Bowling Green State University Athletics
Eric Reed has been named NSCAA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year
Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications
Eric Reed Named NSCAA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year
December 09, 2014 | Men's Soccer
First-year Falcon assistant coach earns honor for the Great Lakes Region
Bowling Green State University men's soccer assistant coach Eric Reed has been named Great Lakes Region Assistant Coach of the Year. The announcement was made by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) on Tuesday morning (Dec. 9).
Reed, a native of Mission Viejo, Calif., helped the Falcons to one of the finest seasons in the last decade-plus. In his first season with the Brown and Orange, Reed, head coach Eric Nichols and fellow assistants Zach Lemke and Brandon Silva guided a youthful BG team to 14 wins and a trip to the championship match of the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
"The rapport Eric has built with our players in a relatively short time is remarkable," said Nichols. "Add to that an incredible proficiency with the goalkeepers, superb attention to detail, and an unrelenting work ethic and he is the full package. I am pleased for him to be recognized and I am thrilled to work with him on a daily basis."
Reed, who primarily works with the goalkeepers, joined the Falcon program in February of 2014. BGSU had lost 10 seniors off of the 2013 team, including a goalkeeper (Michael Wiest) who had started every second of every match in both 2012 and '13. The 2014 roster featured three 'keepers who had never played in a competitive match at BG.
Overall, BG had just eight returning letterwinners, including four starters, when preseason camp began in August, and the Falcons had 11 newcomers on the 23-man opening-day roster.
Nichols, Reed and Company, coming off of a 6-7-6 season in 2013, proceeded to more than double that win total, going 14-6-1. The program's victory total was the highest in 17 years, and BGSU advanced to the championship match of the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2003.
"We are very proud of Eric," said Lesley Irvine, BGSU's Senior Associate AD and the sport coordinator for men's soccer. "To be recognized on the national level as one of the top assistants is a tremendous honor and points to Eric's abundant talents as a coach and mentor."
Redshirt sophomore goalkeepers Ryan Heuton and Nick Landsberger and the BGSU defense combined to post eight shutouts this past fall. The Falcons led the MAC in total shutouts, and BG's team goals-against average of 0.91 ranked second in the conference.
Heuton and Landsberger each ranked among the top-three goalkeepers in the conference in both GAA and saves percentage. Heuton led the MAC in both categories, with a GAA of just 0.48 and a saves pct. of .905. Landsberger had a 1.18 GAA and a .750 saves pct.
Heuton also led the league in saves per game (4.22), while Landsberger was fourth on that list (3.13). Landsberger's total of 10 wins was the highest total by a Falcon 'keeper since BGSU Hall-of-Famer Scott Vallow had 10 wins in 1998. Landsberger had a record of 10-4-0 on the year, while Heuton was 4-2-1.
Reed, a graduate of UCLA, was a standout goalkeeper for the Bruins. He was a member of the U.S. U-18 National Team, and played professionally for several teams, including the Charlotte Eagles of the USL Pro League
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced the 24 individuals named Regional Assistant Coaches of the Year on Tuesday, as well as the four assistants named NSCAA/Field Turf Assistant Coaches of the Year for senior college, junior college, and high school.
Notre Dame's Robert "BJ" Craig was named the Glenn "Mooch" Myernick National Men's Assistant Coach of the Year. Mike Bristol from Florida State was named the Glenn "Mooch" Myernick National Women's Assistant Coach of the Year.
Taking the National Junior College Assistant Coach of the Year honor was Trey Livingston from Montgomery College (Md.), while John "Jack" O'Donnell from St. Christopher's School (Va.) was named National High School Assistant Coach of the Year.
