Freakley Named Assistant Men's Soccer Coach
3/25/2010 5:24:00 PM | Men's Soccer
STATESBORO, Ga. - To some the sweet calling of Georgia Southern to return home could never be ignored. For former Eagle, Ben Freakley knows all about the familiar calling as he returns to his alma mater to assist head coach Kevin Kennedy and the Georgia Southern men’s soccer program.
“I'm extremely excited to have Ben join our staff here at Georgia Southern. As a former player and coach here, Ben brings an intimate knowledge of what it means to be a student-athlete at Georgia Southern, as well as a familiarity with Southern Conference soccer,” said Kennedy.
Georgia Southern Athletics has announced the hiring of Freakley as the Assistant Men’s Soccer coach. Freakley returns to Georgia Southern after lettering with the soccer team for one season, 1999-2000, and serving as a graduate assistant coach two seasons thereafter. Freakley is the fifth alum to return to Georgia Southern in a coaching capacity.
“I am very thankful to Kevin [Kennedy] and Georgia Southern University for giving me an opportunity to come back and coach at my alma mater,” said Freakley. “Having the opportunity to coach players who represent the same University that I did is very meaningful for me. I’m looking forward to building relationships with the team and building the program to be one that the Georgia Southern community can all be proud of.”
Freakley (pronounced FRAKE-lee) joins Georgia Southern after leaving Virginia Military Institute where he has served as head coach since 2006. Quickly becoming known for his recruiting skills, Freakley produced several players named to the Big South All-Freshman team and recruited numerous Virginia Olympic Development players during his four seasons with VMI.
In just his second season as head coach of the Keydets, Freakley led the program to the best Big South finish in history using a team filled with freshmen – three of which were named to the Big South All-Freshman Team.
Before his four-year stint at VMI, Freakley spent two seasons at Erskine College as head coach.
In his first season, Freakley guided the Division II Erskine Flying Feet into the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference tournament, the first appearance in his players' careers. In 2005, Freakley led the program to a 9-7-1 campaign.
“From a coaching standpoint, Ben possesses a lot of knowledge and experience, as well as a shared passion for the sport. And this is only exceeded by his desire to help our program climb to the top of the conference,” stated Kennedy. “From a recruiting standpoint, I couldn't be more excited about having Ben on staff. He is a proven recruiter, and I'm confident that his experience will allow us to attract players of the highest character and ability.”
No stranger to the Southern Conference, after competing as an Eagle at Georgia Southern and serving as a graduate assistant from 2000-2002, Freakley accepted an assistant coach position at College of Charleston. With the Cougars, Freakley assisted with all aspects of the program.
Freakley holds several coaching licenses, including a USSF “A” License from the United States Soccer Federation as well as a Premier National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America (NSCAA). Freakley served as the head coach of the Boys ‘94 ODP Virginia team and was a member of the Region 1 ODP staff.
Freakley earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from Georgia Southern in 2000 and received his Master of Science in Sport Management from the University in May 2003.
While at Georgia Southern, Freakley met Melissa Cox, a student-athlete on the women’s soccer team. The two married in 2003 and the couple now has two sons, Benjamin (2) and Connor born in December, 2009.
“Coming back to this community is a blessing and opportunity my family always hoped would happen. Statesboro is a great community to raise a family in and my wife and I are excited to be back,” said Freakley. “It has always been a goal of mine to return to this program and I want to work very hard to help it and the players accomplish the success it deserves.”
Ben Freakley Coaching Resume
2010-Present Assistant Coach
Georgia Southern University
2006-2010 Head Coach
Virginia Military Institute
2004-2006 Head Coach
Erskine College
2003-2004 Assistant Coach
College of Charleston
2001-2003 Graduate Assistant
Georgia Southern University
