The Stars soccer field will be renamed Brian Harvey Field in honor of Brian Harvey, head men’s and women’s soccer coach.
Harvey has coached soccer at OCU since the men’s program began in 1986 and the university fielded its first women’s team in 1994.
Athletic Director Jim Abbott said Harvey was chosen due to his devotion to the sport.
“We play our basketball games in Abe Lemons Arena, and Abe was a great coach that was highly thought of,” Abbott said. “I think considering Brian is the father of soccer and devoted what will be 34 years of his life to our university, it made sense that we would play in a field that bears his name.”
Abbott said Harvey brought the sport of soccer to Oklahoma.
“Brian came to Oklahoma and coached soccer at a time when really nobody played soccer, before we even had a patch of grass for a soccer field. He introduced the game of soccer to the state,” Abbott said.
OCU has reached the 2001 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics women’s national championship match, the 1999 and 2000 NAIA women’s semifinals and the 2008 NAIA men’s championships semifinals under Harvey’s direction. At the OCU Sports Spectacular on Thursday, Harvey received the Abe Lemons/Paul Hansen Award for Sports Excellence for scoring the most men’s and women’s soccer wins in NAIA history at 799 wins.
Harvey said the best part about coaching is watching the players grow.
“Coaching is an extension of playing. If you love something, which I love to play, coaching is something that was an extension of playing,” Harvey said.
“Coaching, to me, is passing knowledge onto young men and women so they can become better soccer players and better people. That’s been the most fulfilling part, just trying to help people be better soccer players and better people.”
Harvey said he appreciates having the field renamed after him.
“It was something I never expected. I was quite honored,” Harvey said.
Harvey said he enjoys getting to see each player’s future.
“One of the nicer things about coaching at a college level is seeing how people turn out. You get to see them when they move on from being a student, and it’s been very interesting in terms of successes that people have had, not just on the soccer field, but in the community,” Harvey said.
Freshman Defender Annie Bragg said Harvey’s coaching influenced her life.
“Not only is he a very successful coach, but he has an amazing heart. He truly cares about his players, and everyone here is so grateful for that,” Bragg said. “He coaches a sport he loves, while caring for everyone around him. It shows who he truly is, and he has impacted me as a player and person in every way.”
Abbott said Harvey’s legacy will continue to make an impact.
“His legacy is the students he has impacted, the men and women who have played soccer here that have the opportunity to play the sport they love while getting a great education,” Abbott said. “Those students then make an impact on the community by embodying the same character, spirit and integrity Coach Harvey does.”
Brian Harvey Field will be in place for the start of soccer season in August 2019.
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