Interim Head Coach and former Assistant Coach Patrick Laughlin found out Tuesday morning that he is the new men's soccer coach at Brown.
The announcement came after a three-month-long nationwide search following the resignation of the former Head Coach Mike Noonan, who left to take the head coaching position at Clemson.
"It is very exciting," Laughlin said. "It is a great opportunity to work for the Brown program."
Laughlin joined Brown for the 2009 season, in which the Bears finished with an 11-3-5 record, 5-2 in the Ivy League.
Before coming to Brown, he coached for 15 years at various institutions. Laughlin was the head coach at the University of Maine from 2007 to 2009 and Dean College from 2000 to 2006 and was an assistant coach at the University of Rhode Island during the 2006–07 season.
Noonan said Laughlin's experience makes him a great fit for the job.
"Every place he has been he has had success," Noonan said. "Whether it is as an assistant with us at Brown and URI, at the two-year college level and as a head coach at the Division I level, he has a wealth of experience."
Until Tuesday, Laughlin served as the interim head coach following Noonan's resignation.
"The biggest challenge was to act as a head coach with short-term goals," Laughlin said. "It's good to have that stability right now."
After hearing the news, Laughlin told his players that he would be sticking around at Brown for longer than just the interim.
"He has been with us throughout the fall and winter," said defenseman Dylan Remick '13. "I know him as a person and a coach, so I was very excited and happy for him."
The relationships Laughlin built with the players this past season will help make the transition easier for the team, Remick said.
"Having a familiar face gives the guys some relaxation," Remick said. "We won't have to change everything as we would in the case of a new coach from outside."
Laughlin said Noonan's legacy is "woven in the fabric of Brown's soccer," but he is ready to start a new legacy with the players.
"We will push as far as we can to make the program as good as we can," Laughlin said. "Our challenge will be to create a new legacy for the future."