Â
Reed, a native of Mission Viejo, Calif., helped the Falcons to one of the finest seasons in the last decade-plus. In his first season with the Brown and Orange, Reed, head coach Eric Nichols and fellow assistants Zach Lemke and Brandon Silva guided a youthful BG team to 14 wins and a trip to the championship match of the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
"The rapport Eric has built with our players in a relatively short time is remarkable," said Nichols. "Add to that an incredible proficiency with the goalkeepers, superb attention to detail, and an unrelenting work ethic and he is the full package. I am pleased for him to be recognized and I am thrilled to work with him on a daily basis."Reed, who primarily works with the goalkeepers, joined the Falcon program in February of 2014. BGSU had lost 10 seniors off of the 2013 team, including a goalkeeper (Michael Wiest) who had started every second of every match in both 2012 and '13. The 2014 roster featured three 'keepers who had never played in a competitive match at BG.
Overall, BG had just eight returning letterwinners, including four starters, when preseason camp began in August, and the Falcons had 11 newcomers on the 23-man opening-day roster.
Nichols, Reed and Company, coming off of a 6-7-6 season in 2013, proceeded to more than double that win total, going 14-6-1. The program's victory total was the highest in 17 years, and BGSU advanced to the championship match of the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2003.
"We are very proud of Eric," said Lesley Irvine, BGSU's Senior Associate AD and the sport coordinator for men's soccer. "To be recognized on the national level as one of the top assistants is a tremendous honor and points to Eric's abundant talents as a coach and mentor."
Redshirt sophomore goalkeepers Ryan Heuton and Nick Landsberger and the BGSU defense combined to post eight shutouts this past fall. The Falcons led the MAC in total shutouts, and BG's team goals-against average of 0.91 ranked second in the conference.
Heuton and Landsberger each ranked among the top-three goalkeepers in the conference in both GAA and saves percentage. Heuton led the MAC in both categories, with a GAA of just 0.48 and a saves pct. of .905. Landsberger had a 1.18 GAA and a .750 saves pct.
Heuton also led the league in saves per game (4.22), while Landsberger was fourth on that list (3.13). Landsberger's total of 10 wins was the highest total by a Falcon 'keeper since BGSU Hall-of-Famer Scott Vallow had 10 wins in 1998. Landsberger had a record of 10-4-0 on the year, while Heuton was 4-2-1.
Reed, a graduate of UCLA, was a standout goalkeeper for the Bruins. He was a member of the U.S. U-18 National Team, and played professionally for several teams, including the Charlotte Eagles of the USL Pro League
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced the 24 individuals named Regional Assistant Coaches of the Year on Tuesday, as well as the four assistants named NSCAA/Field Turf Assistant Coaches of the Year for senior college, junior college, and high school.
Notre Dame's Robert "BJ" Craig was named the Glenn "Mooch" Myernick National Men's Assistant Coach of the Year. Mike Bristol from Florida State was named the Glenn "Mooch" Myernick National Women's Assistant Coach of the Year.
Taking the National Junior College Assistant Coach of the Year honor was Trey Livingston from Montgomery College (Md.), while John "Jack" O'Donnell from St. Christopher's School (Va.) was named National High School Assistant Coach of the Year.
Â
SENIOR COLLEGE MEN'S REGIONAL ASSISTANT COACHES OF THE YEAR
| Region | Coach | School |
| East | Chris Gbandi | Dartmouth |
| Great Lakes | Eric Reed | Bowling Green |
| Far West | John Smith | Stanford |
| Midwest | Lee Schopp | Hope |
| Southeast | Kyle Gookins | Charlotte |
| Northeast | Geoff Moore | SUNY Oneonta |
| South | Robert "BJ" Craig | Notre Dame |
| West | Liam Connors | UNLV |
Players Mentioned
GK
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's SoccerOff The Pitch: Gonzalo Carranza (Oct. 30, 2025)
Thursday, October 30
Off The Pitch: Jack Bennett (Oct. 22, 2025)
Thursday, October 23
Off The Pitch: Ryko Bodurov (Oct. 16, 2025)
Friday, October 17
Eric Nichols Post-Match Interview (Oct. 10, 2025)
Saturday, October 11