One of Michigan’s most successful high school soccer coaches is transitioning to the college ranks.
Hope College announced Tuesday that the Flying Dutchmen have hired John Conlon to coach the school’s men’s soccer team. Conlon’s high school success includes five Division 1 state championships with the East Kentwood boys team.
Conlon, a 1997 Hope graduate, has 674 wins and an .804 combined winning percentage during his 38 seasons of coaching boys and girls Michigan high school varsity soccer.
“Hope College was the birthplace of my love of coaching, and my four years spent on Hope’s campus did more to develop me as a person than any other time in my life,” Conlon said in a statement. “I will work tirelessly to make us successful and to make sure we transform the lives of young men in the program.”
Conlon will continue to coach Byron Center High School’s girls team in the spring. He is two wins shy of reaching 300 career victories as a girls coach. Conlon, who coached girls soccer at East Kentwood before arriving at Byron Center last year, is poised to become the ninth Michigan girls coach to reach the milestone.
He is one of seven Michigan high school coaches to achieve 300 wins as a boys coach, rolling up an overall record of 376-74-51 during his career that stretched from 2000-through-2021. Conlon guided the Falcons to state titles in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2016. East Kentwood was state runner-up in 2018.
Byron Center head coach John Conlon argues a non-call during the second half against Gull Lake in a MHSAA Division 2 regional semifinal match in Vicksburg, Michigan on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Byron Center defeated Gull Lake 1-0. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)Joel Bissell | MLive.com
East Kentwood was nationally and regionally ranked in 16 consecutive seasons beginning in 2006. The Falcons also finished in the top 10 in the Michigan state rankings 20 consecutive seasons beginning in 2002.
“We are so excited to have John join our team,” Hope athletic director Tim Schoonveld said. “He has had proven success and excellence in his coaching career. Beyond his coaching success, his work impacting the lives of so many young men and women in very diverse settings has shown his ability to transform lives. His love of Hope College and the work we are doing as a department and a college will provide exactly what we need to change lives.
“We are thrilled to welcome John and Kelly, along with Brody, Caleb and Lauren, to the Hope College team and look forward to the impact they will make.”
Dave Brandt coached Hope for the past four seasons. He stepped down after four seasons to become the head coach at NCAA Division I Bucknell University.
Conlon started as a midfielder for four seasons for the Steven Smith-coached Flying Dutchmen soccer team from 1993-1996. He helped Hope three-peat as Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association champions during his senior, junior and sophomore seasons. He was voted the MIAA’s Most Valuable Player for the 1995 season by the league’s coaches, and he was selected to the All-MIAA First Team three times (1994-96). He totaled 36 points during his career with 18 goals and 18 assists. He received National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-America honors and was a three-time NSCAA all-region selection.
Conlon graduated from Hope after majoring in both psychology and communication. He then earned a master’s degree in the Art of Teaching from Aquinas College in 2002.