Deetya Tandon '29
Sep 18, 2026
With the boys soccer season underway, Mercersburg Academy welcomes new director of soccer Tim O'Donohue. O’Donohue brings more than 25 years of coaching experience from UConn, Navy, and Stevens. Beyond his experience, O’Donohue brings willpower, confidence, and determination in developing the Blue Storm soccer program.
Through his experience, O’Donohue learned that successful teams are built around people and relationships. As an incoming coach at Mercersburg, he is especially excited about the opportunity to work with teenagers. “At that age, there’s still so much development happening not only as soccer players, but as young people,” O’Donohue said. “The opportunity to mentor them, help them develop, and be involved in their lives beyond soccer really appealed to me.”
His approach centers on establishing a team that competes extremely hard, plays good soccer, are good teammates, and represents the school the right way. O’Donohue wants players to establish standards so they can follow them in every practice and continue improving throughout the season.
The season so far has already tested that approach in two very different matches. “We won our first game 10–0, which was obviously a great way to start.” O’Donohue commented. “Then we played a very good Malvern Prep team and lost 2–1 in a really hard-fought game." He said the Malvern game revealed more about the team despite the loss. “In some ways, I probably learned more about our team in the Malvern game. We competed, stayed together, and showed that we could play with a very strong opponent. We were disappointed not to win, but there were a lot of positives we can build on.”
O’Donohue sees immense potential throughout the team. “I'm a little hesitant to single out individual players because I really like what I'm seeing from the group. We have experienced players, talented new players, and some younger players who have tremendous potential," he said. "What excites me most is how much room we have to grow. I think there are going to be a number of players who make big strides as the season progresses.”
His decision to come to Mercersburg was not just shaped by the chance to work with young athletes, but also by Head of School Quentin McDowell, whom he has known for almost 30 years. “I have tremendous respect for him,” O’Donohue explained. “I believe in him, I believe in what he stands for, and I believe in what he’s trying to accomplish at Mercersburg.”
O’Donohue was also drawn to the opportunity to be involved in a broader school environment where everybody knows each other. “There’s the chance to teach, coach, and really become part of the entire school community,” he said, “My family is here with me, so we’re invested in Mercersburg as a family. From a soccer standpoint, I also saw tremendous potential and an opportunity to build something special.”
Since arriving, O’Donohue has been struck by the warmth of the Mercersburg community. “People genuinely care about the students and about one another, and my family and I have felt incredibly welcomed," he said. He hopes soccer can strengthen that sense of community by giving students, faculty, and families another reason to celebrate.
Ultimately, O’Donohue hopes to build a soccer program that its players are proud to represent and that the Mercersburg community is proud to support.