Catching Up With...Head Women's Soccer Coach Nick Hoover
Name: Nicholas Hoover
Sport: Head Women’s Soccer Coach
Birthday: June 14th, 1984
What is your coaching style/philosophy?
The first thing I want to establish is trust with my players. If
they trust me then everything else becomes easier. From there
it’s trying to balance being intense without coming across as
intimidating. I like to have fun and want them to as well, but I
also want them to understand that my job is to make this a winning
program, and I need their help and hard work to do so, which means
everything isn’t going to be fun all the time.
What is your favorite part of coaching?
I just really enjoy positively impacting young people as they
participate in something they love and for which they are willing
to work hard. My worst days coaching are a lot of people with
“real jobs” best days.
The most difficult part of coaching/recruiting is…
Losing. Not just on the field but losing a recruit to another
school. It’s draining. It really impacts you emotionally when
you look on the faces of your players after a tough loss. Also when
you are speaking on the phone with a recruit who has stayed for an
overnight, visited the campus three times and you’ve driven
countless hours to watch play live and they tell you they’ve
decided to go to a rival school it’s incredibly
frustrating.
Who are your favorite coaches? Are there any whose style
you try to emulate?
I know it sounds corny since he was my coach and I worked for him the last two seasons but Jim Findlay is my coaching idol for collegiate soccer. He has such a way with getting the most out of his players no matter what their personality or strengths and is a true student of the game. If I can replicate that sort of trust and understanding with the athletes that come through my program I truly feel I can be successful.
How did you become interested in coaching?
When I was attending grad school they told me I would be the
assistant coach for the women’s and men’s teams to help
pay for it. Immediately following my first practice I was
hooked.
What is your favorite athletic memory as a Crusader student-athlete or coach?
The last two seasons have two specific memories. When our
men’s team defeated Drew University in the final game of the
2010 season at home to get the No. 1 seed in the Landmark Playoffs
is one. The other was this past season with the women when we
crawled all the way back from 3-0 down with 18 minutes to within
one goal only to lose 3-2 after a controversial offsides negated
our tying goal.
What advice do you have for a prospective student-athlete
on your team?
Enjoy every moment of your playing experience while keeping your
eye on the most important goal: graduating and getting a job.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, both
individually and as a team?
With the returning players we have and the recruits that will be
coming in, there’s no reason not to equal and indeed improve
upon last season’s results.
What was your biggest collegiate athletic achievement?
Either dominating Coach Findlay in the PK shootout at
practice this past season, or coming in second in the 100 fly at
MAC championships my sophomore year.
Favorite:
Selinsgrove restaurant: Taste of
Philly
TV Show: Modern
Family
Movie: Good Will Hunting
Band/Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Professional Team: Philadelphia Eagles
(sigh)
Athlete: Jim
Brown
Vacation Spot: Avalon, NJ
Guilty Pleasure: Dancing with the
Stars
Quote: “All people are divided into three
classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and
those that move.”
