LYNN — When Ed McNeil took over as head coach of the girls soccer team at English High, his plan was to stick around for a few years.
Fast forward to the 2019 season and McNeil, in his 15th season at the helm, feels it’s time to call it a career.
“I’m 73 years old and I’m tired, I really am,” McNeil said. “I wouldn’t trade the past 15 years for a championship. Everywhere I go I bump into great people and former players who’ve done great things. It’s a great feeling.”
Under McNeil’s guidance, the losses outweighed the wins at English. The Bulldogs never qualified for the state tournament and struggled to stay afloat in the competitive Northeastern Conference. But McNeil isn’t stepping away with regrets.
“I’m very fortunate,” McNeil said. “The thing I’m proud about the most is our team GPA. We’re always in the high 3’s. These kids are terrific students. They’re student-athletes. I’m very proud of that. We won the MIAA Sportsmanship Award a few years ago. These kids play the game the right way. They never argue with the refs. They’re great, great kids.
“I wish we won more games,” McNeil said, “but I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”
McNeil joined the Bulldogs as an assistant to former head coach Kevin Driscoll in 2003. After two seasons, Driscoll stepped down and urged McNeil to push toward the job.
“(Driscoll) said, ‘you’re always at the games. You go to every game, why don’t you join?’ My daughter, Erin, was on the team. So I coached with him for two years,” McNeil recalled. “I figured I’d do it for a year or two and I’m still here. We’ve had some great kids that have gone to great schools. I couldn’t have asked for better kids.”
McNeil leaves a positive mark on the team, English Athletic Director Dick Newton said.
“Ed has put a lot of years into the program,” Newton said. “He’s seen a lot of good kids go through the program. He’s known as a great guy. He’s very well liked by all the school administrators. There comes a time when it’s time to turn the program over to the next coach.
“He’s been a loyal soldier for English High School. He’s helped out with a lot of other things around the school. He’s developed relationships with other coaches in the area and I’m sure they’ll be sad to see him go too.”
St. Mary’s Jim Foley’s one of the many area coaches who has built a bond with McNeil.
“Ed’s a really great guy,” Foley said. “He’s a great person. He’s been great for the city. He’s coached the youth in the city. He’s done a great job at English. I wish he made the tournament but he loves the kids, he’s done great things in the city and he always provides support. He’s a great guy to be around.”
As is Lynn native Tim Phelan, who coaches Austin Prep.
“I’ve known Ed for a very long time,” Phelan said. “He’s been a good friend of mine. The kids at English are lucky to have him. He cares more about the kids than wins and losses. He’s been a great role model for coaches. He’s just a great guy.”
McNeil’s tenure with the Bulldogs will officially end after Friday’s (4) regular season finale at Winthrop. English, 3-13-2, hasn’t had the season the Bulldogs set out for. But McNeil’s confident the team has some of the pieces in place to compete in the near future.
“I’m proud of the fact that I’m leaving a team that has seven or eight starters coming back,” McNeil said. “Melissa Zayas has been our leading scorer the past two seasons. Elysse Newson’s a great goalie. Arianna Garcia’s a great defender. Whoever takes over the program will have some talent to work with.”
He praised his assistant coaches, Abby Driscoll and Madison Molea, for pitching in over the past few seasons.
“They both played soccer at St. Mary’s and they’re both teachers in the Lynn school system,” McNeil said. “They’re both terrific. What I love is the input during a game. They see things. I had one year where I had no assistant coaches and you miss things. They know they can talk to me. They have great input in the game. Both are very, very good coaches. If they want to continue coaching, they’ll have nice careers.”
McNeil, an Everett native and former ice hockey player, will continue to coach youth soccer with the Lynn Sharks program. His granddaughter, Caitlin, has taken an interest in the sport. He also plans to resume his duties as a substitute teacher at English during the winter.
“I’m just looking forward to the future,” McNeil said. “I’m looking forward to coaching my granddaughter. I’ll be at a ton of English games cheering them on.”
