ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – Devon Tomson has been named Head Men's Soccer coach at Bard College, replacing Scott Swere, who has retired from his coaching role at Bard for family reasons. Swere will remain on staff as an administrator.
 
Tomson's connection to Bard is deep. His father, Joel, was the athletic director and men's soccer coach at Bard while Devon was growing up. Devon was the associate head men's soccer coach under Swere from 2005-2009, as well as an assistant coach for the women's soccer team during that period.
 
For the last two years, Tomson has been on the men's soccer coaching staff at UC-Santa Cruz, while also coaching boys soccer at Harbor High School in Santa Cruz, CA. The high school soccer season in that part of the country is in winter.
 
“I'm excited to take on this new opportunity,” said Tomson, who will return to his hometown, Red Hook, N.Y., later this month. “I have my roots here. I'm glad to be around my family again.”
 
Tomson is taking over a program in transition. Bard entered the powerful Liberty League last fall and six starters graduated from the 2011 team.
 
“(The Liberty League) is one of the big reasons I'm coming,” Tomson said. “I know it's one of the toughest Div. III leagues in the country, and it's been that way for a long time. I know where Bard is now, and where it has been. I feel like I'm the coach who can bring them into the next realm.”
 
Tomson played collegiately at Springfield College and received a degree in Physical Education and Coaching in 2002. He's worked as a full-time physical education teacher and even spent a year on a cruise ship before settling on coaching as his career.
 
He coached a high school team in Massachusetts before becoming part of the staff at Bard in 2005.
 
“I like to think of myself as the kind of coach who can lead Bard to bridge that gap,” Tomson said. “Hopefully we can build something good.”
 
Before departing for the West Coast, Tomson worked with the Eastern New York Olympic Development Program and Middlepath FC. Once he got out there, he became co-director of the Catalyst Soccer Player Development Program, and more recently worked with Red Star Soccer Academy, which is one very few organizations partnered with AFC Ajax of Amsterdam.
 
 “We're excited to have Devon back at Bard,” Athletic Director Kris Hall said. “He brings a wealth of knowledge about the school and a passion for soccer.”
 
Bard opens the season on Aug. 31 with a non-league home game against Southern Vermont College.