Sept. 24, 2012

Jeff Thomas of the Springfield Republican has an in-depth article with longtime UMass men's soccer coach Sam Koch and his ongoing battle with sinus cancer, which has included daily trips to Boston for treatments.

The following is an excerpt from the article that appeared in the Springfield Republican's print edition on Saturday, Sept. 22. You can read the entire article online here.

Not only does he not make anything involving the team about him, he seldom singles out an individual player for either praise or criticism.

Talking about himself just isn't something the veteran coach is comfortable doing under normal circumstances.

But these days are not "normal circumstances" for Koch - he's fighting for his life against cancer of the sinus cavity.

Diagnosed in the summer after believing he was suffering from a stubborn sinus infection, Koch is undergoing daily treatments in Boston while still coaching the Minutemen.