A former Ankeny boys’ soccer player is coming home.
Gavin Mason, who played for Ankeny as a freshman and sophomore in the 2014-15 seasons before transferring to Ankeny Christian Academy, has been named the new head coach of the Ankeny girls’ program. His hiring was approved by the Ankeny School Board on Monday night.
“I’m very excited,” said Mason. “This was an opportunity to be back in Ankeny. I love Ankeny and the soccer community in particular. My parents and younger siblings all live in the area as well, and this was an opportunity to be close to them and be part of the community again.”
Mason played in college at Gustavus Adolphus before making the transition to coaching when injuries derailed his own career. He started coaching at Mankato (Minn.) West when he was a junior in college.
“That’s where I’ve been since,” he said. “I spent three years as an assistant and JV coach, and then the last four years I’ve been the head coach of the boys’ program.”
Ankeny Activities Director Mike Bakker was impressed by Mason during the interview process.
“Gavin’s vision for the future of the program and his background as a head coach made him the right choice for this highly respected program,” Bakker said.
Mason replaces Simon Brown, who guided the Hawkettes to an 87-23-4 record over the last six seasons. Brown led the program to six straight state tournament appearances, including a Class 3A championship in 2019.
Mason’s sister, Cambri, was a senior on the 2019 squad.
“They’ve had a lot of success under coach Brown,” Mason said. “I have good familiarity with the program, and it’s been really impressive to see what he’s been able to do over the last several years–both the success on the field and the culture that the program has. I hope to be able to build upon the strong culture that already exists in the program.”
Ankeny went 11-3-3 in its final season under Brown, who left to become an assistant coach for the Wisconsin men’s program. The Hawkettes lost to Waukee, 2-1, in a shootout in a Class 3A quarterfinal.
Senior Avery Taylor was among the players who sat in on the coaching interviews.
“I really felt that his remarks during the interview seemed genuine, and his aspirations for the future of our program aligned with many of our previous experiences with coach Simon,” Taylor said. “His prior coaching experience with high school aged players made me feel confident in his ability to take on this role. Being from Ankeny, we felt that his connection to our community would be strong, and he even mentioned various goals to improve our involvement through volunteering/team bonding. He was very open to our input during the interview and plans to honor the legacy of our program.
“Overall, I thought he seemed very ‘team oriented’ and would lead our program with the players’ best interest in mind,” she added.
Mason said he has followed all of the Ankeny programs from afar ever since he moved to Minnesota.
“I’ve actually come back every year to watch the Ankeny Derby until this last year,” he said.
Mason has previously coached girls at the club level, which should make the conversion from coaching boys easier for him.
“It will be a transition for sure at the high school level, but I’m excited about that aspect as well,” he said. “There are differences for sure, but it’s fun in different ways. I’ve really enjoyed my experiences with the girls, and I’m excited about being able to coach them at Ankeny.”