Bentley Hires Former Harvard Asst.

Crompton Takes Over Falcons After 14 Years With Crimson

July 29, 2008

WALTHAM, Mass. – Longtime Harvard assistant Gary Crompton was named the head coach of the Bentley men’s soccer team, Falcons’ athletic director Bob DeFelice announced Tuesday.

Crompton, 37, coached at Harvard for the past 14 years. He and the program parted ways this offseason after head coach John Kerr bolted the Crimson for his alma mater Duke and the school hired Notre Dame assistant Jamie Clark to coach the team. Crompton replaces Peter Simonini, who resigned last month after 21 years at the helm of the Falcons.

Longtime Harvard assistant Gary Crompton will head the Bentley men's soccer team. (Photo courtesy: Bentley Athletics).

“Bentley College is extremely fortunate to have selected someone with his background as a player and as a coach at a very successful Division I academic institution,” said DeFelice, in a statement released by the school.

During his time in Cambridge, Crompton spearheaded the program’s recruiting and scheduling efforts as the team’s top assistant coach. During his tenure, Harvard made five appearances in the NCAA Tournament and captured shares of three Ivy League championships. Four of his Crimson players earned All-America honors and 23 were first-team All-Ivy League selections.

A native of Philadelphia, Crompton played collegiately at Maine, where he was a standout defensive player, captaining the Black Bears for two seasons and earning Academic All-America honors.

Crompton is a nine-year veteran of the professional ranks, playing in the United Soccer Leagues with the Cape Cod Crusaders, Worcester Wildfire, Boston Bulldogs and Connecticut Wolves, twice earning league All-Star honors, and still plays with the Over-30 Bulldogs.

In addition to his coaching career at Harvard, Crompton has over a decade of experience working with young players at camps from around the country. In 1998, he traveled to South America observing player development with Universidad de Catolica in Santiago, Chile. Crompton has also been involved with the FC Greater Boston Bolts as the program’s U-17 head coach from 2002 to 2006 and is the director of Soccer 101 Academy. Next year, he will coach the U-16 Bolts team that will compete in the United States Soccer Federation Academy Program, a new nationwide program of select youth clubs.

Crompton holds an “A” License from the USSF and an Advanced National Coaching License from the National Soccer Coaches of America.

A 1992 graduate of Maine with a double degree in sociology and psychology, Crompton is completing a master’s degree in psychology at Harvard. He currently resides in Boston.

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