Oliver Twelvetrees has turned the Barton Community College’s men’s soccer team into a powerhouse to be reckoned with in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference.
The Cougars have now won the NJCAA Region VI crown three out of the last four years. They have gone to the NJCAA national tournament three times under the direction of Twelvetrees.
However, this season was different. It was Twelvetrees’ last season as the Cougars’ head coach or was it?
Before the season began, Twelvetrees announced that he had been offered a job to begin a soccer program for NCAA Division-II Fort Hays State University.
Twelvetrees accepted the position, noting that he saw the job as a new challenge and a step closer to his goal of coaching an NCAA Division-I team.
Now that Barton’s season is over, and the Cougars have returned home with a third-place finish at the NJCAA Division-I national tournament, Twelvetrees said that he isn’t so sure that he is ready to leave just yet.
“As it got closer to when I was supposed to leave, I started to really think about whether I wanted to go or not,” Twelvetrees said. “I thought about it and I decided that I wanted to stay here at Barton.”
Twelvetrees said that he made his decision two weeks ago.
“There has been a lot of great moments here at Barton this year,” Twelvetrees said. “That district game against Western Texas was just such a special moment for us.
“I called Fort Hays State and told them that I wanted out and they let me out of it. I really appreciate them helping me out.”
Twelvetrees said that he likes the opportunities afforded to him at Barton.
“I decided to stay because the of the opportunity to work in a great place,” said Twelvetrees, who has amassed a record of 93-14-2 during his five seasons at Barton. “I get to work with high-level athletes every year, and I just like the chance to be a successful team, year-in and year-out.”
Ultimately, Twelvetrees said that he still has one goal at Barton.
“I want to win a national title,” Twelvetrees said.