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Foley Guides Dukes in First Year

HARRISONBURG, Va. - As a remix of I Heard It Through The Grapevine blared through the
speakers of University Park, James Madison mens soccer head coach Tom Foley looked up and
remarked, you know, Ive never heard this version of this song before.
The moment was indicative of Foleys style as a coach. The Dukes were about to open the season
by hosting Iona, the first game with Foley as head coach, and the Billerica, Mass., native was
laidback. At his core just a coach content to be around the game.
For the previous 29 years, James Madison mens soccer was under the direction of Dr. Tom
Martin, one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history. He led the Dukes to multiple
NCAA tournament appearances and spurred the professional careers of dozens of players. When
the health of Martin became a hindrance to his coaching, it was time to find a replacement. The
JMU administration looked within and promoted Foley, who had been the associate head coach
since 2009. He had also been an assistant coach under Martin from 1997-2003.
Beyond already being a part of the JMU coaching staff, Foley was a standout goalkeeper in his
playing days. He guarded the University of Connecticuts net from 1987 until 1991, participating
in three NCAA tournaments along the way. In 1987, he was the Big East Freshman of the Year
and a Freshman All-American. He was named Big East Tournament MVP in 1989 after helping
lead the Huskies to the tourney title.
Goalkeepers naturally make good coaches. With the entire field in front of them, they see
everything unfold, the way ball movement and off-the-ball runs create scoring chances. Goalies
are also responsible for organizing the defense, a role that requires constant communication and
vision. These are mandatory skills for a good coach to have. The ability to see the big picture
will lead to achieving big goals.
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Calm, defensive demeanor steadies JMU through transition

Foleys defensive background was reflected in the 2015 JMU team, a squad that held a 1.63
goals against average (GAA). The starting goalkeeper, redshirt junior Kyle Morton, individually
held a 1.28 GAA and was selected to the All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Third Team
with teammate senior defender Bjarki Adalsteinsson.
Despite experience on the back line, the Dukes struggled to find results early in the season. The
home opener against Iona ended in a 1-1 draw in a gritty, physical match that saw 35 fouls, five
yellow cards, and a red card. The Gaels forced JMU into a chippy game, but the Dukes proved
they were not going to back down from a challenge. This was a team with fight.
"I've got to give our guys credit, Foley said after the game. They battled through a lot of
different types of adversity tonight and continued to give themselves chances to win the match."
But after the draw on opening night, JMU would lose five straight games, four without scoring a
goal. Without Josh Grant and Jonathan Barden, who had both graduated and accounted for over a
third of the teams scoring in 2014, the Dukes were struggling to find consistent offense.
A stoic presence on the sidelines, only occasionally leaving his seat to give instruction, Foley did
not panic. With some tweaks to the lineup, the Dukes started to turn the corner as CAA play
began. While the back line was solid, JMU was losing possession in the middle of the field and
failing to get the ball to its dangerous attacking players. Foley, the veteran defensive coach,
called on senior defender Daniel Roppert to step into a new role: central defensive midfielder.
Roppert, whose position at center back had been taken over by redshirt junior Rhys Howard, had
his career rejuvenated. He also allowed JMUs 4-3-3 formation to work smoothly. With a steady
defensive presence in front of the back line, things opened up for creative midfielder freshman
Thomas Shores to work on the ball and find forwards Billy Metzler, Eric Schmidt, Connor
Coward and Joe Vyner.
With a revamped lineup, JMU went 3-3-2 in CAA play, the exact record that earned them the
sixth seed in the CAA tournament in 2014, a tournament they would win on Cowards goal
against Delaware.
JMU hosted No. 18 UNCW, Oct. 3 and battled to a 0-0 draw, a significant result against a strong
opponent. The game was played on a turf practice field after heavy rains rendered the grass
surface unplayable.
"It just goes to show what the guys can do when they play with determination," Foley said. "It
was a fantastic defensive effort, and in odd conditions, we were able to come away with a result
against a very good UNCW team."
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Calm, defensive demeanor steadies JMU through transition

With a berth in the CAA tournament on the line, JMU defeated No. 17 Hofstra 2-0 on Senior
Night, Oct. 31. The win gave JMU the fifth seed and a trip to Charleston to face the Cougars in
the quarterfinals. Behind goals from two players who hadnt scored all season, freshman forward
Aaron Ward-Baptiste and redshirt junior midfielder Tom Fouhy, the Dukes won 3-2 in South
Carolina before falling 2-0 at Hofstra in the CAA semifinals.
JMU finished the 2015 season with five wins, 10 losses, and four ties, but a 0.368 winning
percentage doesnt reflect the quality of work shown. Foley took a team in transition, without
consistent offensive production and used an old-school defensive approach to record a
respectable CAA campaign, with five players being named to All-CAA teams.
They created some building blocks for us to move forward with the program, Foley said of the
effort of the team at the end of the season. The biggest thing we can take from this season, and
the five guys that were given awards at the end of the season deserve a lot of credit, but theyre
all team awards. Give the guys credit for reestablishing what JMU soccer is all about in a
competitive nature.
About JMU
James Madison University is located in Harrisonburg, Va. in the scenic Shenandoah Valley with
an enrollment of 20,200. JMUs athletic department sponsors 18 NCAA sports, including 12
womens teams and six mens teams, competing at the Division I level. It is the goal of the
department to be the national model for the student-athlete experience.
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