Q&A: Brian Dooley
FAU women's soccer coach Brian Dooley has been at FAU since 1999 and is 117-63-12 in that span. Dooley coached the Owls to a 2005 NCAA Tournament appearance and the Owls have made the Sun Belt Conference semifinals in 2006 and in 2008. FAUOwlAccess.com asked Dooley five questions about coaching in another installment of this series.
Originally published on
6/23/2009
by
FAUOwlAccess Staff Report
FAUOwlAccess.com: As a coach who has been to the NCAAs before, what would it take to have FAU be a perennial NCAA participant?
Brian Dooley: Continuing to strengthen the schedule against high RPI teams, expand recruiting opportunities and win significant games.
FAUOwlAccess.com: Your schedules often feature some of the top teams in the nation, what do you get out of playing these games?
Dooley: First, those are the teams we would play in the first round of the NCAA tournament. By playing them during the regular season it gives us the experience to maybe win in the first round. It also helps us recruit the types of players who beat these teams.
FAUOwlAccess.com: What is the most interesting thing in your office?
Dooley: A Swarovski crystal owl that Natalie D’Oria gave me and a crystal globe from Suski Lehtinen. One is a team perspective and the other is the international perspective.
FAUOwlAccess.com: How did you get started in coaching?
Dooley: I had dropped out of college and a friend asked if I wanted to coach Hollywood Hills girl’s team because they didn’t have a coach. I took over a team that had won maybe two games. We went to the District Championship game, losing to St. Thomas. I had such a great time that I went back to college to complete my degree.
FAUOwlAccess.com: What is your favorite part about coaching at Florida Atlantic?
Dooley: The facilities, the ability to coach outdoors year round, and being a part of a developing, growing athletic department.