AROUND TOWN: Another Klingman climbs the coaching ranks
Aug. 12—There's no formal name or an LLC, but it's pretty clear what the family business is for former Abington Heights soccer standout Colin Klingman.
It's coaching.
And just two years after earning his undergraduate degree from Ursinus College, where he started every soccer game in his four-year career, the 25-year-old Clarks Summit native is making the leap to Division I, signing on as an assistant coach with the Binghamton University men's soccer program.
"It's a very big step," Klingman said. "It's been overwhelming the last few weeks but the program and the coaches have been very welcoming."
Fortunately, he has some great coaches to lean on at home.
His dad, Steve, coached 22 seasons at the University of Scranton, leading the men's soccer program to 13 NCAA appearances, four Final Fours and a pair of national runner-up finishes.
His mother, Deanna, who was Division III national Player of the Year at the U of S in 1985, reinvigorated the Abington Heights girls basketball program since the day she took over the helm for the 2015-16 season, leading the Lady Comets to eight consecutive District 2 championship games, winning six.
Countless lessons were learned watching those two, and in his year as a soccer graduate assistant at Catholic University, also observing his brother, Justin, an assistant at Catholic who in April took over the men's basketball program at Goucher College.
"The great thing about sport is the life lessons that you build," Colin said. "They coached throughout their whole lives so they obviously were able to teach me things that coaches would teach young kids. But I would say the way you treat people is definitely the biggest piece of advice they've given me. Now as a coach, I understand that it really is. If you treat people properly, it just makes everything better.
"The other piece, too — obviously my dad and mom were successful in college, playing and coaching — is to work hard and be resilient through things and have a growth mindset. That's probably the two biggest things."
That, and trying to replicate the triumphs of his dad and mom.
"I see it as a challenge," Colin said. "Obviously, they've been very successful and I grew up around that environment. So as a coach, you want to be as successful as you can and try to put in the work to be successful because it definitely doesn't come easy."
A three-time Lackawanna League all-star and Times-Tribune boys soccer player of the year in 2015, Colin was accustomed to winning, part of two soccer and four basketball district titles.
Success came harder at
Ursinus, but the learning curve was similar.
"Even when I was at Ursinus, we weren't that great but we tried to push through the hard times," Colin said. "I think the way you treat people is the most important thing in coaching, and in life in general."
His official coaching debut came in the year after his graduation from Ursinus, but he knew after his sophomore season that he wanted to pursue it as a career.
"I was doing individual lessons while I was in college," Colin said. "I knew. It's funny, I switched my major as a junior to psychology because I thought that would help me more in sport.
"I knew my sophomore year in college, even before, that I wanted to stay around the game."
After getting his feet wet at Ursinus and earning his master's degree at Catholic, Colin knew it was time to look for something more.
Re-enter Paul Payne, who succeeded Steve Klingman at Scranton, on the United Soccer Coaches senior staff, and also a friend of Binghamton coach Paul Marco, who was looking for an assistant. It didn't take long to make what could be a life-altering connection.
"It's an awesome opportunity for me," Colin said. "Coach Marco has tons of experience. He was head coach at West Virginia and went to Binghamton 20 years ago. Tommy Moon played at Binghamton, is a 2014 grad and has been on the staff since. I'm really fortunate to have good people around me.
"I already know every single (player) person and where they're from, the small details about them. So that's a great thing. But yeah, as a career, it's a really big step. Going to a Division I definitely opens more doors for me when I'm looking for a head coaching position in four or five years."
If, or more likely when, that door opens, there's one more thing he'll carry forward from his parents' examples.
"They do the extra little bit and they also try to improve the people around them," Colin said. "I think that's the main thing I've seen with them, and in their personal lives, as well.
"I try to emphasize to the players to put in the extra mile. It goes a long way. I'm a big believer in getting one percent better every day."
MARTY MYERS is a Times-Tribune sports writer. His Around Town column appears Sundays. Contact him at mmyers@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100, ext. 5437; or follow him on Twitter @mmyersTT.
MARTY MYERS is a Times-Tribune sports writer. His Around Town column appears on Sundays. To contact him, email mmyers@timesshamrock.com, call 570-348-9100, ext. 5437 or follow him on Twitter @mmyersTT.
