WASHINGTON – Georgetown University Head Men's Soccer Coach
Brian Wiese and his staff of
Zach Samol,
Connor Klekota and
Brian Bouhl were named the 2018 United Soccer Coaches East Region Coaching Staff of the Year on Friday. The honor comes after Wiese and company had another outstanding season in his 13-year career on the Hilltop.
Georgetown went 13-5-3 this past season. Along the way, the Hoyas claimed the 2018 BIG EAST Championship after entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed and earned an automatic NCAA Tournament berth with the No. 13 overall seed. It marked the third championship in four years for the Blue & Gray as well as the third tournament championship in program history.
Individually, junior defender
Dylan Nealis (Massapequa, N.Y. / Massapequa) was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year as seven different Hoyas earned BIG EAST postseason honors. Nealis joined sophomore forward
Derek Dodson (Aurora, Ill. / Waubonsie Valley) and junior forward
Achara (Enugu, Nigeria / Berkshire School [Mass.]) on the first team, while senior captains
Brendan McDonough (Matthews, N.C. / Charlotte Catholic) and
Kyle Zajec (Westport, Conn. / Staples) were each named to the second team. Goalkeeper
Giannis Nikopolidis (Athens, Greece / Nea Genia Zirdi) joined classmate
Sean Zawadzki (Olmsted Falls, Ohio / Olmsted Falls) on the BIG EAST All-Freshman team.
This is the third time in program history that the Hoyas have earned this regional distinction. It is Wiese's second after winning the same award in 2010.
Each of the 24 coaching staffs receiving Regional Staff of the Year honors will be recognized at the College Coaches Awards reception on Jan. 10, 2019 at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Chicago.
In addition, the Regional Staff of the Year recipients will be placed on the United Soccer Coaches ballot for National Staff of the Year consideration within their respective NCAA division. The ballot will also include the addition of coaching staffs from any schools which advance to the semifinals of their NCAA Championship.
United Soccer Coaches will announce the Men's and Women's National Staff of the Year for all NCAA divisions on Friday, Dec. 14.
