Jaguars soccer coach resigns
When Eugene Doyle took over the Capital boys soccer program in 2007, he oversaw a program that had 19 players on the roster.
By 2017, he ran a program that usually had more than 50 players competing for spots on the varsity and junior varsity rosters.
That is what Doyle will leave the next head coach, as he resigned last week.
Doyle said he opted to resign because he was in the process of changing jobs, and would not have the flexibility in his schedule to coach both the varsity and JV. He also mentioned wanting to spend time with his two children, ages 3 and 5, and coaching was putting a strain on that.
“It’s hard to try and rely on other people to take care of my children,” Doyle said. “I’d be gone Monday through Saturday [during the season], and I wouldn’t spend much time with them. My daughter, she’s 3, and I can’t bring her out to practice. I was optimistic I would be able to coach, but I just find it’s going to be impossible.”
Doyle created quite the legacy at Capital, as he is the program’s winningest coach, with a 158-63-4 mark that includes a Class 5A title in 2014. Last season, Capital went 12-8-1, but lost 1-0 to Valencia in the first round of the 5A tournament. Under his watch, Capital never missed the state tournament and is on a streak of 13 straight postseason appearances.
Prior to Doyle’s hire, the program had four coaches in six years and had not reached the state tournament since 1992.
He takes pride in what he has accomplished, especially with players who often work to help support their families while also going to school.
“Our program is different from all the others in the state,” Doyle said. “A lot of the kids have full-time jobs and other obligations that other teams don’t allow. I hope the next coach is aware of that. The kids need leniency in that regard.”
It’s not an easy job, Doyle noted, but one that he found fulfilling because of his players and their commitment to soccer, school and family. That the Jaguars achieved as much as they did is a testament to that.
“It was really rewarding to be able to spend every day with theses kids,” Doyle said. “Every day was a happy day, when you can come off a bad day of work but go play soccer and forget all about that. The kids played really hard for me, and those relationships are going to be the hardest to step away from.”
Doyle said whoever takes over next year should encounter a lot of talent on the roster, since sophomores comprised most of the 2017 squad. Capital also played in perhaps the toughest district in 2-5A, which included state runner-up Albuquerque Academy and semifinalist Los Alamos. The going won’t get any easier next year, as the Jaguars will be in District 5-5A with defending 6A champion Albuquerque High as the state goes back to a five-classification system.