By Collin Bolebruch
At the Plattsburgh State Field House, Geoff Spear stands underneath the awning that covers his team’s bench, leaning on a post with his arms crossed.
“He gives off a stoic presence,” said Ian Spear, his son. “You know what to expect.”
The William Smith Herons are visiting the Plattsburgh State Cardinals women’s soccer Oct. 9, 2022.
Spear’s daughter, Sam, a graduate student, is on the field wearing Cardinal red.
“It was so normal to have my dad as my coach,” Sam Spear said. “On the field, it was never, ‘That’s my dad,’ it’s just, ‘That’s my coach.’”
Sam Spear was starting against her former team. She had taken a year off from soccer and didn’t play much as a Heron. Going in, Sam was feeling the nerves.
Twenty-nine minutes in, Spear found herself in the right place at the right time. She sent the ball past the goalie, burying it.
“I got so emotional watching the ball go in the net,” Sam Spear said. “I just had this overwhelming sensation.”
On the sideline, Geoff Spear smirked.
“You could tell how proud he was,” Sam Spear said.
The father and daughter shared a hug and a conversation at half time.
“That wasn’t my coach,” Sam Spear said. “That was my dad.”
Geoff Spear’s calm demeanor and words instilled confidence in Sam.
“I was probably as anxious as she was,” Geoff Spear said. “In the moment that it happened, I was like, ‘Oh my God. It can’t get much better than this.’”
EARLY CAREER
Spear, assistant soccer coach, has served Plattsburgh State men’s soccer for 29 years and women’s soccer for seven developing goalkeepers. A goalie coach is a luxury not many Division III schools have.
“I’ve told recruits this,” said Chris Taylor, men’s head coach. “If you come here, you’ll be working with the best goalkeeper coach in the Northeast.”
Eight Plattsburgh goalies have earned All-SUNYAC honors under Spear. John San Filippo was named an All-American in 2007. The Cardinals reached the NCAA Final Four in 2005 with SUNYAC Tournament MVP goalie Zach Manning.
Despite his keeper resume, Spear never played the position himself. He grew up in the Plattsburgh area, picking up the sport in high school. In his youth, he was a swimmer and diver.
After some time at St. Lawrence University, Spear returned home to Plattsburgh State. Here, he volunteered at local schools and programs as a coach. After his 1985 graduation, he elected to earn a master’s at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Spear was hired to his first coaching position by Clinton Community College in 1988, where he initially headed the women’s team before switching to men’s. After two seasons and a playoff appearance, he enrolled at the University of Connecticut in pursuit of a doctorate.
As a student in 1990, Spear served as an assistant for a respected Division I program. He learned the trade under long-time coach Joe Marrone and his staff, coming into his own with the goalies.
“It was an experience I’d never give up,” Spear said. “I liked it. I learned a lot. A lot of people don’t get the chance to work in a Division I environment.”
Spear returned home in 1994 without graduating to follow his family life, with his wife and first child. He was hired at Plattsburgh State with Chris Waterbury, who was excited to get an experienced number two.
“A great assistant coach is somebody that can take all the things that the head coach doesn’t want to do or isn’t good at, and is able to take those tasks on,” Waterbury said.
‘HE’LL TAKE YOU THERE’
Andrew Cumbo, a keeper, arrived in Plattsburgh for the start of the 1995 season. Now a 23-year coach himself, Cumbo still remembers his season with Spear.
“Geoff was a hard-nosed and kind of intimidating and intense coach personality,” Cumbo said. “I think a lot of people were afraid of coach Spear early on.”
Spear was focused on conditioning. Since, he’s developed his training to focus on footwork, confidence and soccer IQ — but he’s kept his strict approach.
“I got a lot of it from the UConn system,” Spear said. “Back then, I was kind of much harder. I was almost into, ‘You’re bringing in most of the skills. So what we’ve got to do is make you a better athlete.’”
In 1998, Spear was named the head coach and soccer coordinator for the Paul Smith’s College men’s team of the USCAA. After two years of commuting from Plattsburgh, he returned to the Cardinals bench.
“I think he has such a dedication to Plattsburgh soccer,” said Whitney Frary, women’s head coach. “If you ask any person or goalkeeper, they’re going to gush about him.”
When Cumbo returned to assist the women’s team, he got to know Spear off the pitch, who he called a “caring, lovely man.”
“I owe so much to Waterbury and his staff, like coach Spear,” Cumbo said. “When I was a freshman, (Spear) helped lay the foundation of hard work and discipline within our particular group. And we were super successful.”
Waterbury said that when a keeper left the program, the maturity was obvious.
“Some kids come to us as a freshman, and they still haven’t shaved yet,” Waterbury said. “You see those kids just blossom. Not only physically, but emotionally as well.”
Waterbury and Spear developed a “good cop, bad cop” dynamic, Taylor said.
“They balanced each other so well,” Cumbo said. “That was really special between those two.”
Waterbury let players lead themselves. Spear was quiet, but demanding when he needed to push his players.
“The thing with Geoff and goalkeepers, if you commit to putting the work in, he’ll take you there,” Taylor said. “You have to be ready for him to push you.”
The pairing amassed a 321-95-38 record together. Waterbury said Spear was an “extraordinarily important” part of his life.
“One of the things I loved about Geoff is that we could sit in the office and we might argue, like flat out argue,” Waterbury said. “As soon as we walked out of the office, no matter what the decision was, it was a unified front.”
