NORFOLK, Va. — You got the sense that Alan Dawson was at peace about moving on from something that has meant the world to him. Being the men's head soccer coach at Old Dominion University.
On Wednesday, Dawson spoke about his reason for retiring from the program after this season. He'll leave after 27 years.
"It was a process", he said. "The last few years has been tough and its been a bit of a grind".
He has helped shape the program to where it is now. Dawson has taken the Monarchs to 12 NCAA tournament appearances and his teams have been ranked 9 times in the final poll of the season.
"It's definitely a little sad", says Monarch forward Jonas Schmalbach. "He has been a big part of my recruiting process and my time here."
Dawson is the winningest soccer coach in program history with a record of 257-168 and 52. He's also currently 5th all-time in NCAA history with 368 career wins among active coaches in Division I.
"Obviously we know about the soccer and stuff, but off the field is the biggest thing for me", said ODU forward Michael Eberle. "He's been a leader. A role model we can all look up to. That's the biggest part for me. He's building young men and not just soccer players."
The person taking over the reigns for Dawson is quite familiar with the program. Associate Head Coach Tennant McVea has been with the Monarchs for the past 6 years.
"Massive shoes to fill", he said. "Obviously I've been very fortunate to be here with Alan. His legacy is renowned across the country. What he has achieved here is fantastic and I always say if I achieve half of what he has, I'm a lucky man".
Dawson hopes he's made a different in his time at Old Dominion. "Hopefully they'll love the game as much as I did", he says. "Its been a wonderful 27 years".