Completed Event: Men's Soccer versus Northeastern on September 17, 2025 , Win , 3, to, 2
Final
Men's Soccer
vs Northeastern
3
2
Photo by: Chris Leung
Oshoniyi Forges Path for Black Coaches
2/28/2024 9:39:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Peak Performance
Coaches can have a lasting impact on the lives of young people.
They did for Bo Oshoniyi and today, he is returning the favor.
"My father passed away when I was five years old," said Oshoniyi. "Coaches have been a big, big part of my life, becoming father figures all throughout my upbringing.
"Today, I feel I take on a mentorship, father figure type of role just because I know how important coaches were for me in shaping my life and shaping me into the person I am today."
Oshoniyi, Dartmouth's Bobby Clark Head Coach of Men's Soccer, has made his mark on the world of soccer in a multitude of ways.
He began playing soccer in a small town of Poughkeepsie, New York.
"I didn't make our travel team until I was 16," said Oshoniyi. "I got cut probably four years in a row. The U16 team was going to Germany and I wanted to be on that team as a field player, but they then said they needed a backup goalkeeper."
That was the start of something special for Oshoniyi, who went on to serve as backup goalkeeper on that trip. He played in goal at Southern Connecticut State, winning two national championships.
Oshoniyi was drafted by the Columbus Crew and played in the inaugural season of Major League Soccer in 1996. In 2023, he was listed as the 16th best goalie in MLS history by EverybodySoccer.com.
Oshoniyi also became the first Black goalkeeper to ever start a game.
"That was dear to me and hopefully set the path for other Black goalkeepers to continue that trend," he said.
Oshoniyi won the MLS Cup with the Kansas City Wizards in 2000 and lost in the MLS Cup in 2004. He played with the Wizards through 2006, when he retired.
"It got to the point in my career where I wanted to keep playing, but I also wanted to get into coaching," he said. "I always knew I wanted to get into coaching, having taken all my licenses when playing. I had a couple opportunities to be an assistant in Major League Soccer when I retired, but I love the college game… just love this age group.
"I love the fact that we are making lasting impressions on 18 to 22-year-olds that are going to shape them for the rest of their lives."
Oshoniyi always wanted to coach in the Ivy League. Some highly-successful stops along the way — as assistant coach at South Florida, Wake Forest and Penn State, then head coach at East Tennessee State — preceded being named head coach at Dartmouth in 2018.
"I feel honored that Dartmouth was willing to take a chance on me," said Oshoniyi. "I know how valuable this opportunity is, not just for me, but also for the path I'm setting for other Black coaches.
"There have only been two Black head coaches in the Ivy League for soccer for men's soccer in 150 years," Oshoniyi continued. "To be one of them is something I don't take lightly."
Oshoniyi is thrilled to be setting the path in the Ivy League, which he called "the perfect student-athlete model, well-balanced with soccer and high-level academics."
As a college coach, Oshoniyi hopes to be a mentor, much like so many coaches were for him.
"I want to help the student-athletes through the process of being great," he said. "Every time we step on the field, anytime we recruit somebody, it's all about helping them through the process. I want to guide them to their greatness to become the best versions of themselves."
Oshoniyi is focused on the process, with the end goal of winning championships.
"Our goal is always to win an Ivy League Championship but to be totally transparent, my goal is to win the national championship," he said.
Oshoniyi has done a lot of winning in his career, as a player and coach, and wants his players to experience the same thing. He has gone through practically every experience one could have, which helps him relate to each and every student-athlete.
"I always tell kids that I've been in every single situation they've been in," he said. "I've been the star and the MVP of a Final Four, big man on campus type of thing. I've been a guy that couldn't get off the bench, but still had to work for my opportunity."
Oshoniyi recounts the 2000 season when he returned to the MLS after playing with the United Soccer League from 1997-99.
"In 2000, I didn't play a single game until the last game of the season, so I had to keep working just to make sure I was ready for my opportunity," he said. "I know how it feels to work hard every day without getting that reward of minutes on the field. I have also been injured where I've blown out my shoulder and had to rehab for almost nine months, just to get back to Major League Soccer to get cut.
