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  Home Page » News » Soccer Coach Resigns From Fort Lewis

Soccer coach resigns from Fort Lewis

Hankinson to take position in India

by Aaron Unterreiner
Herald Sports Editor He's coached soccer in Iceland, Brazil and Guatemala.

After a productive two-year pit stop as head coach at Division II Fort Lewis College, Tim Hankinson is adding India to that eclectic list. Hankinson announced his resignation Wednesday from Fort Lewis' men's soccer program.

"It's always mixed feelings at this time of the game," he said. "The team is in a position to run big this year. We've got a great group, a great group of seniors, and I'm attached to that. I will be watching their progress from week to week."

A few months ago, Hankinson was in California on a recruiting trip for FLC. He was spotted at the airport by an agent.

"He even looked like an agent," Hankinson said in jest.

Eddie Rock of Libero Sports in Chicago knew Hankinson from his days in Major League Soccer, first as a coach and later as its scouting director. Rock also knew of a job opening for Salgaocar Sports Club in Vasco De Gama, Gao, India.

 Hankinson, with 31 years of experience, will become the first American head coach on the continent.

"It was an opportunity too good to pass up," Hankinson said. "I really enjoy coaching at the international level, and Asia, really, is the new frontier of the game around the world."

Salgaocar SC won the India League (12-team) 2nd Division last year and then was promoted to the I-League (14-team) 1st Division. Its coach, Peter Valles, however, was not retained.

Through a chance meeting with a stranger in a Los Angeles  airport, Hankinson replaced Valles.

"It took a while to get here," said Hankinson, who sounded as surprised at the way things unfolded as the news itself.

Oige Kennedy, a third-year assistant coach at FLC, was named interim head coach by athletic director Kelly Higgins on Wednesday. He will coach the storied program this fall season, pending final approval of all documentation to be submitted early next week.

 "Coach Hankinson has done a very good job of talking with me and letting me know what his situation was, so I'd be ready if this opportunity did come along," said Kennedy, who declined to comment further before Monday's scheduled meeting with Higgins.

Higgins wanted to announce Kennedy's ascension quickly.

"We won't be able to cross all the T's and dot the I's until I return to the office this weekend, but I felt we needed to let our soccer public know (Wednesday) that Oige has earned the right to lead the program this fall, and I know he'll bring his own special passion to the team," Higgins said in a news release.

"He's been integrally involved in the planning, organization, recruiting and coaching of the team for four years, and I know the young men in the program will thrive with him at the helm."

Hankinson, too, pushed for Kennedy's promotion.

"Oige knows what this team is about," Hankinson said. "He knows the strength of every player, knows their positions, knows who complements who. He's the right guy to let this group of players play to their potential."

Hankinson, last season's Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Co-Coach of the Year, led FLC to a 32-8-4 mark in two seasons and, borrowing his soccer vernacular, three Cups - two RMAC Tournament championships and one RMAC regular-season championship. FLC reached the national postseason both years.

"The positive impact he brought to the program will be felt for some time," Higgins said. "It was a difficult decision for him, but I know the opportunity was one that was just too good to walk away from."

The announcement comes less than two months before FLC is to play its first exhibition game of the 2009 season.

"I know some people might see this as bad timing, being so late, so close to the season," Hankinson said. "But from my standpoint, it gave me the opportunity to complete my recruiting. This program is in a position to challenge for a national championship this year."

aaron@durangoherald.com