After previous girls’ soccer coach Josh Kinnetz had to resign for personal reasons, Athletic Director Larry Hurd scouted out a perfect coach to fill the void. He ran into Neil Gottlieb at a travel baseball game in Salisbury, Maryland, and the rest is history.
Coming into the Walter Johnson soccer program, which has a history of success, Gottlieb worked to immerse himself in the team’s community. Kinnetz had been with the program for six years and with the upperclassmen for multiple years, so the abrupt transfer from one coach to another came as a shock. Gottlieb talked with many of the girls over the summer and had a very honest conversation with players and coaches at the beginning of the season.
“We had this hours-long conversation, and he had it with all the other coaches as well. He got information regarding the players and how the team operated. He emailed with Kinnetz extensively to really get a feel for the team and to come into the season prepared,” assistant coach Alec Latifov said.
As a coach with over 30 years of coaching experience and a previous keeper for the University of Arizona, his knowledge of the game is extensive. Players value his deep understanding of the game and his ability to self-reflect when things aren’t going well.
“Gottlieb is able to look at certain aspects of our game and realize when it isn’t working. He holds us accountable for our mistakes but also has the ability to take personal responsibility when needed. He takes our opinions into consideration and gives us an opportunity to learn and grow,” senior Federica Gavelli said.
His player-centric approach could be what leads the team to success. He views himself as not just a coach but also a mentor, someone who is responsible for building leaders and teaching girls to be students of the game.
“They view me as a mentor and listen from more of a leadership-development perspective than a coaching perspective. It is inspiring because they want to learn the game and win for themselves, the team, their families, their friends, and their school. They are proud of the uniform they wear, and that gets me up in the morning,” Gottlieb said.
The players have been focused on beating Whitman, a feat that has proved difficult over the past few years. Although Gottlieb would love to beat Whitman and believes the girls have the talent and confidence to achieve this goal, he claims that the game is just one game, and to play well, it shouldn’t be made bigger than it has to be. However, the girls are hopeful and believe Gottlieb has what it takes to help them achieve their goals.
“Gottlieb has offered a lot of positional techniques that will help us against our strongest opponents. With the confidence and skill we have, I am most looking forward to playing Whitman again this season,” junior Ella Hoban said.
