There’s no place like home for Jason Horvath who has returned as Liberty’s boys soccer coach after the resignation of Ian Larimer earlier this year.

“It was an opportunity to go back to where I started, where I played and where I coached,” Horvath said. “It feels like home, and it was a great opportunity to coach again.”

Horvath heard about the opening from his nephew Tanner who plays on the team, updated his resume, and got in touch with Liberty athletic director Fred Harris.

“I think a lot of people were surprised, but you miss a place like Liberty. They’re good people in that building, in the administration, and it was such a perfect opportunity. I couldn’t be more excited to be back,” said Horvath, who was also a building sub at Liberty before his current position in the art department at Phillipsburg High School.

Horvath was the Hurricanes’ head coach from 2006-2016 before taking a year off, then assisted with the boys soccer team at Phillipsburg.

Coincidentally, Liberty’s first summer league game was a match against Phillipsburg on June 1.

“Liberty hasn’t had the best two seasons in a row but certainly have the potential to get it going in the right direction and will do our best to do so,” said Horvath, who is assisted by Colin Jupina and Derek Reusser. “A lot of it is getting them to pick their heads up.”

Horvath explained that doubt starts to creep in, especially when Liberty loses to teams they don’t typically lose to. From there, the players start to question what they’re doing there.

But Horvath, Jupina, and Reusser intend to turn that around, and with the Hurricanes’ first summer league win on June 29 under their belt, the steps are being made.

“The kids are in a really good place. We’re working on the positive and eliminating the negative,” Horvath said. “They just have to believe in themselves.”