Nathan Doll, OCU graduate and soccer player, is the new assistant soccer coach.
Doll was hired July 1.
Doll was a graduate assistant to Head Coach Brian Harvey in 2013.
Harvey said he chose Doll as the assistant coach because of his experience as a player, captain and graduate assistant.
“He had a feel for OCU, so he was a natural fit,” Harvey said.
Billy Martin, also an OCU alum, was the assistant soccer coach for 20 years until last semester when he went to Rose State College in Midwest City.
It will be difficult to live up to Martin’s role as assistant coach, Doll said.
Martin coached Doll when he was a player and is excited to see him move up into the assistant coach’s role.
“I think he’ll do an excellent job,” Martin said. “He was a great player and captain, so he’ll be able to pass that on to the teams.”
Doll said his role as assistant coach is a good opportunity for himself and for the teams.
“I think it makes me relate to players better because I know what it is like,” Doll said. “It’s a tough task to be a student athlete and I’m able to offer the advice that might help them get through it.”
The players seem to agree that Doll is a great asset.
One of the captains, senior Defender Michael Shanahan, said having Doll as the assistant coach is great for the program.
“He can relate to us players because he was in our position just two years ago, so he knows how we are feeling after a game and even how to communicate with us during a poor performance,” Shanahan said.
Doll said it’s interesting that he’s a coach, but considers it an honor.
“It’s obviously a new experience,” Doll said. “But the players and staff are great and I look forward to more years here at OCU.”
The soccer teams will play their next home games Oct. 21 against Oklahoma Baptist.
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