Stephen O'Kane
Encyclopedia
Stephen O'Kane is an Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 former soccer player and head coach. He most recently served as the head coach of the Ottawa Fury
Ottawa Fury
Ottawa Fury is a Canadian soccer team based in Ottawa, Ontario. Founded in 2005, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference....

 in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...

.

Playing career

O'Kane began playing soccer at the youth level with the Eastern Ontario District Soccer Association regional team, where he served as the team captain. In 1996 he earn a scholarship with Geneva College
Geneva College
Geneva College is a Christian liberal arts college in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States, north of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1848, in Northwood, Ohio, the college moved to its present location in 1880, where it continues to educate a student body of about 1400 traditional undergraduates in...

. In his rookie season he was awarded by being named to the All Conference Freshman Team. The following year O'Kane transferred to Algonquin College
Algonquin College
Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is a publicly funded English-language college and member of Polytechnics Canada located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The college serves the National Capital Region and the outlying areas of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec...

, where he was also appointed team captain. During his tenure with the Thunder O'Kane earned an OCAA All Star Selection, and in 1999 he won a Provincial Championship and was National Championship Runners up. Once his graduated from college he decided to focus on his coaching career.

Managerial career

Once he finished his Algonquin playing career, O'Kane was offered a position as an assistant coach for Algonquin. In 2004 he was upgraded to head coach of the Algonquin College Men's Soccer Team, where at the time he was the youngest ever appointed coach for Algonquin. O'Kane enjoyed much success with Algonquin where he led the Thunder to four consecutive Provincial Titles, which marked a record as the only school in the history of the league to win 4 straight Titles. Under his tenure Algonquin also held another OCAA record a 26 game unbeaten run. In 2006 O'Kane led the Algonquin Thunder to a National Championship going the entire season undefeated. His overall record was 59 wins, seven losses and one tie.

In 2008 O'Kane was appointed the head coach of the Ottawa Fury
Ottawa Fury
Ottawa Fury is a Canadian soccer team based in Ottawa, Ontario. Founded in 2005, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference....

 for the 2008 PDL season
2008 PDL Season
The 2008 USL Premier Development League season was the 14th season of the PDL. The regular season started on April 26, 2008, and ended on July 20, 2008...

. Where he guided the Fury to a undefeated winning streak at home. He also led the team to earn 30 points, the most in Fury PDL
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...

 history and led the team in scoring the most goals by a PDL Team. The Fury finished 2nd in the New England Division and missed out on the playoffs on a tie-breaking method. In the 2009 PDL season
2009 PDL Season
The 2009 USL Premier Development League season was the 15th season of the PDL. The regular season began on May 1, 2009, and ended on July 19, 2009...

 he guided the Fury to the club's first New England Division title, finishing undefeated at 12 wins and 4 ties. Unfortunately the Fury were eliminated by the Ocean City Barons
Ocean City Barons
Ocean City Nor'easters is an American soccer team based in Ocean City, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...

 in the Divisional Finals. On December 4, 2009 O'Kane announced his resignation from his head coach position due to family reasons. His overall record was 21 wins, 4 losses and 7 ties.

In 2011 O'Kane was elected into the OCAA (Ontario College Atletics Association) Hall of Fame as a coach for his tenure with Algonquin College. O'Kane also returned to his role as PDL coach for the Ottawa Fury on September 15, 2011.

External links

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