Nicol held in high regard by Revs

Emotions ran high at Gillette Stadium yesterday morning as the Revolution processed the departure of coach Steve Nicol.

Kyle McCarthy of the Boston Herald writes of the final meeting between Stevie Nicol and his New England Revolution players, as well as the profound effect he had on the Revs.

Nicol came into the Revs locker room and briefly addressed his former players on the day after he and the club mutually decided to conclude their relationship after 10 seasons.

The quick meeting and the following training session — one held without Nicol’s presence on the practice field — reinforced the finality of the news.

“I almost went to tears, to be honest about it,” Revolution captain Shalrie Joseph said regarding his initial reaction to the end of Nicol’s tenure. “I’ve known Stevie for over nine years now. He’s a huge part of my success and a huge part of where I am right now. It’s definitely one of my saddest days as a Revolution player.”

Nicol’s approach to his duties — he cultivated relationships off the field and trusted his players to excel on it — inspired loyalty from many of his charges and made the parting of ways all the more difficult.

“He has a way of keeping things light that’s always great for players,” Revolution midfielder Chris Tierney said. “He’s always got our backs. As a manager through the tough times, he doesn’t point fingers. He always puts it on his back and takes the pressure off of us. He’s a textbook players’ coach. We’ll always appreciate what he did for us in terms of soccer, but also personally as well.”