CSM hires new head men’s women’s soccer coaches
Hawks also add bevy of new players
With the fall sports season set to get under way in the near future, the College Of Southern Maryland announced the hiring of new head men’s soccer and women’s soccer coaches and also the commitment of more than a dozen new players.
Tom Pollert, who had served as the boys soccer coach at Barnstable High School in Hyannis, Mass., the past two years, has been named as the CSM head men’s soccer coach for the 2016 season.
Pollert was not only named the Hawks new coach this summer, he was busy recruiting players for the upcoming season. Overall, CSM signed 11 players — Max Bode (Lackey), Paul Burton (McDonough), Brett DeOca (St. Mary’s Ryken), Cory Hart (Thomas Stone), Branden Herscher (North Point), Andrew Knight (Chopticon), Djibril Mbaye (Gwynn Park), Jackson Meadows (La Plata), Miguel Navarro (Calvert), Bradley Reiber (McDonough) and Kenny Santos (Friendly).
“We are pleased with the 11 new signings,” Pollert said in a college news release. “Each player brings a different skill set that, along with our returners, will make CSM competitive in MDJUCO and Region XX.”
All but Mbaye and Santos, who graduated from schools in Prince George’s County, and DeOca, who attended Ryken which competes in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, played in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference. Bode, Knight and Meadows are midfielders, while Burton, DeOca, Hart, Navarro and Reiber are defenders and Herscher, Mbaye and Santos are forwards.
Pollert was also the women’s assistant soccer coach and goalkeeper coach at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, an NCAA Division III school. He was also the men’s assistant coach and eventually head coach at Franklin College (Ind.), also an NCAA Division III school where he played and earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology.
Serving as the CSM men’s assistant coach this fall will be Simon French, a native of Buckingham, England who is now a student at CSM and also currently works for the Calvert Soccer Association running the development academy and working within the travel program.
“This will be my first year as an assistant coach for a collegiate team and I hope to bring success to this fantastic institution while continuing my professional development,” French said in the college news release. “Since 2010, I have coached competitive travel teams in both Maryland and Virginia, leading to various league and tournament titles.”
Barry McGrellis, a native of Scotland who played NCAA Division I soccer at Rider University (N.J.), is CSM’s new head women’s soccer coach.
McGrellis has spent the previous six years coaching professional soccer in the United Kingdom and the United States. He also holds licenses from the USSF, the NSCAA and the Scottish Football Association and brings a wealth of experience to the program.
McGrellis will also have four new players of the roster this fall. Brenna Kelly (Leonardtown), Rebecca Ladner (Great Mills), Elizabeth Schwenk (Northern) and Jazmin Summers (Chopticon) all arrive from SMAC programs. Kelly and Schwenk are forwards, while Ladner is a defender and Summers is a goalie.
McGrellis said in a college news release, “Coming out of the strong [Calvert Soccer Association] Travel Program, Elizabeth shows an excellent level of comfort on the ball and a strong understanding of the game. Her speed, agility and attacking mentality will make her an exciting player to watch this season and a fantastic benefit to the offensive system adopted by the Hawks.
“Rebecca’s natural athleticism, strength and positional awareness will allow for seamless transition to college-level soccer. A product of the St. Mary’s travel system, Jazmin exhibits excellent strength, a fantastic work ethic and unparalleled determination. Brenna is a forward with outstanding footwork, good close control and a cultured first touch. Her natural ability to quickly control the ball and link up with surrounding players is sure to be a key component of the Hawks offensive approach this fall.”