Podcast: Boston College women’s coach Jason Lowe on building a culture

Boston College women's head coach Jason Lowe during a team training session. (BC Athletics)

The latest guest on New England Soccer Journal’s “The Goal” podcast was Boston College women’s head coach Jason Lowe.

He joined host Matt Langone in studio for a compelling discussion that touched on Lowe’s vision for bringing BC back to ACC and national championship contention, his recruiting tactics and more.

Lowe, a native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, was named head coach at Boston College in January of 2019. In 2021, he guided the Eagles to a 7-10-1 record.

Prior to that, he was a longtime member of the coaching staff for the women’s team at Wake Forest, another ACC program and also where he played as a goalkeeper from 1994-97. In fact, Lowe walked-on to the team at Wake Forest. He also had a successful five-year coaching stint as part of the Alabama women’s staff, before returning to Wake Forest.

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Here are some highlights from our discussion with Lowe in the latest episode of “The Goal”:

On what brought him to Boston College:

Lowe: “I’ve always loved the ACC from being a player in it, coaching in it, and, I mean, it’s the best conference in America, and the jobs don’t open up too often. So when this one opened up, I jumped all over it and was fortunate to kind of make it through the process and be selected. It’s a dream come true, especially for my first time as a head coach.”

On the culture he wants to create at BC:

Lowe: “First off, we just want really good people in our program. You know, this is a difficult place. We tell them all the time — you’re studying in one of the best schools in the country, you’re playing in the top conference in the country and you’re in the middle of one of the best cities in the country, right? So coming in, it’s not for everyone. It’s a really difficult and high intensity environment to perform. We want kids that are wired to want to be successful in that. And then on the field, we want to play attractive soccer.”

On what BC has to do to get back into championship contention:

Lowe: “One of the big things I think is just finding our identity, which I think we’ve kind of made really good strides in solidifying, so that when we get to ACC play, we know who we are, what we do well, what adjustments we need to make.”

On what he’s looking for on the recruiting trail:

Lowe: “I always love a story when we’re talking with kids, kind of what makes them tick and what really drives them. I think if you go through our locker room, there’s a lot of really interesting stories, whether it’s just hardships they’ve been through, or just somebody who overlooked them, or just something that really drives them every day. It’s ‘I want to be great.’ We always talk about ‘us,’ just having a we over me mentality. We’re on a big stage in terms of soccer and academics. So, if you take care of the team, everything you want individually is going to happen for you. And then, my biggest thing is just having an attitude of gratitude. My kids can’t say ‘thank you’ enough and they’re really, really good about it.”

On athletes playing multiple sports before college:

Lowe: “I love when they have different disciplines, because I think it adds balance to their lives. I think they get different opportunities to lead and be a part of a team. So, for me, I always tell them if they can make it work, it’s great. I usually call it the ‘don’t get hurt season.’ If they’re playing another sport, I just don’t want them to get injured before they get to us. But most of them take care of themselves, and it’s not really an issue. So, I’m a big supporter of it.”

“The Goal” podcast is brought to you by the Hoosac School and University of Nebraska High School.

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