Clemson Tigers men's soccer
Encyclopedia
The Clemson Tigers men's soccer team represent Clemson University
in the Atlantic Coast Conference
of NCAA Division I soccer. The team has won 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
championships, 2 NCAA national championships, and hosted 2 Hermann Trophy
winners (Bruce Murray in 1987 and Wojtek Krakowiak
in 1998).
The 1972 season proved to be a breakout year for the Tigers. The Tigers went undefeated in conference play to capture the first of eight straight ACC titles and finished the year with a 13–1–1 record and earned their first trip to the NCAA tournament. The 1973 season would prove to be even more successful, as the Tigers went 16–1 and made it to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. By the end of the decade, the Tigers had 8 conference titles, 3 trips to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament, an Elite 8 appearance, 3 Final Four appearances, and finished the 1979 season as national runners-up.
Clemson's streak of ACC titles and NCAA appearances was broken during the 1980 season, but the Tigers rebounded with conference titles during the 1981, 1982, and 1985 seasons (Clemson's last before the ACC adopted its tournament format) and 5 straight appearances in the NCAA tournament. The 1984 season saw the Tigers finally reach the summit of national prominence, as the Tigers went 22–4 against a very tough schedule and won the 1984 National Championship. During the 1984 NCAA Tournament, Clemson had to face the top four seeds in the tournament (Alabama A&M, Virginia, UCLA, and Indiana). After failing to make the NCAA tournament in 1986, the Tigers earned their 2nd National Championship during the 1987 season. The Tigers finished the 1987 regular season 13–5–1, but had struggled during conference play. Reportedly, the Tigers were the 23rd team selected for the 24-team NCAA tournament. The Tigers, however, won three straight road games, which included an upset of #1-ranked Indiana (who hadn't lost a NCAA tournament home game prior to the match), and was chosen to host the Final Four at Riggs Field. In the semifinals, the Tigers avenged two earlier losses to North Carolina and, in the championship game, knocked off San Diego State (another surprise finalist). In addition, Bruce Murray won the 1987 Hermann Trophy
(the first Clemson player to win the award).
The 1990s saw the first change of head coaches in school history, as Dr. Ibrahim retired after the 1994 season and was replaced by Brown
head coach Trevor Adair
. The Tigers captured their first ACC Tournament championship in 1998, won 3 ACC regular season titles (1990, 1993, and 1998), and had another player honored with the Hermann Trophy (Wojtek Krakowiak
, 1998). The Tigers made 6 appearances in the NCAA tournament, with their best finishes being trips to the Elite 8 in 1997 and 1998.
During the 2004 season, the Tigers captured their 2nd ACC Tournament championship and advanced to the Elite 8. After another Elite 8 run in 2002, the Tigers experienced a down time, failing to advance out of the first round in 2003 and missing the NCAA tournament altogether in 2004. The 2005 squad, however, would make a strong run during the NCAA tournament, advancing to the Final Four for the first time since the 1987 squad's national title. The 2006 team would make the round of 16, falling to eventual runner-up UCLA. This would be Clemson's most recent trip to the NCAA tournament, as the Tigers have failed to make the field of 48 since then. The 2008 squad, despite not making the tournament, was one of only two teams in the country to defeat both national champion Maryland and national runner-up North Carolina during the season. Trevor Adair resigned as head coach of the Tigers on June 16, 2009, two months after being placed on a leave of absence after reportedly assaulting his two daughters during a domestic dispute. Assistant coach Phil Hindson was promoted to interim head coach for the 2009 season, marking only the second change in head coaches in Tiger history. The Tigers struggled through the 2009 season, finishing with a final record of 6–12–1 despite a victory over national champion Virginia during the season.
On January 5, 2010, it was announced that former Brown
head coach Mike Noonan
was hired as Clemson's 4th head soccer coach.
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
in the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
of NCAA Division I soccer. The team has won 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
championships, 2 NCAA national championships, and hosted 2 Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...
winners (Bruce Murray in 1987 and Wojtek Krakowiak
Wojtek Krakowiak
Wojtek Krakowiak is retired Polish-American football midfielder who coaches the Rutgers-Newark women's soccer team. He played professionally in Major League Soccer.-Youth:...
in 1998).
