#24 Men's Soccer 10/28/2011 9:40:00 AM

OCU soccer flourishes through 25 years

Harvey has posted 650-237-49 record as OCU's only soccer coach

Brian Harvey holds membership in the NAIA, Oklahoma Soccer Association and Oklahoma City University Athletics Halls of Fame.

Brian Harvey has witnessed nearly every pass, corner kick and goal during the 25 years of Oklahoma City University's soccer program.
Harvey has been the only coach OCU soccer has ever had. He built the men's program starting in 1986, then the women's program in 1994. He has since become the NAIA's all-time leader in combined men's and women's coaching wins as well as a hall of famer according to the NAIA, Oklahoma Soccer Association and OCU.
The Stars play their final regular-season home matches of the year Friday. OCU hosts USAO in a 5 p.m. women's match followed by the men's match at 7 p.m., both at Stars Field. The OCU soccer parents will host a barbeque where fans can get their choice of hamburgers, hot dogs or ribs for $5.
As the 25th year of OCU soccer closes, Harvey offered many recollections from his personal archives.

Before he coached OCU, Harvey had begun building his reputation in Oklahoma as the coach of the Oklahoma City Slickers. He guided the Slickers to the championship match of the American Professional Soccer League, the Soccer Bowl played at the Silverdome, then the home of the Detroit Lions.
“I came to Oklahoma in 1982 to coach the Slickers,” Harvey said. “Oil dropped to $13 a barrel, and the team went belly up. I went to work for Coca-Cola as youth marketing manager. One of our accounts was OCU.”
Through his job at Coca-Cola, Harvey became acquainted with OCU athletic director Arnold Short.
“I called on him to see if his Coke was delivered on time,” Harvey said of Short. “I wanted to know if he wanted to do any promotions. He asked, 'Do you know about soccer?' I said, 'I think I do.' ”
Harvey was introduced as OCU coach in a press conference on Feb. 14, 1986. Felix Field became the team's home field and lay where Abe Lemons Arena has since been built. OCU offered five scholarships to start the team, so Harvey filled the team out with players recruited from the student body.
“We had to lay sod and two years later, we got the softball fence and put it around the field,” Harvey said. “It was extremely downhill. On the far side of the field was an observatory.”
The first OCU men's team went 9-6, building a foundation for the program for years to come. Richard Benigno led the team with 11 goals and eventually became OCU's first soccer alum to turn professional. Stephen Boone manned the goal and allowed only seven goals.
Other OCU alums to turn professional have been Dino Delevski, Tim Trevino, Andy Taylor and off last year's team, Chris Spendlove.
“Richard Benigno was a big part of that first class,” Harvey said. “He was instrumental in getting a lot of players from Dallas. Players wanted to play with him. Amongst that group was Stephen Boone, one of the best goalkeepers we've had. He was a very good kid. I would recommend him for the OCU Athletics Hall of Fame.”
In 1991, OCU broke through with a trip to the NAIA Championships and reached the quarterfinals. Billy Martin played for that team and still serves Harvey as his assistant coach into his 17th season. Martin helped OCU return to the NAIA men's soccer championships in 2008 and reach the semifinals.
Notable among the 1991 team's members were four future doctors – Glen Bailey, Chris Cassidy, Kevin Hoos and Jonah Vandiver. Also on that team was future “Bachelor” host, Chris Harrison.
“He was a pretty good footballer,” Harvey said of Harrison. “Chris Harrison scored a winning goal in that tournament. He was either an attacking midfielder or a defender. He did play-by-play for our basketball broadcasts. He started out at Channel 9 helping cover high school football on Fridays. I had known the Channel 9 sports director Bill Teegins from when I was in Tulsa. I introduced them at their studio, and the rest is history.”

OCU began its women's program in 1994 and wasted no time making a name for itself.
That initial women's team went 12-2 with Sooner Athletic Conference and section championships. OCU's early teams included Nicole Nelson, who played for OCU from 1995-97 and currently coaches Oklahoma's women's soccer team.
"We had a lot of good players in that first class – that class went 89-9-3," Harvey said.
That squad began a winning tradition that OCU maintained through finishing as NAIA runner-up in 2001 and on to today's team, which has been ranked in the top 25 all year.
“That runner-up team was highlighted by one of the finest players I've coached, male or female, Sally Cole,” Harvey said. “She was a coach's dream. She gave 100 percent. She could create or deny goals.”
Cole and Nelson are two of many OCU alumni who have spread Harvey's influence throughout the region by entering coaching as well.
Cole herself coaches at Bishop McGuinness, while other former Harvey pupils to coach have included John Gall, Stuart Hilton, Tommy Riley, Chris Spendlove and Lee Williams. Martin has played an integral role in the OCU program as Harvey's assistant for 16 years.
Occasionally OCU has squared off with a team coached by one of its alums.
“It's nice to see them even if they're on the other side,” Harvey said. “They've gone on to give something back to the game. A number of kids have graduated and done good things. It's nice to see them do well.”
Harvey has done his part to ensure the growth of the sport through coaching youth himself in addition to coaching OCU.
When he became OCU's coach, Harvey said that 35,000 youth were playing soccer in Oklahoma, and now, he estimates that number to be 45,000. Five colleges fielded soccer teams in 1986, and now, that number has grown to nearly 20.
“There's a base of youth playing,” Harvey said. “We're more legit. It's been a tremendous growth in the last 25 years. It's all grassroots. We've closed the gap. College soccer has made big strides.”

Harvey notched his 650th career victory with OCU when the Stars edged Mid-America Christian 1-0 in men's play Tuesday. Through 25 years, 936 men's and women's matches, 19 conference championships and seven national-tournament appearances, Harvey shows no signs of slowing down as OCU coach.
In 1986, Harvey didn't have starting a legacy on his mind.
“I just wanted to get the program going,” Harvey said. “I thought I might go back to the pros. They have a lot of stability now. Pro soccer is quite healthy.”
Thanks in large part to Harvey's efforts, the OCU soccer program is healthy.

25 years of OCU soccer Gallery

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