Redbirds new soccer coach Plunkett will stress defense

ALLENTOWN — Andrew Plunkett has understood the rewards of winning in high school soccer when he excelled for Brick Memorial’s perennial NJSIAA and Shore Conference Tournament qualifier. The school eventually retired his jersey, No. 15.

Now, he brings that understanding to Allentown High School where he was named head boys soccer coach last week. Plunkett, who still resides in Brick, succeeds Bob Tackett, who stepped down because of his expanded administrative responsibilities, which go beyond his position as supervisor of the Science Department at the school.

Plunkett has one year of coaching experience on the high school level, serving as junior varsity coach and as Tackett’s assistant last season. He spent the prior season as an assistant at Arcadia University in Philadelphia, which is where he started at his familiar middle defender spot all four years and was captain in his final year. In fact, he scored the game-winning goal that put Arcadia into the conference playoffs in his freshman year and was an offensive threat off restarts throughout his career.

So will he build the Redbirds on defense first?

“Being a defender, it’s my philosophy, but you can’t forget offense,” said Plunkett. “A great defense is a good offense — get the ball moving up. You need a tight defense. You can score three goals but if you give up four or five ... “

Taking Plunkett’s jayvee and assistant varsity coaching post is Keith McEvoy, who coached the middle school girls team previously.

Although he is young with limited coaching experience, Plunkett has the advantage of being familiar already with the school and its program. He was instrumental in helping one of last year’s leading players — Dean Search — select a college career at Arcadia. Goalkeeper Connor Darrell, the only other senior on last year’s team that finished 7-13-1, is headed to Gettysburg, Pa., in a few weeks.

“I think the players understand my outlook and my history. I respect them as players and I’ve earned their respect,” said Plunkett firmly. “I established that last year.”

“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for a young guy with a great soccer background,” said Director of Athletics Brian Irwin. “He knows the game well and has the skills to build the program for now and for the future as well. His coaching here already is an asset because he knows our kids and they respect him. His knowledge and maturity is beyond his years.”

Tackett, who coached for one year, praised the work done thus far by Plunkett and his prospects in his new role.

“Andrew is going to be a better coach. He knows the game inside and out,” said Tackett. “He relates to the kids well. He will do a great job. Anytime there is a coaching change, it usually is difficult for the players, but we’ve been working together on our approach to the process and the coaching style and I tapped into his experience as a player. I don’t expect much change. If anything, he’ll demand more from them.”

His high school coach — Kevin Bliem — who still coaches at Brick Memorial, recalls how Plunkett started for four years and who in his freshman year was on a Shore Conference A South championship team and a contender for the following years.

“With his demeanor as a player and person, I always knew he’d be a coach and a great one,” said Bliem. “He was a marking back who totally grew into the position. He made things happen with his talent and his smarts and made us dangerous on the flanks. With his size, teams couldn’t stop him when he’d make his runs and take people on one-on-one or get the ball off to the wing or hit a shot from way back. He was a leader who held down our back line and our attack built up from him. A lot was due to his ability to adjust, from his skill level and being creative at a time when we were very creative and one of the most coachable kids I had in the system.”

Bliem said that he has a number of former players coaching as assistants but believes Plunkett is the first to become a head coach during his 16 years as Brick Memorial coach.

“I can’t say enough about him as a coach now,” said Bliem. “Having this opportunity, he has makes me proud.”

Although there have been summer workouts among the players, some have been away with club teams most of the time and many have played in a league at Good- Sports in Sea Girt.

Plunkett said he needs to “strike a balance” when practice officially begins on Aug. 16, blending the talents of the players who have worked together for most of the past two months and those who raised their skill level on high-caliber travel teams.

He said the formation and plays they’ll execute off it would be determined through early practices when he gets a better handle on the returning and new personnel, which he said includes a student who transferred in who is expected to score a lot of goals, as well as some good incoming freshman prospects.

“We lost a couple of key players but we have guys stepping up and developing roles in the preseason and over the course of the season,” said Plunkett. “We have some new additions and we’ll look very solid up top and in the midfield.”

“Right now, he is most concerned with [building] teamwork, more than with making tournaments,” said Irwin of Plunkett. “If you do the right things in the off-season and preseason, the postseason comes naturally. And this group has a lot of talent.”

Plunkett said summer practices continue on Tuesday sand Thursdays over the next few weeks, which includes workouts and weightlifting on both days.