The Torch Is Passed

That’s because Rob Ukrop has been appointed to succeed Blair as head varsity coach and program leader.

 

Blair joined the Collegiate Family as a teacher and coach in January 1979. He has served as head varsity soccer coach since 1981 and head of the Middle School since 1991.

 

“What you’ll see going forward,” Ukrop said, “will be pretty close to what you’ve seen in the past. We’ll focus on possession soccer and, most importantly, being great teammates. We’ll have kids putting their own egos aside for the good of the team.

 

Blair’s teams amassed a record of 439-152-79 and won 11 Prep League and three VISAA championships. His last squad finished 13-2-2 in what was considered a rebuilding year. He was cited as Prep League coach of the year, an honor he has received numerous times.

 

Ukrop, Collegiate class of 1988, and Shep Lewis ’96 have served on his staff for many years and will continue to share the coaching responsibilities.

 

“It’s an awesome transition,” said athletic director Karen Doxey. “Charlie has full faith in these guys. The AD’s do as well.”

 

Ukrop’s soccer résumé is stellar. He achieved stardom on the pitch both at Collegiate, where he was All-Prep and all-state, and Davidson College, where he was a two-time All-American. In 1992, he was the nation’s leading scorer, played an integral role in the Wildcats’ run to the Final Four, and was a finalist for the Hermann Award as the nation’s top player. He starred for the Richmond Kickers for 12 seasons and served as the organization’s president for many years. He is a charter inductee into Collegiate’s athletic hall of fame and in 2016 was enshrined in the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.

 

He has also led Collegiate’s girls’ varsity soccer program since 2014. His 2018 squad finished 19-3-2 and won the VISAA championship.

 

“Rob was part of the program for the four years that he played, and we’ve been coaching together for a long time,” Blair said. “He has a great knowledge of the game. Players respect him. There isn’t anyone more entrenched in the Richmond soccer scene than Rob. He has a great deal of expertise. His knowledge of how to train technically sound players and his tactical understanding are really, really, really good.”

 

That said…

 

“Anybody who played knows that it was a three-coach deal,” Blair continued. “There was never a hierarchy except on paper. Shep is beloved in terms of his relationship with the players. He and Rob will be a great team.

 

“What Shep brings is what I call that basketball coach mentality: making lots of decisions in the moment. You do most of your coaching during the week and sit back and watch them play, but when something goes haywire late in the game, Shep’s the first to suggest adjustments. He has a heck of a mind for the game.”

 

Lewis also serves at Collegiate’s senior director of annual and leadership giving.

 

“Obviously, Charlie has been the face of Collegiate soccer for 40 years,” said Lewis. “It’s rare to have that much stability or success at the top for so long. What he has achieved is remarkable, and that should be celebrated. The real hallmark of a Charlie Blair team is playing hard, playing together, and playing the game the right way. Moving forward, it will be exciting to watch Rob carry those same values, that same blueprint, that same foundation that Charlie has put in place.”

  -- Weldon Bradshaw