2008 Media Guide - Greenville College

McMahon Learns From Premier League TeamCoach’s Time With English TeamCould Open Eyes To GC SoccerBy Bill Walker | Reprinted with permission fromThe Greenville AdvocateGREENVILLE COLLEGE PANTHER SOCCER12Brian McMahon has been searching for somebody totalk to.The head coach for both the men’s and women’s soccerteams at Greenville College just completed a successfulcampaign that included a combined 21 victories between bothsquads, including a program best nine by the women’s team.But the strong season, although impressive, isn’t what McMahonwants to talk about.McMahon recently returned from a week-longtrip where he followed coaches, players and staff of theMiddlesborough English Premier League Soccer Club.He arrived back in the United States last week toan empty campus at Greenville College.Because students,professors and coaches have left the school for the holidaybreak, McMahon has very few people to tell his story.trip.“It was an awesome experience,” McMahon said of theFor a man who grew up eating and breathing soccer,and now coaching a college program, the trip was an experienceof a lifetime.“It was, in essence, similar to me following Tony LaRussaand the Cardinals around for a week,” he said. “Obviously soccer’snot as big here, but in England, it’s life.”For McMahon, it’s always been life.The Mansfield, Ohio native began playing soccer atthe age of four. While his friends were idolizing players on theCleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians, McMahon grew upwanting to be just like players on the Liverpool Football Club.“My room has always been decorated in PremierLeague stuff,” he said.His love of soccer grew as he played the game atMansfield Christian High School and later excelled on the fieldat Indiana Wesleyan University.Now, after his sixth season at the helm of the Greenvillemen’s team where he has resurrected a struggling programto become a perennial power in the St. Louis IntercollegiateAthletic Conference (SLIAC), McMahon took advantage of anopportunity he was presented during the past summer.For one week in each of the past three summers,McMahon has helped teach at a camp in Seattle conducted bylegendary American college soccer coach Cliff McCrath.During those annual trips west, McMahon becamefriends with Paul Barron, a soccer coach with Middlesborough.This summer, Barron invited McMahon to join him inEngland for a week.“I was chomping at the bit,” McMahon said. TheGreenville coach was joined by McCrath’s son, Steve, also acoach at Barry University near Miami, Florida.“I left on the trip, excited to have my eyes broadened tothe game as a business and structurally,” he said. “That’s exactlywhat I found.”McMahon calls himself structured, detailed andfuturistic, and who could argue.In six seasons at GC, McMahon has brought the men’sprogram from struggling to where it is now.“When I took over, I had five players, two of which hadnever seen any substantial time,” he said.Since then, the Panthers have seen an increase fromfour wins to 14. The team has also appeared in two consecutiveSLIAC postseason tournament championship matches.As structured as McMahon may be, he admits hisattention to detail cannot compare to that of a professionalsoccer team.McMahon spent the week shagging balls,catching kicks and watching. As he watched, he was amazed at