When Whitehall boys soccer's coaching job came open, the Vikings had the luxury of a qualified candidate with firsthand knowledge of the program. Dillon McCarthy, a former player who was in the lineup when the Vikings advanced to the 2008 state championship game, has several years of head coaching experience, and he's motivated to get the program back to that level.
McCarthy returns to Whitehall after most recently coaching Jenison. There, he led the Wildcats to last year's district final. He also previously coached the Reeths-Puffer Rocket girls, but despite the opportunities at larger schools, he never ruled out a return to his alma mater.
The timetable for his return accelerated when McCarthy met his fiancee, Janelle, who's also from Whitehall. Both were interested in a return home, and Whitehall athletic director Christian Subdon contacted McCarthy when the job came open.
"He had to win over everyone else," Subdon said. "My wife (Sarah) and him graduated together and were good friends, so I've known him for a while, but he was head and shoulders the best person in the interview."
For McCarthy, it'll have to start with building up the team's participation. He said as of now, numbers are in the low 20s, which would make it difficult to have both a varsity and a JV team.
"It's exciting to have an opportunity to rebuild and get our numbers back up," McCarthy said. "I think my being in the building in the high school will help with that. I think we can build a supportive culture...That's the plan, is to grow and get numbers up. We have a dedicated senior group and a bigger freshman group that plays soccer. I'm optimistic for the future if we can keep after the kids in the middle school program to keep playing soccer."
McCarthy's presence in the building will come from his recent hire as a behavioral interventionist at the high school. There, he'll work with at-risk students to provide needed support. McCarthy previously taught government and economics at Jenison, and he said leaving the classroom will be an adjustment, but a potentially rewarding one.
"I loved being in the classroom and teaching," McCarthy said. "I also know some of the most rewarding moments were connecting with students that maybe had behavioral issues. With this new title, I'll work closely with students that really need that targeted intervention and special support. I'm excited to see what this new role brings."
Working with McCarthy will be fellow former Vikings Daniel DuBois and Matthew Ferguson; McCarthy played with both their brothers in high school. Kevin Reid will continue his valuable work at the middle school level, McCarthy added.
"That's a testament to how a program's culture can leave a legacy," McCarthy said. "I think this program is something a lot of alumni want to be around. I love that they're willing to help when they can."
The new coach will surely also have the option of fielding occasional advice from Bryan Mahan, who coached all four as players. McCarthy said he remained in contact with Mahan throughout the latter's coaching career before he retired after the 2022 season and considers him a friend.
"He's a great resource," McCarthy said of Mahan. "He's the reason I love soccer. I didn't even know what the state finals were as a freshman and I got to start in one. By senior year, it was clear he's a prime example of, if you show up and you get kids to show up, success can come."
That's exactly how McCarthy is hoping to build a base for Whitehall starting this fall. The team has three seniors, and a scrimmage this week against Reeths-Puffer, which McCarthy said has 13 seniors, was a great way to set the bar for what the Vikes hope to be.
"It was a great opportunity, and it opened the eyes of some freshmen that that's the varsity pace," McCarthy said. "I think we can take steps forward this year."
Taking the long view isn't always easy at the high school level, but it helps that teams don't have to qualify to make the postseason. Whitehall will have the luxury of trying to build for October and a district that will include several West Michigan Conference foes, including rival Montague, which won the district last fall.
"It's about creating better habits, showing up, building consistency and getting 1% better each day and finding their role," McCarthy said.
