There are two signs hanging in the Cal Poly Men’s Soccer locker room inside Spanos Stadium. One reads “intensity,” and the other, “hard work.”
The Mustangs lived by those words in 2024 and an all-in approach to the game of soccer that left no other option but success.
These principles are head coach Oige Kennedy’s north star. When he entered the program just after the 2022 season, Kennedy quickly began making changes to the Mustangs’ roster and the team’s mentality.
These changes have resulted in a turnaround so quick that just two years after going 2-11-4 in the worst season in program history, Cal Poly won the Big West regular-season title and had one of the best defenses in the nation.
Starting from the basics
Following Kennedy’s philosophy, Cal Poly players, both on and off the field, are a cohesive unit, working together to score, defend and do anything they can to win.
“He came in with the mindset, saying everyone’s gonna defend, no matter what, everyone’s gonna attack, do everything together,” junior forward Connor Lisenbee said.
When he arrived at Cal Poly, Kennedy brought in many young players and recruits. Lisenbee remains one of only seven players on this year’s roster from before Kennedy’s tenure.
Kennedy’s goal with the renewed roster was to bring in skilled players committed to the program’s goals.
“What we’ve done here is character-based recruitment,” Kennedy said. “We always want guys who are going to add to that culture and fit into what we do here.”
Focusing on the fundamentals built up a formidable defense, which includes sophomore defender Joaquin Torres, reigning Big West Defender of the Year sophomore Parker Owens and Big West Honorable Mention and junior defender Nico Baltazar, all joining the program in the last two years.
Kennedy also brought in Big West Freshman of the Year and forward Quinn Mahoney, who led the Mustangs with four goals and five assists this year.
These additions and the existing talent in Big West Goalkeeper of the Year Nicky McCune and graduate defender Jack Muoio were the basis of the Mustangs’ dominant defensive season. They only gave up four goals throughout nine Big West regular-season matches and were second nationally in goals against average.
Other long-time players, like senior midfielder and captain Nate Colley and senior forward Ashton Alonge, provided a much-needed veteran presence through the transition to his new system.
“Everything about this program has changed, from the players, the way we train, the way we act off the field, the way we warm up for games; it’s been pretty incredible to see,” Alonge said.
The Kennedy Method
Fast-paced practices meant to prepare players for success reinforce Kennedy’s culture of hard work.
Every practice starts with dynamic warmups, laps around Mustang Memorial Field and high-intensity drills, all before getting into hours of game-speed preparation and tactics.
“When we’re on the field, I know the guy next to me has done just the same amount of work, and I can’t let him down, so we all fight for each other,” Lisenbee said.
His culture has stuck with his players, and players like junior forward Oren Stuppel have fully committed to the team and the Kennedy method.
Stuppel says all 30 players on the roster have a crucial role to play in the team’s success.
“Success comes from the guys on the bench, it comes from the guys who don’t get rostered,” Stuppel said. “It’s really a mentality that’s set from the beginning.”
Even after a 0-3-1 start to the season, Kennedy’s motivating force created a team culture set for success. They went undefeated for the following nine games, propelling them to first in the conference and revitalizing their season.
Throughout their unbeaten streak, which included a win and a draw against UC Santa Barbara in the Blue-Green rivalry games, Kennedy and the team solely focused on the next opponent and how to stop them from finding the back of the net.
Starters were not the only ones making a difference, as Kennedy brought on as many as 11 substitutes in these matches.
Kennedy has reiterated throughout the season the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity and being ready to make a difference both on and off the field as the next man up.
His method, however, goes beyond soccer. Kennedy believes that soccer is one of the many things that prepare student-athletes for their futures.
“Wherever you go and be a student athlete, it’s not a four year decision, it’s a 40-year decision,” Kennedy said. “It gives each one of these guys a unique insight into life and a bunch of different skills that you don’t get unless you’re competing as a sportsman and as a soccer player.”
A history of success
Kennedy has a history of success that primed him to take over at Cal Poly, previously working at national championship programs.
Before coming to Cal Poly, Kennedy spent seven seasons as head coach at Division II Fort Lewis College and another seven years as associate head coach at Stanford University. He helped lead both programs to national championships, and one of his two Division II titles at Fort Lewis came in his first year as head coach.
When he joined Stanford, an incredible defense was a core aspect of the teams that would win him back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017.
In 2017, the Cardinal held opponents to 0.382 goals per game, a Pac-12 record and set a program record with only nine goals against, resulting in a record-tying 16 shutouts that season.
“He took some of the standards from Stanford, and they’ve won five or six national championships, so it goes to show that those standards are working,” Stuppel said.
In his first year at Cal Poly, Kennedy’s leadership helped the Mustangs significantly reduce their goals against total, from 48 in 2022 to 23 in 2023.
That number continued to drop to elite levels in his sophomore season as coach, totaling just 13 goals by opponents, with only six given up in their last 14 games of the season.
“I think the experiences in the last 18 years have really kind of fortified what I think about the game and how to run the program,” Kennedy said. “That’s what we’ve tried to bring here.”
