Hoener Departing Fontbonne, Cassidy Elevated to Head Coach
In 20 years at Fontbonne, Coach Brian Hoener has accumulated 251 wins and is the all-time wins leader for both the men's and women's programs. Today, Coach Hoener announced he's stepping away at the end of the semester to become the new Director of Athletics at Alton-Marquette Catholic High School. Assistant Coach Dylan Cassidy will take over the program as Head Coach effective July 1st.
"While I'm very sad to be losing such a wonderful coach, administrator, and friend, I'm so happy for Coach Hoener to have the opportunity to start the next chapter of his professional career," said Director of Athletics Maria Buckel. "He will be missed. He's been someone that's offered so much to our soccer student-athletes on and off the pitch, but also been an advocate for creating positive change for our athletic department and university."
She continued, "I have leaned on him so much throughout my tenure in challenging situations and he's always given great insight and advice. Though today is difficult in knowing we will not see Coach in the office and on the sideline we know that he's a Griffin for life and will continue to support the university and athletic programs. I wish him nothing but the best in his role as Athletic Director and know he'll do a fantastic job leading for Alton Marquette Athletics"
"Fontbonne has been a very special place for myself and family," said Hoener. "I've had the privilege to coach some outstanding young men and women over the last 20 years, and the lessons and memories we've shared during that time will last forever. I want to thank all the men and women who've played for me and let them know they've had a tremendous effect on my life."
He added, "I also want to thank Maria Buckel, Fontbonne's administration, and all my fellow coaches who've helped me grow as a coach and administrator. The people I've gotten to work with and the players I've gotten to coach have made coming to work over the last 20 years exciting and rewarding. Finally, I'd like to thank all my assistant coaches, especially Coach Davis, who've played such a vital role in helping build two programs we can extremely be proud of.:
Between the two programs, Coach Hoener has guided the Griffins to five SLIAC Regular Season Conference Championships, two SLIAC Tournament Championships, three NCAA Tournament Appearances, and 20 SLIAC Tournament Appearances.
He's also been named SLIAC Coach of the Year seven times (2003, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016) between the men's and women's seasons.
He's guided 33 men's players and 29 women's players to the SLIAC All-Conference Team. Coach Hoener has led the men's team to at least 10 wins in nine of his 14 seasons, while after taking over the women's program in 2011, the team totaled 10 wins in seven of his nine seasons at the helm.
Cassidy, meanwhile, just finished up his second year as an assistant coach on the women's soccer staff. "I'm extremely excited for Dylan to be taking over the program," Hoener added. "I've had the chance to work with him the past two seasons and he has a passion and energy for teaching the game of soccer. His dedication and commitment to the player should enhance the quality of the program."
"It's not every day that you have a coach depart with a legacy such as Coach Hoener and you want to ensure that the program doesn't skip a beat and is entrusted to a coach that's invested in the long-term success of the program and that's why Coach Cassidy was the obvious choice as Coach Hoener's predecessor," said Buckel. "Coach Cassidy has playing and coaching experience at multiple levels and has been mentored by Coach Hoener over the past two years after serving as an assistant at UIS. He understands the importance of the holistic approach to athletics that we value at Fontbonne and I'm excited to see him leading this team."
Coach Hoener final day at Fontbonne will be on June 30th.
STORY COURTESY OF FONTBONNE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
