Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Men’s soccer head coach Sam Koch battling form of cancer

Collegian file photo
Collegian file photo

Sam Koch, head coach of the Massachusetts men’s soccer team, announced to his team and the Department of Athletics Tuesday that he is battling a form of cancer.

Koch said he will undergo treatment soon.

Koch will continue to serve as the team’s head coach, but assistant coach Devin O’Neill will handle the day-to-day operations of the team.

“The team, his staff and the athletic department fully support Sam in this battle,” Director of Athletics John McCutcheon said in a news release.

The cancer is isolated to the sinus area, Koch said in the news release. He said his doctors have lined out a plan that will have the head coach back on the sidelines for the start of the Atlantic 10 season.

“My plan is to be completely back for that and to have the program ready for postseason play in November,” Koch said.

“This is obviously a difficult time for my family and myself,” Koch said. “I told my players to focus on the goals we put in place every year which includes winning an Atlantic 10 Championship; they must not dwell on my situation, but continue to do the right things on and off the field as they have done in the past.”

The Minutemen will have their first scrimmage on Sunday at Connecticut and their first regular season game on Aug. 24.

Koch enters his 23rd year at UMass and 28th overall. He’s led Minutemen to three NCAA Tournaments, including at trip to the College Cup Semifinals in 2007. He is the winningest coach in program history with 213 wins at UMass and 271 overall.

Despite the challenge he is facing, Koch is confident that his staff can run things well before he returns.

“The staff will be able to handle anything throughout the season and I’m expecting things to run as smoothly as before,” Koch said.

Nick Canelas can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @MDC_Canelas.

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    Hedge fund incubatorOct 23, 2012 at 1:49 am

    It is so sad to hear that Sam Koch is battling from cancer. He is such a nice coach and a gem of a person too. Hope he overcomes the disease soon. Will pray to God for him, get well soon!

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