The Observer, February 2, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 15
Emily Donovan to step down as women's soccer coach
click to enlarge
After seven years as head women's soccer coach, Emily Donovan has decided to move on to the next stage of her life. A week ago Wednesday, Donovan stepped into athletic director Dave Diles' office and informed him of her decision. Making the move for personal reasons, the athletic department can rest assured they will not see Donovan on the opposing sidelines anytime in the future.
"We are very grateful for Emily's excellent contributions to the university over the past seven years. She has done a great job as a coach and is a skilled administrator. Replacing her will be a tremendous task," Diles said.
Donovan believes the time is right for her to make the change, and she believes the soccer team will be able to make the adjustment to a new coach.
"A lot of it was personal timing," she said. "And I think a young team will transition well to a new coach."
Since graduating from Kenyon College in 1997, where she was a first-team all-conference athlete in both soccer and basketball, Donovan's career has revolved around coaching. After assisting with the basketball and soccer programs at Kenyon for a year after graduation, Donovan took a teaching position at Springside School in Philadelphia, where she taught mathematics and was the head coach of the women's varsity soccer and basketball teams. After a quick two years in Philadelphia, she was named head coach of the Case women's soccer team in August of 2000.
Though she plans to stay involved in coaching, she is not sure whether she will return to college coaching full-time.
"Over the next year or so, I'll probably keep my hand in coaching, whether it be volunteering in high school or college or what not," she said. "Whether I return to college coaching is yet to be determined."
During her six and a half years at Case, she has worn many hats for the athletic department and the university in general. In addition to coaching the soccer team, she spent one year as the assistant women's basketball coach. In 2005 Donovan received her MBA from Case's Weatherhead School of management and was named head women's administrator. She was named as assistant athletic director in 2006, and she has worked as faculty advisor with a group of student athletes to spearhead the formation of the Case Association of Student Athletes (CASA), an organization devoted to providing student-athletes with a means of improving visibility within the campus community through community service, communication between student athletes and the administration, and increased outside community involvement.
Her involvement with administration will factor into her decision as to where she will go next.
"I've really enjoyed my administrative duties, so I'm thinking that something more along the lines of business would be nice," she said.
To say that Donovan has had a positive impact at Case has been an understatement, not only on her players, but everyone involved with the athletic department.
"Emily went out of her way the first few weeks I was here to make sure I was adjusting to my new work environment," said first-year assistant men's basketball coach Todd McGuinness. "I was pretty nervous, but she definitely helped to make me feel more at home up here in the athletic department."
Donovan will undoubtedly leave the university with many fond memories. In 2002 she took the women's soccer team on a two week trip to Germany where they played several exhibition games. That season was also one of her team's finest, as the women won their first eight games that year.
"That season was pretty memorable," she said. "It was a great experience all around."
At first glance, replacing such a tremendous presence seems nearly impossible, but according to Diles, a replacement can and will be found.
"Although she was involved in so much," he said, "our primary task is to find a soccer coach, and we will begin that search as soon as possible. We will worry about filling in those other roles thereafter."
The department will conduct an all-encompassing, national search, meaning that it won't be limited specifically to other Division III coaches. What will be important for the search is to find someone who possesses the requisite technical skill and a strong recruiting network.
"As far as we are concerned, age and experience are less important than finding a solid match for the job," Diles said.
Donovan has expressed that she will be willing to stay on through the end of the fiscal year in June, which will hopefully allow enough time to find a candidate worthy of replacing her.
Editor's Note: Sports Editor Rick Balazs contributed to this report.
