Brian O’Connor begins his second season with the Prairie Fire after joining the Knox men’s soccer coaching staff as an assistant in the spring of 2015. He was an assistant coach for his alma mater, Illinois College, in 2014 when the Blueboys advanced to the Midwest Conference tournament for the first time since 1993.
In 2015 O’Connor translated his experience playing as an attacker in the lower leagues of Germany to help coach Knox’s offensive players. The Prairie Fire ranked third in the country in goals scored per game. They also scored the most goals in program history.
O’Connor serves as Knox Soccer’s recruiting coordinator and helps with all aspects of the program including scouting/video analysis, practice preparation, game preparation and academic monitoring.
A four-year men’s soccer letter winner at Illinois College, O’Connor earned All-Midwest Conference honors as a senior attacking midfielder in 2009 and helped lead the team to its best season in 16 years. He joined the U.S. Army after graduating in 2010 and served tours of duty while stationed in Germany and Afghanistan.
A native of Pleasant Plains, Illinois, O’Connor and his wife Sarah reside in Galesburg where their budding family enjoys spending free time on Knox’s beautiful campus and watching other Knox athletic events.