After just one year at the helm, Leah McDermott is out as The College of New Jersey’s women’s soccer coach.
“Coach (Leah) McDermott has decided to step away from the demands of the coaching profession at this time to focus on her growing family,’’ said TCNJ Athletic Director Amanda DiMartino. “The College supports her in her decision and wishes her well in the future.’’
Joe Russo led the program for the first 32 years of its existence and developed it into one of the premier programs – if not the best – in all of Division III women’s soccer.
So, the Lions will begin a search for a new coach.
The Lions were 14-3-2 and 7-1-1 in the conference this past season, but the standards set by Russo and assistant coaches, Bob Turner and TCNJ grad Katie Lindacher made equaling those numbers very difficult for any new coach.
The Lions, who were the four-time defending New Jersey Athletic Conference champion, finished third in the conference and were eliminated in the semifinals by Rowan. They had a streak of 31 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances snapped one year after reaching the championship game in Russo’s final season.
The team returned seven starters and 32 goals from that 2021 squad, but conceded 20 goals and you have to go back to 2015 for the last time the program allowed double-digit goals in a season.
McDermott came from Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania — she was 31-26-8 in four seasons there — and without any coaching experience in New Jersey.
TCNJ could look to Lindacher, a former player and assistant for Russo, who is familiar with the recruiting process that brought so much success to the program.
Loyalty needs to be a two-way street, often the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.
The record did not indicate a poor season on the field, but if there were issues off the field and in the locker room that too is something that never surrounded the program under Russo.
