Paul VI High School boys soccer coach Bob Stocklin is stepping away from the program to spend more time at home.
“It is with sadness that I write that I am stepping down from the role of head boys soccer coach at Paul VI,” Stocklin said Dec. 13 on Twitter. “Three years has felt like both a lifetime and the blink of an eye.”
Stocklin, a 2010 Paul VI graduate, took over the boys soccer program in 2020. At that point, it had recorded just one winning season in the prior 15 years. He made an immediate impact with three consecutive winning seasons, including a 9-4 record in 2020, followed by a 12-7-1 record last season.
This year, the Eagles ended up 8-7-1, which included two playoff victories and an appearance in the semifinal round of the South Jersey Non-Public A state tournament.
“It had been a dream of mine to return to my alma mater to build the type of strong program that did not exist during my time at Paul VI,” Stocklin said. “My family knew how much it meant to me, and they sacrificed a lot.”
Stocklin lives in Montgomery County, Pa., which is more than an hourlong commute during busy travel times. He is also anticipating another blessing in just a few months.
“In the end, the daily commute from Glenside, Pa., was no longer something I could ask my wife and daughter to deal with as we welcome another daughter to the family in February,” Stocklin said.
After graduating from Paul VI, Stocklin played soccer for four years at Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, and jumped into coaching immediately as an assistant there while earning his master’s degree from Temple University. His return to his high school alma mater will hold nothing but pleasant memories, he said.
“Although my tenure is ending sooner than I would have liked, I am extremely proud of the many accomplishments and progress we’ve made these past three seasons,” Stocklin said.
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