"There's nothing they'll go through that I haven't been through as a player," Oshoniyi continued. "Having that empathy for them is valuable."
Another valuable aspect of the Big Green men's soccer team, and any team for that matter, is diversity. Dartmouth's roster features student-athletes from 10 different countries (France, South Africa, Greece, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Canada, England, Costa Rica and the United States).
"It opens your mind to know that one size doesn't fit all," said Oshoniyi. "It opens everybody's minds to different ways of thinking. There's a lot of different ways to accomplish not only soccer goals, but also life goals. Our guys really enjoy having those conversations about what it's like in Greece, what it's like in Florida and things like that."
As Oshoniyi said, one of his goals when taking the Dartmouth job was to give bright young minds an opportunity at an Ivy League education who would have never thought possible.
Six years in, Oshoniyi is building something special at Dartmouth.
"Every day, I want this program to be moving in the right direction," he said. "Dartmouth is always at the forefront of my mind when I walk into the office every day."
Among the many highlights from this past fall for the Big Green was a 2-0 win over defending Ivy League Championship Penn, handing the Quakers what proved to be their only loss of the 2023 regular season.
"I think we're in a wonderful place," said Oshoniyi. "When there's so much winning history, like with Dartmouth men's soccer, you can almost be a little bit short-sighted if you don't reach that goal every year. We were really close this past year. Our guys are hungry; they're working their butts off.
"There's a lot of momentum moving forward and a sense of we want to be great, we want to keep pushing and we want to become Ivy League Champs."
What keeps Oshoniyi going is the student-athletes, providing them what so many coaches did for him. So, it's no surprise when thinking back to some of his favorite memories from his time at Dartmouth, his answer tied back to people.
"I'm getting to the point where I've coached some kids for four years and it's rewarding to see them come back and talk about how they enjoyed their Dartmouth experience and how they love coming back," he said.
As one of few Black Division I head men's soccer coaches, Oshoniyi is making an impact in the Dartmouth community, and beyond.
"I hope to forge the path for other aspiring young Black coaches to see you can be a head coach at the Division I level," he said.
"I'm living my dream right now at Dartmouth coaching some of the brightest young men in the world."
They did for Bo Oshoniyi and today, he is returning the favor.
"My father passed away when I was five years old," said Oshoniyi. "Coaches have been a big, big part of my life, becoming father figures all throughout my upbringing.
"Today, I feel I take on a mentorship, father figure type of role just because I know how important coaches were for me in shaping my life and shaping me into the person I am today."
Oshoniyi, Dartmouth's Bobby Clark Head Coach of Men's Soccer, has made his mark on the world of soccer in a multitude of ways.
He began playing soccer in a small town of Poughkeepsie, New York.
"I didn't make our travel team until I was 16," said Oshoniyi. "I got cut probably four years in a row. The U16 team was going to Germany and I wanted to be on that team as a field player, but they then said they needed a backup goalkeeper."
That was the start of something special for Oshoniyi, who went on to serve as backup goalkeeper on that trip. He played in goal at Southern Connecticut State, winning two national championships.
Oshoniyi was drafted by the Columbus Crew and played in the inaugural season of Major League Soccer in 1996. In 2023, he was listed as the 16th best goalie in MLS history by EverybodySoccer.com.
Oshoniyi also became the first Black goalkeeper to ever start a game.
"That was dear to me and hopefully set the path for other Black goalkeepers to continue that trend," he said.
Oshoniyi won the MLS Cup with the Kansas City Wizards in 2000 and lost in the MLS Cup in 2004. He played with the Wizards through 2006, when he retired.
"It got to the point in my career where I wanted to keep playing, but I also wanted to get into coaching," he said. "I always knew I wanted to get into coaching, having taken all my licenses when playing. I had a couple opportunities to be an assistant in Major League Soccer when I retired, but I love the college game… just love this age group.
"I love the fact that we are making lasting impressions on 18 to 22-year-olds that are going to shape them for the rest of their lives."
