Newly hired Northeastern men’s soccer coach, Brian Ainscough, has a natural affinity for Boston.

Since his second stint in coaching at Boston College in 1992, Ainscough, like many Irish-Americans, has found the 3,441-mile difference between his native Dublin and the Hub to be closer than most think.

“I’m glad to be back home,” Ainscough said. “I guess it’s as home as can be for me. I’ve always wanted to be back in Massachusetts. Even when I was down in Rhode Island, I was living in Canton.”

The top men’s soccer coaching job on Huntington Avenue has been vacant since November, when former coach and Director of Soccer Ed Matz declared his intention to coach just the women’s team.

Ainscough, who remained in New England at both Bowdoin and Providence, knew where to send his information to come back to his home away from home.

“This is a pretty solid program,” Ainscough said. “Last year, it was hard to judge this team based on wins and losses, because during the last six years, this has been one of the better teams in the America East.”

Ainscough’s r