History
Clemson began sponsoring a soccer team in 1934, playing a hybrid schedule of colleges and prep schools. The team was discontinued after the 1939 season. In 1967, the university decided to re-add soccer as a varsity sport. Dr. I. M. Ibrahim, who was a chemistry professor at the time, was chosen to lead the program. In the program's inaugural season, the team posted a 6–5 record. From 1967–1971, the Tigers posted four winning seasons overall, but were consistently in the bottom tier of the ACC.The 1972 season proved to be a breakout year for the Tigers. The Tigers went undefeated in conference play to capture the first of eight straight ACC titles and finished the year with a 13–1–1 record and earned their first trip to the NCAA tournament. The 1973 season would prove to be even more successful, as the Tigers went 16–1 and made it to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. By the end of the decade, the Tigers had 8 conference titles, 3 trips to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament, an Elite 8 appearance, 3 Final Four appearances, and finished the 1979 season as national runners-up.
Clemson's streak of ACC titles and NCAA appearances was broken during the 1980 season, but the Tigers rebounded with conference titles during the 1981, 1982, and 1985 seasons (Clemson's last before the ACC adopted its tournament format) and 5 straight appearances in the NCAA tournament. The 1984 season saw the Tigers finally reach the summit of national prominence, as the Tigers went 22–4 against a very tough schedule and won the 1984 National Championship. During the 1984 NCAA Tournament, Clemson had to face the top four seeds in the tournament (Alabama A&M, Virginia, UCLA, and Indiana). After failing to make the NCAA tournament in 1986, the Tigers earned their 2nd National Championship during the 1987 season. The Tigers finished the 1987 regular season 13–5–1, but had struggled during conference play. Reportedly, the Tigers were the 23rd team selected for the 24-team NCAA tournament. The Tigers, however, won three straight road games, which included an upset of #1-ranked Indiana (who hadn't lost a NCAA tournament home game prior to the match), and was chosen to host the Final Four at Riggs Field. In the semifinals, the Tigers avenged two earlier losses to North Carolina and, in the championship game, knocked off San Diego State (another surprise finalist). In addition, Bruce Murray won the 1987 Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...
(the first Clemson player to win the award).
The 1990s saw the first change of head coaches in school history, as Dr. Ibrahim retired after the 1994 season and was replaced by Brown
Brown Bears
The Brown Bears is a name shared by all sports teams at Brown University, a university located in Providence, Rhode Island in the United States. The Bears are part of the Ivy League conference. Brown's mascot is Bruno. Both the men's and women's teams share the name, competing in 37 National...
head coach Trevor Adair
Trevor Adair
Trevor Adair is the former head coach of the Clemson Tigers men’s soccer team. He has coached at the collegiate level since 1982 after playing soccer at Lock Haven University.-Player:...
. The Tigers captured their first ACC Tournament championship in 1998, won 3 ACC regular season titles (1990, 1993, and 1998), and had another player honored with the Hermann Trophy (Wojtek Krakowiak
Wojtek Krakowiak
Wojtek Krakowiak is retired Polish-American football midfielder who coaches the Rutgers-Newark women's soccer team. He played professionally in Major League Soccer.-Youth:...
, 1998). The Tigers made 6 appearances in the NCAA tournament, with their best finishes being trips to the Elite 8 in 1997 and 1998.
During the 2004 season, the Tigers captured their 2nd ACC Tournament championship and advanced to the Elite 8. After another Elite 8 run in 2002, the Tigers experienced a down time, failing to advance out of the first round in 2003 and missing the NCAA tournament altogether in 2004. The 2005 squad, however, would make a strong run during the NCAA tournament, advancing to the Final Four for the first time since the 1987 squad's national title. The 2006 team would make the round of 16, falling to eventual runner-up UCLA. This would be Clemson's most recent trip to the NCAA tournament, as the Tigers have failed to make the field of 48 since then. The 2008 squad, despite not making the tournament, was one of only two teams in the country to defeat both national champion Maryland and national runner-up North Carolina during the season. Trevor Adair resigned as head coach of the Tigers on June 16, 2009, two months after being placed on a leave of absence after reportedly assaulting his two daughters during a domestic dispute. Assistant coach Phil Hindson was promoted to interim head coach for the 2009 season, marking only the second change in head coaches in Tiger history. The Tigers struggled through the 2009 season, finishing with a final record of 6–12–1 despite a victory over national champion Virginia during the season.