Oshoniyi always wanted to coach in the Ivy League. Some highly-successful stops along the way — as assistant coach at South Florida, Wake Forest and Penn State, then head coach at East Tennessee State — preceded being named head coach at Dartmouth in 2018.
"I feel honored that Dartmouth was willing to take a chance on me," said Oshoniyi. "I know how valuable this opportunity is, not just for me, but also for the path I'm setting for other Black coaches.
"There have only been two Black head coaches in the Ivy League for soccer for men's soccer in 150 years," Oshoniyi continued. "To be one of them is something I don't take lightly."
Oshoniyi is thrilled to be setting the path in the Ivy League, which he called "the perfect student-athlete model, well-balanced with soccer and high-level academics."
As a college coach, Oshoniyi hopes to be a mentor, much like so many coaches were for him.
"I want to help the student-athletes through the process of being great," he said. "Every time we step on the field, anytime we recruit somebody, it's all about helping them through the process. I want to guide them to their greatness to become the best versions of themselves."
Oshoniyi is focused on the process, with the end goal of winning championships.
"Our goal is always to win an Ivy League Championship but to be totally transparent, my goal is to win the national championship," he said.
Oshoniyi has done a lot of winning in his career, as a player and coach, and wants his players to experience the same thing. He has gone through practically every experience one could have, which helps him relate to each and every student-athlete.
"I always tell kids that I've been in every single situation they've been in," he said. "I've been the star and the MVP of a Final Four, big man on campus type of thing. I've been a guy that couldn't get off the bench, but still had to work for my opportunity."
Oshoniyi recounts the 2000 season when he returned to the MLS after playing with the United Soccer League from 1997-99.
"In 2000, I didn't play a single game until the last game of the season, so I had to keep working just to make sure I was ready for my opportunity," he said. "I know how it feels to work hard every day without getting that reward of minutes on the field. I have also been injured where I've blown out my shoulder and had to rehab for almost nine months, just to get back to Major League Soccer to get cut.
"There's nothing they'll go through that I haven't been through as a player," Oshoniyi continued. "Having that empathy for them is valuable."
Another valuable aspect of the Big Green men's soccer team, and any team for that matter, is diversity. Dartmouth's roster features student-athletes from 10 different countries (France, South Africa, Greece, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Canada, England, Costa Rica and the United States).
"It opens your mind to know that one size doesn't fit all," said Oshoniyi. "It opens everybody's minds to different ways of thinking. There's a lot of different ways to accomplish not only soccer goals, but also life goals. Our guys really enjoy having those conversations about what it's like in Greece, what it's like in Florida and things like that."
As Oshoniyi said, one of his goals when taking the Dartmouth job was to give bright young minds an opportunity at an Ivy League education who would have never thought possible.
Six years in, Oshoniyi is building something special at Dartmouth.
"Every day, I want this program to be moving in the right direction," he said. "Dartmouth is always at the forefront of my mind when I walk into the office every day."
Among the many highlights from this past fall for the Big Green was a 2-0 win over defending Ivy League Championship Penn, handing the Quakers what proved to be their only loss of the 2023 regular season.
"I think we're in a wonderful place," said Oshoniyi. "When there's so much winning history, like with Dartmouth men's soccer, you can almost be a little bit short-sighted if you don't reach that goal every year. We were really close this past year. Our guys are hungry; they're working their butts off.
"There's a lot of momentum moving forward and a sense of we want to be great, we want to keep pushing and we want to become Ivy League Champs."
What keeps Oshoniyi going is the student-athletes, providing them what so many coaches did for him. So, it's no surprise when thinking back to some of his favorite memories from his time at Dartmouth, his answer tied back to people.
"I'm getting to the point where I've coached some kids for four years and it's rewarding to see them come back and talk about how they enjoyed their Dartmouth experience and how they love coming back," he said.
As one of few Black Division I head men's soccer coaches, Oshoniyi is making an impact in the Dartmouth community, and beyond.
"I hope to forge the path for other aspiring young Black coaches to see you can be a head coach at the Division I level," he said.
"I'm living my dream right now at Dartmouth coaching some of the brightest young men in the world."
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