The momentum has been building for the Harvard men’s soccer program. Thanks to the past two remarkable seasons, during which the Crimson emerged and established itself as a national threat—and given that the team will be losing only two athletes to graduation before next season—Harvard looked to be in fine shape for next fall.

However, one unexpected loss could prove to be a major obstacle for the rapidly advancing Crimson: the departure of head coach John Kerr.

Kerr, who has coached the Harvard men’s soccer team for the past nine years, recently accepted the head coaching position at Duke.

“It’s a bittersweet day for us,” Kerr said, speaking on behalf of his family. “I’m very excited about going down to Duke, but leaving Harvard is very, very difficult.”

The move will return Kerr to the university that helped begin his soccer career.

As a player at Duke, Kerr helped lead the Blue Devils to a national championship in 1986. In addition, he received many personal accolades, including the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy and multiple Player of the Year awards. Kerr was also named a first-team All-American twice.

“Duke is the one place that I hold close to my heart,” Kerr said. “It is the only university I would have left Harvard for.”

The departure of Kerr will be a big blow to the Harvard men and their developing program.

“It’s a big loss,” said junior Michael Fucito, who will captain next year’s squad under new, and unknown, leadership. “He has built up the program to what it is today.”

Boasting the status of one of the consistently nationally ranked soccer teams in the country—and garnering a multitude of individual player awards and the 2006 Ivy League title—the program that Kerr built is nothing to scoff at. In just short of a decade, Kerr amassed a record of 81-56-13 and managed to take his team to the NCAA Tournament three times.

“He’s built us up to be a nationally recognized program,” junior John Stamatis said. “More importantly, he’s tried to build up a culture of playing good attacking soccer, which is not the case in a lot of places around the nation.”

Kerr, whose presence was seen in the improvements made by each individual on the field, had an impact on other aspects of his players' lives as well.

“Off the field, he’s always there,” said senior Matt Hoff, who played under Kerr for four years and captained the 2007-08 squad. “He’s kind of like a big brother—he’s always someone I can talk to.”

Leaving a lasting legacy of excellence in the Crimson soccer program, Kerr will be sorely missed. However, the Harvard men won’t have to wait too long to be reunited with their old coach, friend, and mentor: they begin their 2008-09 season at Duke.

“It’s a scary thought because I feel so strongly about the Harvard team,” Kerr said of the future matchup. “They have all the potential in the world to win the national championship themselves.”

Kerr also notes the Crimson players will also have some extra motivation in their first game against him and the Blue Devils.

“I know that the Harvard team is going to want to kick our butts,” Kerr said with a laugh.

—Staff writer Alexandra J. Mihalek can be reached at amihalek@fas.harvard.edu.