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“I joke that they caught me in a moment in weakness,” Tucker said with a smile. “I told them I’d think about coaching the women and they took it as a ‘yes.’”
Tucker’s overall record as the Flyers head coach was 313-124-33. During his tenure, the Flyers won 11 Atlantic 10 conference championships, captured 10 A-10 tournament championships and appeared in 10 NCAA tournaments, including a Sweet 16 appearance. The five-time A-10 Coach of the Year is excited to be embarking on a new challenge.
»ARCHDEACON: UD player flourishes with grandfather as coach
Q: What brought you back into coaching after your short-lived retirement?
A: When you coach, you can step away from it, but you’re never totally away. I had every intention of staying involved with the game in some way, but I was going to travel and see the grandkids, now the travel will have to wait a few months.
Q: What is the biggest challenge of coaching a WPSL team?
A: You don’t get much time with the players. We got a really late start, well into March, as far as recruiting. And half of these kids are working or taking summer classes. I don’t think we’ve had a single practice where we’ve had everyone. So, I try to keep it simple, and put a system in place.
Q: What do you enjoy most about coaching?
A: I’m very competitive – I like to win – but, at the end of the day, this is for them, the players. I’m helping them get ready for their college season, helping them train. And it really does keep me young. That was one of the things I loved most about being on campus, you pick up the energy that’s out there.
Q: Looks like you have some familiar faces on the team?
A: We have quite a few UD and Wright State players. Almost all of the girls have some tie to Dayton, which makes it really nice.
The Dutch Lions, now 1-1, next face the Cincinnati Sirens at Lakota East High School on June 9. Their next home match is June 17 against FC Pride, Indianapolis.
•Dutch Lions: The Dutch Lions men's team is in the midst of a three-game road trip. Next up is a Sunday game against K-W United FC, a USL Premier Development League team from Ontario, Canada. The Dutch Lions next host the Michigan Bucks on June 14.
•Dayton Dynamo: The Dynamo are on the road this weekend with matches against the Erie Commodores and Syracuse FC. Dayton – with a 4-0-1 record and an NPSL Power Ranking of 12th, out of 96 teams – will host Fort Pitt Regiment on June 11 at 4 p.m.
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