Dec. 2, 2015
By Miranda Kulp, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Every successful sports program needs a great coach to lead the way; for Penn State men's soccer that leader is Bob Warming.
In just six seasons with the Nittany Lions, Warming has already made an impact. Named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2013, he was able to lead the Lions to back-to-back Big Ten titles. However, that's just a small glimpse of his impressive resume.
Warming, whose distinguished career spans 35 years, came to Happy Valley from Creighton University, where he took over a previously dormant program and developed it into a conference and regional power as well as a national title contender.
With a coaching record of 448-222-78, he's also led the Blue and White to three-straight NCAA postseason appearances.
Penn State already has a nationally known soccer program, paired with Warming's impressive reputation it's easy to figure out why players from all over want to play at Jeffrey Field. However, beside talented players; what separates Warming from the rest is he's also interested in his player's character.
"I think the coolest thing about Bob is he tries to recruit good kids, not only good soccer players but he makes it a goal to get guys who are generally good people," stated veteran player Danny Sheerin. "On recruiting visits he's constantly looking for players who are talented but also have strong positive character to them and you see that among the players he recruits."
Penn State takes pride in all the athletics succeeding with honor, and Warming is a shining example of how to lead a sports team with that motto.
Warming wants his players to achieve greatness on and off the field; he encourages them and believes that they can conquer whatever challenges may come their way.
"One thing he really emphasizes is toughness. He knows that's a huge part of the game and is always driving that home to us and it really helps us both on and off the field," stated Sheerin.
Besides toughness and character, Warming is also known for putting in the work to achieve success. He not only expects his players to work hard, but he also puts in the hours himself outside of practice.
"On the soccer field I don't think anyone else puts in more time than he does. Every time I see him other than practice he's in the locker room watching footage trying to come up with new tactics to beat the other teams or looking at what we can do as a program to improve," said Sheerin.
"He really pays attention to the small details and little things to make sure we as a team have those things perfected by game day. He wants to make us each the best soccer players we can be," Sheerin continued.
The men's soccer team sees one another as a family, and that includes Warming and all of the coaching staff. Just like family, Warming knows when his men need some guidance but also knows how to encourage them.
"He's been a great coach to play for, not only for his knowledge of the sport but for the energy he brings," said Sheerin. "Sometimes he can get intense when he needs to be but even his nickname is Smiling Bob Warming, he's always in a good mood and is a great guy to be around."
In addition to Warming, Chad Duernberger and Michael Behonick are assistant coaches that help lead the Blue and White.
"All the coaches are great they really care about the players and can teach everyone a lot about the game and about life outside of Jeffrey Field," said Sheerin. "The coaching staff is a huge help in all aspects, each of them are really helpful in making us better players but also make it fun to be at practice which is really awesome to have as a player."