‘COLORFUL LANGUAGE’
Six years after Spear’s return, Plattsburgh enjoyed its best season as a program yet. The Cardinals finished 22-2 and allowed just eight scores through the regular season. They won the SUNYAC and advanced to the NCAA semifinals.
In the Elite Eight game against Williams College, the Cardinals entered the half 0-0. Waterbury addressed the team’s Xs and Os for the second. In a frustrated locker room, Spear was tapped to speak on the floor.
“When he went off on a tirade, everybody was listening,” Waterbury said. “Because it was obviously important to him, and it was obviously important to the team.”
Spear saw some players giving their best effort, while the team as a whole left good soccer out on the field.
“I used some real colorful language,” Spear said. “You’ve got to decide right now. If you don’t want to go out there, get the job done, don’t come out there. Sit your ass down, stay in here.”
Spear stormed out. The room erupted.
“I probably had a few freshmen shit themselves,” Spear said.
Plattsburgh stepped out onto the field and scored within 30 seconds. The Cards held on to win 1-0.
“I think I can speak for everyone in that room, he just had everyone all pumped up,” San Filippo said.
Waterbury implored Spear — an enforcer — to speak when the team needed it.
“You have to be careful if you speak too much,” Spear said. “It falls on deaf ears at some point.”
Spear knew how to use his tone to get the best out of his players.
“If Spear is on your ass, you know he’s on your ass,” San Filippo said.
That even rings true to when Spear coached his kids. Ian Spear and his friends called him “General Geoff.”
Taylor uses Spear’s voice to the same effect today, “putting the hammer down,” and getting through to players.
‘THAT’S WHAT FAMILIES DO’
Taylor made his first appearance with the Cardinals two years later, in 2007. When he graduated in 2011, he was hired as an assistant, staying two seasons.
Taylor’s role was to follow Spear on the road, where the two would chat about everything soccer on hours-long car rides and hotel stays.
“He taught me everything in those couple of years,” Taylor said. “I think that’s where he and I became incredibly close.”
Waterbury watched as Spear trained Taylor, his eventual successor.
“I guess, in a funny sort of way, that’s what families do,” Waterbury said.
The Cardinals became a literal family in 2014, when Ian Spear committed to Plattsburgh. When he got to the first practices, his teammates found out on their own that he was the coach’s son.
“He did a great job to let me do my thing and be a leader. I ended up being a captain my junior year,” Ian Spear said. “He fostered a great place for me to be my own.”
Ian Spear was treated no different than his teammates. Geoff Spear gave all of his players the same type of tough love and respect he showed to his kids.
“He’s a fantastic family man,” Waterbury said. “Every year, we would have 30 children.”
TASTE OF THE TOP
Geoff Spear got his first chance to lead the Cardinals in 2015, when Waterbury missed a SUNYAC game for his daughter’s senior game. Spear was left with a tall task — defeat the reigning champion Oneonta.
“This could be the trip from hell,” Spear said. “I’m going to get smashed.”
Everything went wrong. Players left equipment behind. Three starters were injured and Spear was left with no subs. The game was scoreless for 89 minutes.
Then, light shone through. Spear was given a break. The Cardinals sank the game-winner with 33 seconds left.
“I’m 1-0 as a Division III coach,” Spear said. “One thousand percent right there.”
The experience was enough for Spear as a head coach. As an assistant, he’s been afforded flexibility and it’s a role he believes he suits best.
Spear had his opportunities over the years, but none were fit.
“At some point you go through your career and you’re like, ‘I want to be the boss, I want to make all of the decisions,’” Spear said. “I think I’m a better assistant than I am a head.”
When Waterbury retired after the 2017 season, he offered to endorse Spear for the job. Spear considered it, but he knew it wasn’t for him.
Taylor got the job and Spear gladly returned to the staff and took on the same role with the women’s team. Today, he works alongside Frary.
“Having a goalkeeper coach is like a golden goose,” Frary said.
‘PSEUDO-DAD’
With the women’s team, Spear has seen three goalies earn all-SUNYAC honors. Lauren Haley, current starter, was drawn to Plattsburgh largely by a goalie coach.
Haley is always up for Spear’s sarcastic jokes and blunt criticisms.
“I love it. Geoff has no fear calling me out for some of, for lack of a better word, my bullshit,” Haley said. “I need that sometimes. I need to be held accountable if I’m not doing that myself.”
Spear is an experienced presence players can trust and talk to in hard times. He takes an individual approach to each player, tailoring to their needs.
“Not all kids are treated necessarily equally, but they’re treated fairly,” Spear said. “You might be able to yell at this one, he can handle it. You yell at this one, he turns into a puddle. That’s not the way I’m going to get through to you.”
Spear’s always there for a comforting word.
“He’s kind of become almost like a pseudo-dad,” Frary said.
Taylor said Spear is essentially head coach of the goalies. The keepers spend so much time with him throughout the week, and the training is so separate from field players, Spear gets to form tight bonds.
“To be honest, I probably have more of a relationship with him than I do with coach Taylor,” Teddy Healy, current men’s goalie said. “I speak with Spear way more than I do with Chris, just on an everyday basis.”
Throughout his nearly 30 years of coaching, Spear spent each one with 30 different people. Those relationships are what keeps him going.
“When you’re not having fun anymore, then you get out,” Spear said. “Every year, there’s new faces. You get to meet new people each time.”
Spear’s teachings have followed his keepers for life.
“Memories of what happened come up for me all the time now,” San Filippo said. “My kid is playing soccer and he wants to be a goalkeeper.”
