New London - His office is decorated with a distinguished career's worth of fond memories.

Mitchell College men's soccer team photographs, plaques representing noteworthy accomplishments, and other cherished mementos cover nearly all available wall space.

Few coaches have made as a significant impact on Mitchell athletics as Dean Roberts, now in his 28th season as head coach.

But this will be his final season. Roberts recently told his team that he's retiring at the end of this season.

"I got a little choked up," Roberts said of his emotions while breaking the news. "As soon as I said after 28 years, all of a sudden, it was like, wow, this is really happening."

Why now?

It's just time, Roberts said.

"He's such a gem," athletic director Mo White said. "Those are big shoes to fill. Dean does things right in every regard. I'm happy for him. We'll miss him."

Robert will remain as a full-time faculty member, serving as chair of the Sports Management department.

He looks forward to finally getting a chance to spend a fall with his family, including his wife, Judy, and two active daughters - 10-year-old Katie and Jennifer, a sophomore at Valley Regional High School in Deep River. He laments the fact that he only got to watch one of Jennifer's soccer games last season.

"You don't get those days back," Roberts said. "No reason particularly why now - just 28 years. Plus, my wife Judy has been outstanding for the 28 years. We want to enjoy our falls and be with family."

The timing of his decision says a lot about how much he cares about the program. He made the announcement in September to help prepare his players for the change and ensure a smooth transition, giving the next coach, Damian Houlden, a chance to recruit.

Houlden is leaving the women's program after this season to lead the men's team.

Roberts, a respected coach and all-around good guy, wants to jog quietly off into the sunset without any farewell salute.

"This year is business as usual," he said. "Nothing is going to change. It's not winning one for the old man going out. That shouldn't be the rally cry."

The players are determined to send their coach out with a successful season. The Mariners (3-2-1 overall) expect to contend for the New England Collegiate Conference title.

"We're going to win for Dean this year," said Jordan Cook, a senior captain from Groton. "We're going to try our hardest. This will be in the back of my mind every game we play."

Roberts has seen it all during his career, building a strong junior college program and then guiding the Mariners through a difficult transition to the NCAA Division III ranks. He's coached in 464 soccer games, posting a 224-210-30 record.

Remarkably, only two seasons did his team fail to qualify for the postseason. He also coached baseball for his first 12 years at Mitchell, starting in 1986.

"I'd always like a few more championships, but we've been very consistent," he said.

He cherishes the relationships that he's built with his players, watching them grow from the first recruiting meeting to graduation day.

"I'd like to think I made a difference in a good number of kids' lives," Roberts said.

Roberts challenges his players to excel on the soccer field and in the classroom. He's proud of the team's graduation rate. He truly cares about them, according Marc Ferace, who played for Roberts and served as his assistant coach for the last 12 years.

Ferace has learned more than just about soccer from Roberts.

"Coach has taught me a lot about making connections with players, about honesty, about setting goals that don't directly relate to wins and losses such as integrity and sportsmanship," Ferace said.

"For instance, we've really challenged players about yellow cards. … Right now, looking at the conference, we have the lowest number, and it's for a reason."

Cook feels fortunate to spend his entire career with Roberts, adding that Roberts has been coaching longer than Cook has been alive.

"He's been good to us," Cook said. "I luckily had him for four years. We're deeply going to miss him. He always makes us laugh. He's always in high spirits and always there for us, anything we need."

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe