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Mulcahy opts to step down as BG girls soccer coach

By Tom King - Staff Writer | May 8, 2020

Telegraph file photo by TOM KING Pat Mulcahy is staying at IMG in Florida, meaning he is stepping down as the Bishop Guertin girls soccer head coach.

NASHUA – It hasn’t been an easy week for Pat Mulcahy.

First, he had to oversee the cancellation of his pride and joy, the Granite State Games, for 2020 due to the pandemic. And then, Mulcahy came to terms with the fact that in order to stay in his role as a coach at the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., he would have to ultimately step down as the Bishop Guertin High School girls soccer coach.

Mulcahy made that official Friday after a couple of conversations with Bishop Guertin athletic director Pete Paladino. He gives up a team that, if there is a fall sports season, will likely be a Division I title contender after making the semifinals last year and losing very few to next month’s graduation.

“This was one of the biggest things about me staying down here,” Mulcahy said from Florida. “Bishop Guertin holds a special place in my heart. Have so many great memories with the players, the administrators, the parents. It would defininitely take something special for me to give that up, and here at IMG I have a great opportunity.”

Mulcahy left for IMG back in late January and told Paladino he would be coming back to the Nashua area in late spring and have an answer then as to whether he’d stay here or return to Florida. Paladino agreed to wait, but now that Mulcahy has made his decision a little ahead of time, Guertin has posted the position on its website and will begin the search for his successor.

“Pat’s record speaks for itself,” Paladino said. “We can’t thank him enough, he did a tremendous job. He obviously knows the game and knows how to develop the kids. He just had a tremendous opportunity he couldn’t pass up.”

Ironically, Mulcahy briefly coached the Cardinals boys soccer team before offering to switch to the girls varsity soccer team in 2013 if that helped make it easier for Paladino to fill that vacant spot. His Cardinals made two semifinal appearances, including this past season when they suffered a tough 1-0 loss to Londonderry in the pouring rain at Stellos Stadium after a 14-2 regular season and tourney wins over local rival Alvirne and tough Manchester Central.

“My biggest accomplishment at BG was not only the number of games we won on the field, but just the fact that with the relationship with the girls we were able to create a smooth atmosphere. We never had much drama or many discipline issues. The kids were great.”

Paladino expects no shortage of candidates.

“I think it will be a highly coveted job,” he said. “We’ve got three teams (including sub-varsity) and some great young players.”

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