Neptune Soccer Coach Hangs Up Whistle After 28 Years
Hogan helped lead Fliers Boys to State Title, Shore Conference Finals
By ANDREW CANGIANO
After more than a quarter century as a member of the coaching staff for Neptune High Schools soccer team, Bob Hogan has decided to call it a career.
Hogan, who has coached soccer at Neptune for 28 years, and was the varsity coach for the last 12, said he has resigned in order to spend more time with his family and have more free time to do other things he enjoys.
However, the Fliers coach said calling it quits was not an easy choice for him.
It was a tough decision, Hogan said.
He said advice he had received from one of Neptunes former coaches, George Persson, aided him in the decision making process.
I know George Persson always said to me, When you think its time, its time, Hogan said.
After the 2005 season was over Hogan began to think about retiring as coach and realized that it was his time to step down.
While the school has not named a new varsity head coach yet, Hogan said whoever gets the position will inherit a strong squad, as the team is losing only three players to graduation.
I feel pretty good about it, he said about the future of the team, because whoever gets the job, theyre inheriting some really good players that are coming back.
Hogan, who was an all-state center and midfielder for the Fliers soccer team, graduated from Neptune in 1973 and played sweeper back on his college soccer team at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.
He said that upon his graduation from Neptune High, his goal was to come back and coach the Fliers soccer team.
It didnt take long for him to realize his dream. After graduating from Bridgeport in 1977, Hogan was hired to teach in the Neptune School District, and served as the coach for the middle schools soccer team for two years.
In the following two seasons, he coached the high schools junior varsity team, before becoming an assistant coach for the varsity in 1980.
During his first season as an assistant under Pat McStay, the Fliers soccer team put together its greatest run ever, winning the Central Jersey Group IV championship.
Hogan said the 1980 team had a combination of talent and team chemistry which allowed them to capture the state title.
It seemed like everything good that could happen, happened to them, he said about the team.
This February, Neptune High School hosted a ceremony prior to one of its varsity boys basketball games, honoring the 25th anniversary of the state championships won by the high schools basketball and soccer teams in 1980-81.
During the ceremony, Hogan was able to reunite with his former players, as he said he was surprised to learn that many of them still live locally.
Besides being an assistant coach for the Fliers 1980 championship team, Hogan coached Neptune to the Shore Conference tournament finals back-to-back seasons in 1998-99.
During both those years, the Fliers had Monmouth Countys Player of the Year – Nick Taylor and Chris Beekman.
Hogan said he has been very fortunate not only to coach at the school where he once played, but also in being able to stay with the program for such a long period of time.
He said he learned a lot about coaching from the three soccer coaches who proceeded him at Neptune High School: Richie Melvin, McStay, and Persson.
So how has high school soccer changed since Hogan first began coaching three decades ago?
The players nowaday are just getting better and better, Hogan said. Not only are the players quicker, but they are more skilled than in years past, he said.
One reason for this is the increase in the number of travel soccer leagues, as Hogan said now nearly every town has travel leagues, something that was not the case when he first began coaching.
Another difference in the game is the field surfaces. Hogan said that since he played at Neptune, the Fliers have always held their soccer games at the Summerfield School fields.
However, three years ago the school replaced its natural grass playing field with an artificial grass surface where the Fliers soccer and football teams now play.
The high school has also had three different athletic directors since Hogan began his tenure: Ted Beal, who hired the young coach, Lou Grob, and current AD Vince Ardery.
Hogan said the things he will miss most about coaching are working with the athletes and the excitement of the games. Hogan said he plans to attend some of the Fliers soccer games – as a spectator – a vantage poin that will be new to him.
Besides winning a state title and reaching the Shore Conference finals twice, Hogans teams also won two divisional titles. He has received Monmouth County Sportsmanship Awards and Scholar Athlete Awards from the Shore Soccer Officials Association.
He will continue to teach sixth grade social studies at Neptune Middle School and to coach the high schools varsity Girls Bowling team.
Hogan and his wife Bonnie have three children: a son, Michael, 22, and two daughters – Taryn, 20, and Nicole, 14.
Both of the Hogans daughters have Muscular Dystrophy, which is the name for a broad range of neuromuscular diseases.
As a result of the disease, Taryn must use a wheelchair and Nicole uses a walker, Hogan said. He and his wife are both involved with the Monmouth County Division of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
His retirement as coach of the soccer team will allow Hogan to spend more time with his daughters.
He said he plans to fish and play a little golf as well.
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