Berbary adjusts to 1st head coaching job as IU women's soccer coach

Five months later, it still hasn’t sunk in for Amy Berbary.

The new IU women’s soccer coach has been so occupied with getting things started at her first college head coaching job that she hasn’t even processed she is IU’s head coach.

“There’s been a whirlwind,” she said. “I feel like all of us have been working so hard. I think it might set in that first time when I’m standing on the sideline in that first game, but to tell you the truth, I really haven’t thought about it that way. I’ve really just been trying to get things organized and prepare for the fall.”

Berbary came to Bloomington and officially took control of the program Feb. 18. She had from then until April 20 to meet with her new team and get to know them. Per NCAA rules, she can’t have contact with them during the summer.

“I cannot believe I’ve been here for five months,” she said. “It has absolutely flown by. Like I blinked my eyes and we’re approaching (the) season. I’m really pumped about that.”

Berbary said after she filled the two assistant coaching positions on her staff, she’s spent most of her time this summer recruiting to finish the 2014 class and start
working on the 2015 class.

But she called the two-month period where she got to talk to the current team she had when she first arrived “very important.” She won’t get to resume communication with them until Aug. 6 when the team reports, with practices starting Aug. 7.

“They need to understand some of our goals and some of the coaching staff’s expectations as far as fitness goes and just getting to know them and teaching our system and trying to figure out which system we’re going to play with the players we have,” Berbary said. “Within that short time, that was our immediate goal. Our immediate goal was really to let them know our expectations and then figure out our system and style of play that we’re going to play in the fall before we add in the freshmen.”

Berbary inherited five seniors, including goalkeeper Shannon Flower, eighth on IU’s all-time saves list, forward Lisa Nouanesengsy, the only player in IU history to record two hat tricks and tied for the team lead in goals last year and midfielder Rebecca Candler, who set a new IU record for assists in a season last year.

“I inherited a great, great bunch of girls, especially the upperclassmen,” Berbary said. “I think they’re going to be good leaders for us and they’re all focused on our immediate goal, which is to make the Big Ten Tournament and participate in that. That’s our immediate goal for this team. With their leadership over the younger players, I think that’s what we’re trying to go for.”

IU last made the Big Ten Tournament in 2007.

As an assistant coach for four years and an associate head coach in her final year at Auburn, Berbary helped guide the Tigers to five consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

Auburn also won the SEC Tournament in 2011.

Berbary hired assistants Sergio Gonzalez and Benji Walton, both of whom Berbary has worked with in the past, in hopes of turning the Hoosier program around.

“You have to start somewhere,” Berbary said of her team’s goal to make the Big Ten Tournament. “As a staff, all three of us have won conference championships in various conferences. We know the mentality that it takes, we just need our players to buy in and trust in what we’re doing.

“We’ll take small steps and we’ll make small goals and they’ll get bigger as we start to progress. I think this team has the potential to do that, the question is how hard are they willing to work to get to that immediate goal. Because once you get there, anything can happen.”

With offensive weapons in Candler and Nouanesengsy, Berbary said she wants to try to keep the ball more on the offensive side this year to get it to those playmakers.

“We’re going to try to play a little more possession oriented, a little more possession style,” she said. “A little bit more attacking, move the ball around, get the ball up top to our creative players and let them do their thing.”

When Berbary arrived in Bloomington five months ago, it was her first time to the town. Now, she’s working to make a connection between herself, the players and the community.

“It’s an awesome town,” she said. “I like the diversity. I like the people. I love how the community is so invested in IU. We’re trying to get the support for women’s soccer. We’ve been working hard for people to come out and get our kids out into the community so they get to know our women’s soccer team and come out and watch our games.”