News Archives: Get to know GPRC Wolves Men's Soccer coaching staff
Saturday, August 8th, 2020
GPRC Wolves Men's and Women's Soccer Head Coach, Chris Morgan.
We caught up with our GPRC Wolves Men’s Soccer Head Coach, Chris Morgan and Assistant Coach, Geoff Berg to learn some of their soccer favourites, advice to athletes and why they love to coach.
What is your earliest soccer memory?
Morgan: We played lots of football in the street growing up in Belfast. Earliest memory was fetching a ball below a car and having my hand burnt on the exhaust – an early learning experience. Playing off kerbstones, gates and walls – the ball always seemed to come back to you. Great memories where I learned to play freely.
Berg: Playing every possible school recess as a kid back in Peace River.
What are your favourite college soccer memories?
Morgan: I played for University of Ulster Jordanstown (UUJ). We played in the Harding Cup Tournament and were beaten in the final by University College Cork (UCC). It was great craic! I remember driving the bus home to the hotel after a night out as everyone had a few drinks. We had a good team with some of the players having Irish League careers. From a coaching point, obviously winning the ACAC Championship in 2017 with GPRC Women’s Soccer stands out. A great weekend, great squad and a brilliant bus ride home with the trophy.
Berg: My favourite memory is a big win against NAIT in 2010.
Was it an easy transition from playing to coaching?
Morgan: Initially I found it difficult. I did not start coaching until after I finished playing and was coaching a U13 team with no real coaching experience. I made mistakes for sure. To be honest, I was embarrassed coaching and soon took my UEFA Licenses to improve my understanding of coaching and the game.
Berg: It was an easy transition for me only because the five-year eligibility cap made the decision for me.
Who was the best player you played with and toughest opponent?
Morgan: Best player was Stevie Morrow in our high school team. He went on to play professionally for Arsenal and represented Northern Ireland internationally. I could not get past him in training. He was quality. There were a lot of tough opponents who found me an easy target to kick due to my height and stature! In one game, the Glenavon right back kicked me onto the running track adjacent to the pitch. I exacted my retribution later in the game – that was how the game was played back then. Michael O’Neill (Current Stoke City Manager) scored five goals against our school in a school's cup game – I will go with him as the toughest!
Berg: The best player I ever played with is Kyle German and the toughest opponent I ever faced was Waldo Dutra.
Who is your favourite team and why do you support them?
Morgan: Glasgow Celtic and Leeds Utd. I used to support Everton because my Dad supported them but my oldest brother Matt convinced me to switch to Leeds when I was 10 years old. We travelled to Leeds to watch them on many occasions and they have recently been promoted to the Premiership after a long 16 years.
Berg: The team I support is Tottenham Hotspur because I had family that supported them.
Messi or Ronaldo?
Morgan: Messi without any doubt.
Berg: Messi with a team around him, Ronaldo by himself.
Favourite player?
Morgan: Diego Maradona – what he did for Napoli and Argentina in the 1986 World Cup shows how great a player he was.
Berg: Paul Gascoigne.
Biggest influence on you in soccer?
Morgan: My parents sacrificed so much for our family allowing us to have wonderful childhood memories. They both influenced me in football and in life. They let me play freely and supported me in whatever I chose to do. I loved my Dad joining our games in the street, he used to dribble past all of us and make silly noises. I copied him and did the same with my children. He is an inspiration to me. My mom was a nurse and worked night shift at a local hospital. She walked me to school after working all night, had a few hours of sleep then collected me and my ball from school. My mom used to remind me that I will suffer physically with all the football I played as I grow older. I laughed her off. I would just love a time with her to tell her how right she was. I miss her badly. My oldest brother Matt taught me lots when I was younger. He was a classy two footed player whose career was cut short with injury. I loved playing with him. My wife Joanne keeps me grounded and shares the highs and lows that coaching brings.
Berg: My biggest influences are Torsten Gevenich, Chris Spaidal as a player and Chris Morgan as a coach.
What is the best place you have visited?
Morgan: Celtic Park on a Champions League night is hard to beat. The stadium, the atmosphere and the crowd singing “You’ll never walk alone” is spine tingling. Barcelona is my favourite city. The culture, architecture and the people. A visit to the city is not complete without visiting Barcelona FC and the Camp Nou!
Berg: The best place I’ve ever visited is White Hart Lane, England.
What do you enjoy most about coaching at GPRC?
Morgan: Being able to help young players enjoy the beauty of the game and all its intricacies is rewarding. Watching them grow individually as players and more importantly as humans is a privilege. Coaching the game is the X’s & O’s, the caveat so to speak, that comes after building relationships, trust and understanding with each individual student athlete. The athletes are the most important piece of the program. As coaches, we are here to develop, guide, engage and inspire the athletes in a fun, creative and learning environment.
Berg: What I enjoy most is being able to give back to a program that has given me so much.
What advice would you have for a current student athlete at GPRC?
Morgan: Enjoy it! These are the best days of your life by playing the game you love and furthering your education. Embrace all that GPRC and the Athletic programs offer. You will make friends for life and share wonderful memories in the process.
Berg: Leave everything out there every chance you get to play, it goes by so quick.
Learn more about the GPRC Wolves Men’s Soccer team here.
Find the GPRC Wolves on social media here.
