Courtesy Photo
Ivan Palacios | THE RIDER
The UTRGV Men’s Soccer Team announced the addition of Ryan McDougall to the staff on Sept. 1. McDougall joins Head Coach Paul Leese and Assistant Coach Archie Massen as an assistant coach on the squad.
Coach Leese is looking forward to Coach McDougall joining the team as they continue to build toward winning championships.
“I am pleased Ryan has chosen to join our family here at UTRGV,” Leese said in a UTRGV Athletics news release. “Ryan has a great background in the college game and he possesses the right mentality to work with student-athletes in a highly competitive program. When Coach Massen and I sat down with Ryan for the first time, it was clear he was not only a great fit for our coaching staff, but also a great fit for the Rio Grande Valley.”
McDougall’s main focus in his new role will be working with the goalkeepers at UTRGV. This comes as no surprise as he has a long history in that department.
Prior to coming to UTRGV, McDougall served eight years as the head goalkeeper coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College. While there, he helped lead the team to five playoff appearances, a Mountain East Conference Championship and an appearance in the 2017 NCAA Division II tournament.
McDougall also played on the West Virginia Wesleyan College Men’s Soccer Team from 2008-2012 prior to becoming a coach on the team. He starred as a goalkeeper on the team and ended his playing career with 50 career matches, 30 wins, 22 shutouts, 177 saves and 0.85 goals against average. These numbers helped McDougall earn consecutive First Team All-Conference selections in 2010 and 2011 as well as an NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance for his team.
He believes that his experience, both as a player and a coach, has prepared him to take on this new role at UTRGV.
“As a player, I just think you develop certain drills and certain styles that you like and you dislike and then you kind of try to take that and push it into how you coach,” McDougall said. “Then, obviously becoming a coach you learn why certain coaches do certain things, and things you might not have liked as a player you do like as a coach just because you might understand it a bit more. Over the years, I’ve developed a style and a certain way that I teach and train the goalkeepers compared to other goalkeeper coaches.”
Although he has spent the last 12 years in West Virginia as a player and coach, he is no stranger to the Rio Grande Valley. McDougall has made trips to the Valley since 2017 as his fiance is a native of the area. Now, he is looking forward to calling the place home for the near future.
“The part I’m looking forward to is being closer to family,” McDougall said. “Obviously family provides that outlet, that getaway from that moment where you get stressed. They sometimes add stress and sometimes they provide that opportunity to get away from it. And then obviously I do love the food down here. Some of the first things I loved, honestly. [The food is] a hard thing to get away from but it’s the thing that sometimes I do need to get away from. And the weather, I’ll have to get used to. That is the one thing I’m going to have to get used to.”
With COVID-19 still prevalent in the Rio Grande Valley, his transition to UTRGV has been different than expected.
“Getting introduced to the team, it was minimal,” McDougall said. “It’s not a proper introduction. You’re staying away as much as you can. If we do get to do anything, it’s still at a distance and so, for me, I think it’s been tougher that way because I think just getting to know is one of the biggest parts of coaching. Just learning the culture, learning how people are, the characters and everything, it’s everything about coaching.”
He remains positive about his new position despite the new challenges and uncertainty brought forth by COVID-19.
“I ask Coach Leese and Coach Massen everyday questions about the team, about the program, what they look for and what they want,” McDougall said. “That way I can go in hitting the ground running. So, it’s a bit different to maybe going into a non-COVID year where I would be hitting the ground running and maybe lost. So it’s good and bad.”
The coach is excited and ready to be a part of the team and believes the fans have something to look forward to.
“I think it’s an exciting time to be a part of this team,” McDougall said. “Just getting to know the players and the coaching staff and how hungry the whole program is to succeed and get that first conference championship and then move on and potentially compete for that national championship. This team, going forward, is going to be something special. I think it’s more about that and being a part of that. I’m just here for the ride right now. For me, I’m just excited about that, and if I’m excited about that, I think that’s what the fans should be excited about too.”
