BRUNSWICK — The Bowdoin College Athletic Department has announced that Fran O’Leary will be stepping down as head coach of the men’s soccer program to join Toronto FC of Major League Soccer.

On Monday, O’Leary accepted the position of Assistant Coach and Director of Player Recruitment with Toronto FC. He will serve under new head coach Ryan Nelsen. Bowdoin will begin a national search for his replacement.

One of the most distinguished coaches in program history, O’Leary came to Bowdoin in the summer of 2005 and led the Polar Bears to unprecedented success. The two best seasons in program history came under the Dublin, Ireland native, as the squad posted an 11-4-2 mark and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2009. They followed it up with an outstanding 15-2-4 mark in 2010, which included the team’s firstever NCAA Tournament victory and appearance in the Division III Final Four.

Over the course of his seven seasons, O’Leary accumulated a record of 74-39-14, boasting a winning percentage of .638. Prior to Bowdoin, O’Leary also enjoyed successful coaching stints at Dartmouth, George Mason and Elmira.

“Toronto is a fantastic opportunity to stretch myself as a coach,” said O’Leary. “However, it was still an incredibly difficult decision given how much fulfillment I have received coaching at Bowdoin. I do not have the words to do justice to my feelings about our team and the school.”

“Although we are sorry to see Fran leave, we are excited for this new opportunity for him and his family,” said Interim Director of Athletics Tim Ryan. “He is obviously a fantastic coach but is also a valued member of our department and college community. We wish him the best of luck in Toronto.”