On January 5, 2010, it was announced that former Brown
Brown Bears
The Brown Bears is a name shared by all sports teams at Brown University, a university located in Providence, Rhode Island in the United States. The Bears are part of the Ivy League conference. Brown's mascot is Bruno. Both the men's and women's teams share the name, competing in 37 National...
head coach Mike Noonan
Mike Noonan
Mike Noonan is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in the American Indoor Soccer Association and is currently the head coach of the Clemson University men's soccer team.-Player:...
was hired as Clemson's 4th head soccer coach.
Seasons
| National Champions | Conference Champions* | NCAA Tournament berth^ |
| Season | Head coach | Season results | Tournament results | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Conference | Conference | NCAA | |||||||
| Wins | Losses | Ties | Wins | Losses | Ties | Finish | ||||
| 1934–35 | Fred Kirchner | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1936 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1937 | 3 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1938 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1939 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1940–1966: No team | ||||||||||
| 1967 | I. M. Ibrahim | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4th | — | — |
| 1968 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5th | — | — | |
| 1969 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5th | — | — | |
| 1970 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6th | — | — | |
| 1971 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5th | — | — | |
| 1972* | 13 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Champion* | — | Round of 16^ | |
| 1973* | 16 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Champion* | — | Final Four^ | |
| 1974* | 12 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Champion* | — | Round of 16^ | |
| 1975* | 13 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Champion* | — | Round of 16^ | |
| 1976* | 18 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | Champion* | — | Fourth Place^ | |
| 1977* | 16 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Champion* | — | Quarterfinal^ | |
| 1978* | 18 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | Champion* | — | Third Place^ | |
| 1979* | 16 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Champion* | — | Runner-Up* | |
| 1980 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2nd | — | — | |
| 1981* | 18 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | Champion* | — | Round of 16^ | |
| 1982* | 18 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | Champion* | — | Round of 16^ | |
| 1983 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3rd | — | First Round^ | |
| 1984 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2nd | — | Champion 1984 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship The 1984 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship was a tournament of 23 teams from NCAA Division I who played for the NCAA Championship in soccer. The final was held on December 16, 1984, at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington. All the other games were played at the home field of the higher... |
|
| 1985* | 19 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | Champion* | — | Round of 16^ | |
| 1986 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3rd | — | — | |
| 1987 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5th | First Round | Champion 1987 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship The 1987 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship was a tournament of 24 teams from NCAA Division I who played for the NCAA Championship in soccer. The College Cup for the final four teams was held on December 5 and 6 at Riggs Field in Clemson, South Carolina. All the other games were played at... |
|
| 1988 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5th | First Round | — | |
| 1989 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5th | First Round | — | |
| 1990 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1st | First Round | First Round^ | |
| 1991 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5th | First Round | First Round^ | |
| 1992 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6th | Final | — | |
| 1993 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1st | Final | Round of 16^ | |
| 1994 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6th | Quarterfinal | — | |
| 1995 | Trevor Adair Trevor Adair Trevor Adair is the former head coach of the Clemson Tigers men’s soccer team. He has coached at the collegiate level since 1982 after playing soccer at Lock Haven University.-Player:... |
16 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3rd | First Round | Round of 16^ |
| 1996 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5th | First Round | — | |
| 1997 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5th | First Round | Quarterfinal 1997 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship The 1997 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship was a tournament of 32 collegiate soccer teams who played for the NCAA Championship in soccer. The semifinals and final were held at City Stadium in Richmond, Virginia. All the other games were played at the home field of the higher seeded team... ^ |
|
| 1998* | 22 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1st | Champion* | Quarterfinal^ | |
| 1999 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4th | First Round | — | |
| 2000 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4th | First Round | Round of 16^ | |
| 2001* | 19 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | T-2nd | Champion* | Quarterfinal^ | |
| 2002 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6th | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal^ | |
| 2003 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6th | First Round | First Round^ | |
| 2004 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 6th | First Round | — | |
| 2005 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7th | Quarterfinal | Final Four^ | |
| 2006 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | T-5th | First Round | Round of 16^ | |
| 2007 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 7th | First Round | — | |
| 2008 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6th | First Round | — | |
| 2009 | Phil Hindson | 6 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 9th | Second Round | — |
| 2010 | Mike Noonan Mike Noonan Mike Noonan is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in the American Indoor Soccer Association and is currently the head coach of the Clemson University men's soccer team.-Player:... |
5 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7th | Quarterfinal | — |
| 2011 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7th | Quarterfinal | — | |