Corey Boyd, Tennessee Tech (2024 OVC Women's Soccer Coaches Preseason)

head coach Corey Boyd from Tennessee Tech uh in the first season as the head coach uh but uh after spending 14 Seasons as assisting coach uh you your team was picked to uh Finish First in the regular season this year and that's coming off backto back uh ovc championships but unfortunately the last two years you've ended up falling into championship match coach how does that motivate your squad going into this season it's definitely something we've talked about is one of the first things we addressed as a in our first team meeting is you know where do we want to go you know we've uh had a little bit of success the past two years and what's next like what else can we achieve and and continue to seek and try you know I'm I'm a a very ambitious person and I my own desires and wants but we put it on the team and just said hey guys what do you want you know and and what do we want to be about and and how do we want to achieve it and how do we plan to achieve it and so you know the the girls have bought into that so far and you know it's a long road I mean it's going to take some time but um they're up for the challenge and and and in the end that's what we want to do we want to get the in tournament and um and find a way you know it was uh it was heartbreaking the past two years in in different forms we had some pretty significant injuries that caught us off guard in both matches I mean believe it or not last year we had a pretty significant injury right before kickoff and that was like just caught us off guard not that that's any reason but it's um you know it's an extra thing that you're like man is this going to happen you know but I believe it will and it's h given the time and and the direction and the desire hopefully we we we keep on that track well coach uh what what are some of the things that uh you like most about your team right now and and what are some of their strengths well we're young I'll say that um we're a young team you know we're bringing pieces back um but there's a lot of Youth in the team and and that's exciting um because they have a ton of energy um but is you know they still have a lot to learn um and but they're they're they're up for that um you know they they have a way of training when we cross the line we train with intensity but you know when we're walking over between sessions and things like that they're they're fun group to be around um but they they take things on really well and and and the way they do it they're joy we had a recruit yesterday on campus and uh they were they were all about just trying to make that um player fill at home and it's just kind of who they are you know we've we've tried to touch on culture and that's a buzz word but just kind of be a good person first and uh and I think that's enjoyable when you're around a lot of good people well coach you uh returned the ovc forward of the Year from uh from last season and Katie Tony uh talk a little bit about her and and what you mean to the program and and how she can help lead the way well if I if I were to say anything about Katie she would start blushing immediately um she's a a very humble humble kid and I don't think Awards really matter to her it's just who she is inside and out she's going to train hard you know she's taking things on her own out in sessions that we've worked on she takes it out there with her own cones and she's doing doing her own thing trying to finish or trying to create just to make herself a better player you know it's she's a really special kid um in a multitude of ways and and she's a captain this year also and um we're excited about her leadership and she's a she's one of those that just shakes her head you give her anything and she's like uh-huh with a smile and she's ready to go again um so those are invaluable players invaluable people in your program well obviously Katie is one of the the big pieces coming back but you have uh you have others please tell us a little bit more about some of the uh other key components to your team as as well as maybe some newcomers uh that you have come in or some people that uh that you feel are are are key contributors but might not get the the the headlight the the headlines know first and foremost I mean individual awards are amazing you know we we love those but it's not really all about that you know it's about our group and and what you said those ones who don't get the recognition the ones who do the things behind the scenes and we try to talk about that a lot of you know just it's everyone's even if you get an individual award it's everyone's but yeah there are players um I think returning that will definitely make an impact and and um that I think OBC will be excited to see returning and newcomers joining uh NE Renwick who is freshman of the year last year obviously um you know was was all over the goal last year trying to be a new sense in many ways but learning you know last year she was still learning her her way and this year she's a little more composed and came back really fit ready to go and it looks like she's in a good State mentally to to kind of take on the next challenge um you know Maggie Conrad goalkeeper for us who's been she's just consistent um Maggie you know trains the same way she plays and uh she's a level head and it's nice to have a goalkeeper with experience another captain and who just kind of she shows the way you know she's kind of quiet but uh she shows the way in everything she does U Meredith NY coming back she's a four-time all all conference player for us um another Captain um so there's there's a real a lot of great leadership that I think I've already named and I think that's important for a team but you know Mars doesn't get all the attention and you know she does so much um as a defensive midfielder that you just don't pay pay a whole lot of attention to but if you really watched her you could see how important she is um and then we added a few players uh to the team Lucia Quadra um Spanish player uh who was at a a division two School Prior in a zuke All American before that um really really uh clean technical player on the ball and I think she'll fit in really well to our system and um adapt um and she's also got you know different experiences and uh mature kids so I think she'll add a lot there um Ali Lee brought her back to the team she was with us uh not last season the season before and alli's just a Relentless player um and helped us uh you know win a trophy her first year here so exciting players and then there's a lot of young players too that that um will make an impact um you know I could keep going on about players it's uh but it's the whole team you know well coach uh sometimes it's hard to pinpoint the one thing or and I know that obviously uh it takes more than just one but if there is one thing that you feel that your team needs to to uh you know to grab that title and and head to the NCA tournament what what would it be I think we need to be really conscious of Defending um defensive structure and and defend first before everything else you know we had a lot of goals War last year and created a lot of opportunities but we need to to keep ourselves in games before we try to do all that also so have a defensive first mentality and and just be tough be really tough uh on and off the field and everything we do uh to give us the best chance to kind of repeat you know as a as a new head coach you know obviously I've been here a while it's um it's different when you're stepping up into and you put pressures on yourself to want to kind of keep the thing going you know so um you don't want to be the one to kind of let things slip uh so I I have a a pretty high standard of myself and the team and I want us to be tough um really tough to play against and that's going to take time well coach uh about ready to uh start the season and and obviously you'd like to try and put together a a you know a non-conference schedule that helps you for for for conference play but taking a look at yours I I see teams like Sanford and St Mary's out of California Mississippi State Colombia Chattanooga South Alabama Ferman this is a this is a loaded uh preseason schedule kind of talk about going about putting that together as well as again helping you for the regular season yeah I mean if you were to go back historically and look at our schedules the prior two years as well uh I was like you're you're making our lives difficult here by setting up a schedule that uh that's a challenge um but you know the girls took it on um in the past two years and uh it's it's tough uh non-conference is is a real Challenge and but it we like to think it's prepared us well for once conference rolls around and we're battle tested and and different facets and you know work on defensive stuff and uh you can kind of be behind the ball a little bit get organized and then slowly start to kind of tack on what you want to do with the ball in possession and how you want to get at teams and so by that hopefully that last you know uh non-conference match against fman on the 15th that we have a pretty good idea of who we want to uh September 15th who we who we want to be uh and how we want to set up and how we want to prepare for the conference when that first game rolls around against Little Rock head coach Cory Boyd uh from Tennessee Tech we appreciate your time today and Coach uh we wish you the best of luck going into this season thank you guys so much appreciate it