A young 25-year-old aspiring coach named Mike Coven came to Brandeis to take over the men's soccer program in 1972.

Forty years later, he is still the same boisterous and chipper coach, dedicated to his job at the head for the Judges.

"I love my job," Coven said of his role the day after his 450th career victory, a 2-1 double-overtime win against local rival Babson College. "Every day, I drive home with a smile on my face."

Since 1972, Coven has compiled a record of 450-246-9, including the 1976 NCAA Division III National Championship. The 65-year-old has also guided his team to nine Division III tournament appearances.

Coven first started playing the game as a teenager at a summer camp in Maine before proceeding to play four years of varsity soccer at American International College.

He then took an assistant job at Newton South High School. Though he was hired as an assistant, Coven found himself in the head coaching position when the head coach quit four days before the season.

After some time at Newton South, Coven came to Brandeis, where he thought he would remain for a few years before moving on to a Division I program. Yet, despite lucrative offers, Coven saw no reason to leave Brandeis.

"Once I started, I really liked it, and I said, 'Ok, this is what I want to do.' I thought I'd be here for a few years, build up my resume, win some games, and move on to a higher level.

"But I never did," he said. "I had a couple interviews. After a while, I just stopped looking. You look at yourself and say, 'This is a pretty good situation.'"

Coven credits the Brandeis community with its great support of the soccer programs.

"Here at Brandeis, all of the administration-people like President [Fred] Lawrence, [Andrew] Flagel, [Athletics Director] Sheryl Sousa-have really done a great job with letting us go on trips to places like Atlanta and Chicago, getting people out to support us and being supportive of our program," he said.

Coven also credits assistant coaches Gabe Margolis, a former player at Boston College and Wheaton College, and Tim Murray, a goalkeeper with the New England Revolution, with helping him understand the evolution of the game.

"I think a lot of the success I've had in the last few years is due to [Margolis and Murray]," he said.

In addition to his praise for his fellow coaches, Coven credited his players.

"We've got a good bunch of guys," he said, "I'm lucky that the majority of the players I've had on my teams have been real good people on and off the field. That makes it enjoyable because whether you're winning or losing, you're working with people you enjoy."

They enjoy working with him, too.