, the tears, the pain of, you know, pre-season cardio, the pain and the tears of winning and losing, you [00:31:30] know, the pain and tears of injury, setbacks, whatever it’s gonna be, it’s all gonna be worth it in the long run.

So, Communication and just enjoy the game. So that’s what I got. 

Matt: All right, coach, really appreciate it. Wish you the best of luck. Wrap it up this first class of yours, wish you even more luck for the fall season, and if you do, change your mind and get down to Florida for any of the recruiting events, gimme a shout and then we’ll get together.

All right? Yeah. I appreciate it, man. Thank you so much. Thank you, Brandon. Take care. Yeah.