Dear Friends of William & Mary Athletics,
 
I was looking forward to Homecoming & Reunion Weekend as a great reminder of why this place is so special. It gives me a chance to meet and mingle with many Tribe fans and supporters and to welcome alumni back. 

When the dust settled after three days of fun and festivities, I realized that I should have had higher expectations because, hands down, this was my favorite, most fun and best weekend I've spent in the last 15 months!  Some of my personal best moments from the weekend, which featured perfect weather and Tribe Pride everywhere:
  ·       Wandering through packed tailgates and chatting with friends, fans, alumni and students
  ·       The largest football crowd in five years (12,506) cheered us to a 27-21 victory over the No. 6 Blue Hens
  ·       Participating in the first Green & Gold Walk through campus and doing an impromptu pep rally at the Alumni House
  ·       President Katherine A. Rowe handling the coin toss and leading the team captains onto the gridiron
 
  ·       Attending the Scholarship Luncheon and being impressed all over again by our student-athletes and how well they represent our department.  Gymnast Malcolm Baytop was one of the speakers and there was a must-watch video of women's basketball's Misha Jones '19
  ·       Watching  field hockey and women's soccer compete in front of enthusiastic crowds of hundreds of supporters
  ·       Honoring our three CAA championship teams from last year – men's cross country, women's swimming, and women's tennis during the football game
 
The men's soccer team wasn't ready to let the wonderful feelings from the weekend dissipate too quickly, because on Tuesday they defeated No. 10 Wake Forest in a great match.  I don't think I've ever seen Al Albert, who coached Tribe soccer for 33 years and amassed more than 400 wins, with a bigger smile on his face.
 
Of course, Al's smile could also have something to do with the fact he was just named to the 2023 United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame Class.  This is the single highest honor for an American soccer coach and no one deserves it more than Al!  Congratulations from the Tribe family!
 
Not everyone can make the trek to Williamsburg so I am going on the road to talk with old friends as well as meet new W&M supporters.   I am looking forward to trips to Washington, D.C. Oct. 20-21; New York on Nov. 10 and Colorado, Nov. 14-15. If you are interested in attending an event, here's the schedule.
 
While I am on the road there is no shortage of activity on campus.  Support for our football team has been terrific so far and we need to keep it going!  There is a special "Buy Week" ticket deal going on that provides an opportunity to purchase our final two games, Rhode Island (Oct. 29) and Villanova (Nov. 12), at a reduced rate.  Many of our fall sports are nearing the end of their seasons but plenty of great competition remains as they try to win their way into the conference championships. Check the calendar for opportunities to root for them!  
 
On behalf of our entire Athletics Department, including each of our 500 student-athletes, thank you to everyone who participated in Homecoming, either in person or from afar.  Your love and support for W&M Athletics are deeply appreciated.
 
By the way, if some of you thought I looked a tiny bit taller, or didn't wave back as quickly as usual, let me introduce you to what some would call my doppelganger, but who I call my brother Chris.  We both had a ton of fun during the whole weekend and the Tribe definitely has another loyal Mann fan!
 
 Go Tribe!
 
 
Brian D. Mann
Director of Athletics