Kerr Keys M. Soccer Renaissance

Heading into todays big game with Boston College, Harvard Coach John Kerr has the No. 18 mens soccer team (3-1, 1-0 Ivy) in great shape.

Although junior Mike Lobach and sophomores Kevin Ara and Ladd Fritz will be sitting out todays game with red card suspensions, Kerr remains optimistic about his teams chances.

There will be a couple different [freshman] players on the field who will get opportunities, Kerr said. Jason Anderson will be starting in the back, Pablo Koe-Krompecher will be starting in the midfield, and James Roth will be starting in goal. So a few guys will get their first opportunities to start on this great team and were hoping not to miss a beat. We have a lot of confidence in these guys.

Now in his third season as the head coach at Harvard, Kerr has the Crimson off to the best start in his tenure. Kerr is no stranger to success; his name is well-known to all serious soccer fans in the United States.

Kerr had an outstanding collegiate career, collecting the Herman Trophy as the nations top collegiate soccer player while leading Duke University to an NCAA Championship in 1986.

In that same year, he was named a First-Team All-American for the second time. He also won the Missouri Athletic Club Collegiate Player of the Year Award and was named Player of the Year by Soccer America, Adidas and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Kerr has 17 caps for the National Team, in addition to experience in the English First Division and, more recently, in Major League Soccer.

Although Kerr still plays professionally, he does possess quality coaching experience. After serving as a youth coach in Londons Football Association for two years, Kerr accepted a job as first assistant at his alma mater, Duke.

Then, in 1997 and 1998, Kerr came to Massachusetts to work as the head junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach at Wellesley High School.

When he discovered the head coaching vacancy here at Harvard, Kerr did not think twice.

I was lucky enough to go back to my alma mater, Duke, back in 1992, Kerr said. I knew like six weeks into that season that I wanted to be a college coach one day. I knew that I could have an effect both on the field and off with these guys. Ive been living in Boston now for five or six years and have been close to the Harvard soccer program because my wife was the assistant coach for the womens team. When the opportunity came up to apply for the job as head coach of the mens team, I didnt hesitate.

As one of his first priorities, Kerr made sure to surround himself with a quality supporting staff. Gary Crompton, a native of Philadelphia and a standout defender at the University of Maine, stayed on as first assistant and is now in his eighth season at that post.

Juergen Sommer stepped in as the volunteer assistant goalkeeper coach. Sommer, who also has professional and National Team experience is in his second season here at Harvard.

Lastly, Matt Edwards `01, who starred as a defensive back for Kerr the previous two seasons, has joined the team as an assistant coach this season to round out the staff.

The most significant difference in the Harvard program during Kerrs short tenure involves the improvements in the recruiting system. With an experienced and world-class coaching staff, Kerr has been able to attract quality players from all over the globe.

I knew that in my first year of recruiting I needed to get quality and quantity, Kerr said. We brought thirteen players in for my first recruiting class and its been great. Theyve been great players for this program.

This year was my second recruiting class and we were able to be a bit more choosy. Now we have a lot of depth on the team. If somebody goes down or gets red carded, I feel comfortable bringing in the players that I brought to this program. So far the freshmen have made some huge contributions in the first four games. Im looking forward to bringing in another class next year that will make us even more solid.

Kerr compiled a 13-18-3 record over his first two years, putting his young teams up against some of the top-ranked programs in the nation.

This years team proved that Harvard can compete with high-level competion, beating No. 6 San Diego on Friday.

It was a very big win, Kerr said. We had our hands full, especially in the first half. We came to grips with the physical level of play in the second half and deserved to win, maybe even in regulation.

Despite a disappointing loss to Loyola Marymount University on Sunday, Kerr is optimistic about the teams progress at this point in the season.

If you would have said to me before the season that we would be 3-1 right now, and that we would have beaten the No. 6 team in the country, I would have been pleased, Kerr said. I am not necessarily satisfied or content. I want to keep reaching for the national title goal and also for the Ivy League Championship, which is a big goal for us. If we win the Ivy League, were automatically in the tournament.

Kerr believes that this years team can definitely advance deep into the tournament.

Overall, I think this Harvard team is better than the Duke team that I was on that won the national championship, Kerr said. We did have a couple of extra special players at Duke, not to say that we dont here. But there are no real superstars on the Harvard team. We have a lot of very, very good players and a lot of depth this year.

With a solid start under its belt and Kerr at the helm, this years team is well on its way to achieving its lofty goals.