If Phil Wheddon was feeling any pressure during his home debut Friday night, he wasn't showing it.
The new Syracuse head coach's calm and relaxed personality on the sideline was evident throughout the regulation and double overtime of the Orange's 0-0 draw against Fordham.
"The players here, and myself, have been very relieved," Wheddon said. "I do not think there was any pressure here for my home opener. I think that most of the pressure was felt by the players because they were the ones who had to perform."
Wheddon missed his team's first game - a 3-1 victory over Albany at home - because he was still working as goalkeepers coach for the U.S. women's soccer team at the Olympics in Beijing.
Friday night, though, wasn't Wheddon's first game as a college coach. He previously worked as a goalie coach for Southern Connecticut State University's men's and women's squads, including the 1999 men's team which won the NCAA Division II Championship.
"I am treating these players the same way we treated the U.S. National Team," Wheddon said. "I expect the same things from them as far as mental and physical preparation, and they have responded very well to it. I cannot ask for anything more."
Wheddon's presence should serve as a boost for SU goalkeeper Eliza Bennett-Hattan. The junior posted her first shutout of the season, moving her to second on SU's all-time shutout list.
"I have been learning a lot from him," Bennett-Hattan said. "He has just been helping me with the little details, like how to get to the ball quicker, kick a ball further. I think that overall my decision-making will get better, and hopefully the entire team will get better, and hopefully it will lead to more wins."
In addition to his more laid-back style of coaching, Wheddon's approach to his team is much different than that of former head coach Pat Farmer, who resigned at the end of last season. Throughout Friday's game, Wheddon's demeanor rarely changed.
Having played for Wheddon for more than one week now, his players see the difference.
"Coach Wheddon is definitely a lot calmer than Coach Farmer was, and he just has a different type of coaching style; they're just complete opposites," said junior midfielder Danielle Jordan. "For our team, this is a good thing. I think people are responding better to him, and his personality just gels with the team a little bit better.
"People are willing to take more risks for him and play harder, and they want to work for him and they want to work together as a team."
Despite all of his experience at the national and international level, this is still the first time Wheddon has ever been a head coach - Friday being his first home appearance with Syracuse. The tie was an improvement from losing his first two games last weekend in the JMU/Comfort Inn Harrisonburg Invitational.
"Obviously, as the head coach, you make the ultimate decisions," Wheddon said. "Whereas, if you are an assistant coach, you can say, 'Well, the head coach did that,' and pass it off. But here, the buck stops with me. Win, lose or draw, a lot of it comes down to me, and I will take the responsibility for it."
dfbaer@syr.edu
Be the first to comment on this article!