Coach Leahy Retires With Memories of Friends And Family, Not Scores

BEVERLY, MA – Beverly High School boys' varsity soccer Coach Kevin Leahy couldn't tell you which of his teams had the best record over his 17 years of coaching. What stands out to him is the banter between players and the good times they had goofing off at practice.

Leahy said he knew this year that it was time to retire. He will continue teaching at Beverly High School, but this will be his last season coaching.

"I’ve been doing this 17 years and it seemed like it was time to let somebody new come in," Leahy said on Thursday.

Leahy has been known through the years as a passionate coach and a compassionate teacher (and for playing weekly Irish sessions at the Pickled Onion.) Josh Carmer, a 2011 graduate and former varsity captain, remembers coming into the school system after being home schooled for years.

"Transferring from being home schooled was painfully awkward," joked Carmer. But Leahy introduced him to an older player immediately, an unofficial tradition of assigning seniors to freshmen to show them the ropes and make them feel welcome.

"He wanted to make sure the players were doing well off the field," Carmer said.

Kevin Harutunian played soccer at BHS from 1998 to 2002 under Leahy and former varsity coach Steve Sherriff, and returned to coach junior varsity in 2006. In 2010, he was the assistant coach for Leahy for the varsity team.

"The thing about Kevin Leahy is between his teaching and as a coach, it was not so much about wins and losses," said Harutunian. "It was more about making a connection with the players."

Carmer said that out of all the coaches he's had through the years, Leahy seemed to care more about his players as people rather than just the abilities they brought to the team.

In that spirit, Leahy's favorite memory over his years as coaching was when a well-liked JV player coached by Harutunian was subbed in for a penalty kick in a game against Lynn Classical and made the first goal of his high school career.

"That’s what you remember," said Leahy. "I just remember all the great people."

John Aucone, Leahy's former coach, taught him the game and gave him the love for soccer. Sherriff taught him how to coach. And Leahy's wife, Bernadette, made his coaching career possible.

"I could never have done this without my wife an all her support throughout the years," said Leahy. For him, coaching was a family affair. He coached both his sons, Conor and Sean, at Beverly, and was just across the field from his daughter Bridget when she played.

"Being around my kids as they came through Beverly was definitely one of the highlights," he said.

Leahy's lessons on the field often translated to other parts of Harutunian's life.

"I can distinctly remember that when he was an assistant coach under Coach Sherriff, I remember many times getting that motivational speech of, "Give that last inch that you have,'" said Harutunian. "You'd always have Coach Leahy saying dig deep, find that little extra."

The memory that sticks out in Leahy's mind? When a storm turned the field behind the old Beverly High School into a pond, and he and the players practiced diving headers in the mud.

"It was the most fun practice we ever had."

Photo courtesy of KO Manzo Photography