This fall, head coach Keith Donnelly and assistant coach Bo Ogburn are back together again to coach the Reagan 2021-2022 fall varsity soccer team. 

“Me and coach Donnelly are old, old friends,” Ogburn said. “I have known him since basically my entire life.”

The two have a long history of coaching and friendship starting from Donnelly’s father coaching Ogburn in youth soccer.

Around 20 years ago, they coached from different sides of the field with Ogburn coaching the East Forsyth soccer team and Donnelly coaching at Mount Tabor. Soon after, Donnelly had a coaching position open at Mount Tabor so Ogburn transferred to coach with him. They continued to work together for 12 years at Mount Tabor. 

After 12 years, Donnelly retired from teaching and coaching. Ogburn transferred to Reagan to teach and coach the girls’ varsity soccer team for three years. He then took a break from coaching after that. 

This year Ogburn was offered a position to return to coaching for the boys’ varsity soccer team. He asked Donnelly if he would be the head coach, and he agreed. 

“I had to brush off the mothballs off of him to get him back here,” Ogburn said. 

Some players were unaware of the history between the two coaches. Those who did know were very interested in their past together and were amazed that this fall will be both of their first year back at coaching. 

“I was aware of their recent past,” said junior center back Ian Blutreich. “I thought it was really cool that coach Donnelly came out of retirement to coach with Ogburn at Reagan.”

Not only do the coaches have a good friendship but so do the players, both during soccer and outside of soccer. 

“The soccer team welcomed me with open arms and treated me the exact same way as they do for everyone else,” said senior goalkeeper and midfielder Brayan Campos. “The team’s friendship is really tight. We’re all friends outside of soccer and I think soccer just adds on. We are literally a family.”

With the playoffs around the corner, and recently having games with their rivals Mount Tabor, West Forsyth and R.J. Reynolds and the fall season ending, the team and coaches hope to make it to the playoffs this year.

“We got some great coaches and the best team,” said junior striker Hector Bernal. “We just haven’t been playing our best, but I still have hope that there is still a chance to make it to the playoffs with the following games.”