The man who built the Republic boys and girls soccer programs from scratch over the past five years is leaving. Mike Hines, who coached both the boys and girls teams at Republic until handing the reins of the boys’ program to David Ashby last year, has accepted the head coaching job at Springfield Catholic.
Hines’ departure comes at a time when the soccer program at Republic is on an upward trajectory. The boys team, led by Ashby with Hines as an assistant, compiled a winning record for the first time last fall. The girls team, with Hines at the helm, won more regular-season games and scored more goals than ever before.
“(I’ll take) some of the best memories I’ve ever had–not just with soccer, but in life,” Hines says of his time in Republic. “The athletes I’ve coached are as high-quality character individuals as I’ve ever met in my life, and I’ll never forget them.”
Hines took over the Lady Tiger program after a long career as an assistant at Kickapoo, where soccer has enjoyed strong support and a long tradition. Without that tradition in Republic, he had to change the way he coached, and he says it made him better.
“I’m much more well-rounded than I was when I came here. I’ve learned to be more flexible. I’ve learned to try to think of everything from multiple angles,” he says. “We have to teach a lot of fundamentals at Republic. I had to become a better teacher, and I think that has helped me, along with patience and temperament and cultivating relationships.”
Republic’s fast success as a soccer program can be attributed to the culture Hines helped establish, according to Athletic Director Greg Garton.
“We’re very appreciative of everything Mike’s done. He’s done a wonderful job to get our program started and has really had more success than we expected that fast,” Garton says. “He’s been a great advocate for soccer and has done a great job building relationships with our kids.”
The search for Hines’ replacement will begin right away.
“Obviously, due the fact that it’s very late, we’ll get on it very quickly and set up interviews in the next week or so,” Garton says.
From the beginning, Hines stressed that his goals for the soccer program involved more than winning games. Both the boys and girls teams have dedicated one game each season to a charity fundraiser. The girls program has raised about $50,000 for Autism Speaks since it began.
“Ashby and I have taken individuals who’ve never played soccer before, and we believe we have changed lives, and we believe that based on what they have told us,” says Hines. “We’ve done a lot of good things here, and it will always be very, very close to my heart.”