Russell Payne has cherished every moment of his first season as head coach of Northwestern men’s soccer.

“It’s been very enjoyable, really at a good time,” Payne said. “The players have all bought into what we’re trying to do culturally, what we’re trying to do from a leadership standpoint.”

Those moments include both the highs — beating his alma mater and then-No. 10 Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament — and the lows of going 3-5 in conference play this year. After 20 years with coach Tim Lenahan, the Wildcats are kicking off a new era with Payne at the helm and are already making noise in the Big Ten Conference.

Payne comes to NU from West Point, New York, after spending 11 seasons as head coach there. At NU, he is also currently the only person of color to hold a head coaching position. Prior to Army, Payne served as an assistant coach at Maryland, assisting the Terrapins to two national championships in 2005 and 2008, along with five straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

He also played at Maryland from 1993 to 1996, starting all four years for the Terrapins and leading them to their first-ever ACC Tournament Championship his senior season. Professionally, Payne played both internationally and in the U.S., counting SV Elversberg (Germany), Shamrock Rovers (Ireland), AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) and the Colorado Rapids and DC United of Major League Soccer among his past stops.

In 2002, he was named the Premier League of Ireland Goalkeeper of the Year in his time with Derry City. With so many years of coaching and playing experience, Payne understands what his players need from him as a coach.

“The most important thing that I’ve learned is, from a coaching standpoint, is really what players respond to and look for in a leader and a coach, and that’s somebody that cares about them,” Payne said, “And demonstrates that they care about them. Not just says it, but demonstrates.”

In moving to Evanston, Payne faces the challenge of improving a program that hadn’t posted a winning season since 2014.
NU hired Payne, then Army’s head coach, in May after a three-month search. Though this hiring process was chaired by Marcus Attles and Kevin White — who still hold positions in the NU athletic department — Payne’s hiring came during former athletic director Mike Polisky’s nine-day tenure.

“We sat down, and we had some agreements, and that was that the student-athlete’s well-being comes first and that they’re looking for a coach that demonstrates that,” Payne said. “Put together a culture that is going to be very competitive, but one in which we were going to provide a world-class experience for these student-athletes on and off the field.”

Payne’s move to the Midwest has been a smooth one so far. Senior midfielder Bardia Kimiavi, who played under Lenahan for three seasons, has adjusted to the transition of new leadership playing under Payne.

“He’s done a good job trying to implement the way he wants us to win, how he wants us to play, how he wants us to conduct ourselves off the field,” Kimiavi said. “Him and the staff are definitely fitting great, the guys love him, so I’m excited to see what the future holds for this group.”

Graduate student goalkeeper Ethan Bandre joined the team during the 2020-21 season and only played for a year under Lenahan. He said Payne’s vision for this program is clear.

“Both guys were very good and passionate about the job,” Bandre said. “Coach Payne came in, and nothing dropped off, he just continues to have extremely high expectations for us. He’s very tactically focused as well, so making sure we have tactics right in training and then obviously in games too.”

While Payne’s message resonated with players, the wins didn’t come as easily in the gritty Big Ten. The Cats finished 6-8-3 overall in the regular season, but they still earned a spot in the Big Ten Tournament.

Then, against the tournament’s No. 2 seed in College Park, Maryland, on Nov. 7, NU held the Terrapins scoreless in regulation and defeated Maryland 3-2 on penalty kicks. In addition to moving NU to the semifinals, the win had personal implications for Payne, as he advanced the Cats over a program for which he coached and played. NU will travel to Bloomington, Indiana, Wednesday to face off against Indiana, the No. 3 seed in the tournament.

Reflecting on his first season leading the Cats, Payne took note of what worked and didn’t work.

“Whenever we get these guys to focus on winning just individual moments and not focusing too much on outcomes,” Payne said. “When we enter games kind of worried about what’s going to happen next and ‘what if this happens and what if this happens,’ you know, guys are a little tight and they don’t perform as fluidly.”

Payne’s legacy as the new head coach of this soccer team has only just begun. With this first regular season schedule — and a postseason win against his old team — officially under his belt, he is looking to turn NU into a powerhouse for years to come.

“My vision for this program moving forward is one of excellence,” Payne said. ”We have the ability here to achieve the highest levels of college soccer in this country.”

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