Courtesy Norwich Sports Information
NORTHFIELD – After a decade of leading the Norwich University men’s soccer program, Kyle Dezotell is stepping down as the head coach at NU to take over the Manhattanville College men’s soccer program.
Dezotell will also serve as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at Manhattanville, the same position he held at Norwich since 2013.
The winningest coach in Norwich men’s soccer history, Dezotell compiled a 131-63-18 (.660) record in 10 seasons at the helm of the Cadets and boasts three Great Northeast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors (2007, 2008, 2012). He guided the Cadets to five GNAC Tournament championship game appearances, including the 2008 GNAC Tournament title and a subsequent first-round NCAA Tournament victory. That team’s 18-3-1 record was Dezotell’s second best at Norwich, behind only his 2007 squad that went 19-3-1 and captured the ECAC New England Championship.
“We are very fortunate to have had such a successful program at Norwich University over the last ten years and I am obviously saddened to be leaving this fine institution,” Dezotell said. “First, thank you to my athletic director Tony Mariano and his wonderful, supportive wife Gail for everything they’ve done for me. Tony has become one of my biggest mentors, supporters, and friends during my time at Norwich and I know how lucky I am to have had the opportunity to work for Tony.
I thank him for taking a chance 10 years ago on a twenty-four year old kid who wanted to be his next men’s soccer head coach. I have learned so much from Tony over the last 10 years, primarily about how to treat people and what are the most important qualities necessary to be a great leader.”
Under Dezotell, Norwich reached the semifinals of the GNAC Tournament in all 10 seasons and also recorded nine ECAC New England Tournament appearances over that span.
Individually, he coached 15 players to NSCAA All-New England Region recognition at Norwich, including at least one player in each of the last nine seasons, while also garnering 60 All-Conference selections in his 10 years, including 27 first-team All-GNAC honorees.
“I need to thank all of my assistant coaches and athletic trainers: Eric Nordenson, Hector Tamayo, Sam Alden, Nikki Therrien among others, all of our student-athletes, our athletic communication office headed by Derek Dunning. I’d also like to thank my athletic department colleagues, the Norwich administration and President Richard Schneider, as well as the wonderful soccer family that we have continued to establish over the years.
Ten years is a long time to be in a college coaching job in this day and age and I incredibly proud of the consistent excellence that our program established over that time period and I look forward to helping us do the same with the Manhattanville men’s soccer program moving forward.”
Prior to his time in Northfield, Dezotell spent two years as the head coach at Johnson State College (2004-05), earning North Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year recognition in his final season. He started his coaching career as an assistant at Saint Michael’s College in 2003.
As an undergraduate, Dezotell starred for four seasons at Middlebury College from 1999-2002, leaving as the program’s all-time leader in goals (34), assists (22) and points (90). He helped the team to the inaugural NESCAC Tournament championship as a sophomore and scored twice in the title game to help capture the ECAC New England Championship as a freshman to go with an overall record of 44-15-10 over his four years. He graduated from Middlebury in 2003.
Dezotell takes over a Manhattanville team that posted a 10-7-5 record last season, including a 3-1-3 record in the very competitive MAC Freedom. The Valiants reached the MAC Freedom semifinals for the first time since 2012 and also made a run in the ECAC Metro/Upstate Tournament, knocking off two higher seeds before falling in the championship game.
Norwich is coming off a 12-8-1 season, including appearances in the GNAC semifinals and the ECAC New England Tournament. A search to find Dezotell’s replacement is already underway.
“While obviously it is bittersweet to be leaving the Norwich men’s soccer program, I have been impressed with the response of this current group and know that they have a great chance for success in 2016 and beyond,” Dezotell said. “I’m also very proud and confident in knowing that we are leaving the program in an excellent state for the next coach to come in and achieve immediate success.
The Norwich men’s soccer program and culture that we have built has always been about making the program much bigger than any one coach or player and this is simply a natural progression for the program and I am really excited to see where the program heads over the next few years with a new leader at the helm.”