Tom Liner
Encyclopedia
Tom Liner is a former U.S. soccer goalkeeper
who currently coaches the Foothill College
men’s soccer team. He played two seasons in Major League Soccer
with the San Jose Clash as well as in the USISL and lower Austrian divisions.
Liner grew up in San Carlos, California
and attended Sequoia High School
where he played both soccer and tennis. He went on to play soccer at California State University, Chico
from 1988 to 1991. He holds the school record for career shut outs with 22 and career goalkeeping victories with 30. In 1991, he moved to Austria where he signed with third division S.K. Kallein, based out of Salzburg. After one season, he returned to the United States, where he served as an assistant coach at Chico State. In the summer of 1994, he played for the expansion Reno Rattlers
in the USISL in addition to coaching at Chico and Sacred Heart Preparatory
in Atherton, California
. That fall he received an offer to play for P.S.V. Schwartz Weiss in the Austrian second division. Liner would remain in Austria for the next two years. In February 1996, the San Jose Clash selected Liner in the fourteenth round (138th overall) of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
. That season, he was the Clash starting goalkeeper, playing twenty games with a 1.73 goals against average
. Injuries reduced his playing time in 1997 to two games. He retired from playing professionally at the end of the season and was immediately hired as the head coach of the Foothill College
women’s soccer team. From 2007 he has coached the Foothill Mens soccer team.
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
who currently coaches the Foothill College
Foothill College
Foothill College is a community college located in Los Altos Hills, California and is part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. It was founded on January 15, 1957 by Founding Superintendent and President Dr. Calvin C. Flint.-History:...
men’s soccer team. He played two seasons in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
with the San Jose Clash as well as in the USISL and lower Austrian divisions.
Liner grew up in San Carlos, California
San Carlos, California
San Carlos is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA on the San Francisco Peninsula, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. It is an affluent small residential suburb located between Belmont to the north and Redwood City to the south. San Carlos' ZIP code is 94070, and it is within...
and attended Sequoia High School
Sequoia High School (Redwood City, California)
Sequoia High School is a high school in downtown Redwood City, California, United States. Established in 1895, it is the oldest high school in the San Francisco Bay Area between San Francisco and San Jose. It was founded as a preparatory school for Stanford University...
where he played both soccer and tennis. He went on to play soccer at California State University, Chico
California State University, Chico
California State University, Chico is the second-oldest campus in the twenty-three-campus California State University system. It is located in Chico, California, about ninety miles north of Sacramento...
from 1988 to 1991. He holds the school record for career shut outs with 22 and career goalkeeping victories with 30. In 1991, he moved to Austria where he signed with third division S.K. Kallein, based out of Salzburg. After one season, he returned to the United States, where he served as an assistant coach at Chico State. In the summer of 1994, he played for the expansion Reno Rattlers
Reno Rattlers
The Reno Rattlers were an American soccer team based in Reno, Nevada. The club began in the USISL and moved to the USL Second Division in 1995. The team moved up to the USISL Select League in 1996, but returned to the Pro League the next season.-Year-by-year:...
in the USISL in addition to coaching at Chico and Sacred Heart Preparatory
Sacred Heart Preparatory (Atherton, California)
Sacred Heart Schools Atherton, formerly known as Sacred Heart Preparatory, Sacred Heart Prep, or, more colloquially, SHP, is an independent private, Society of the Sacred Heart affiliated college preparatory school in Atherton, California, USA...
in Atherton, California
Atherton, California
Atherton is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Its population was 6,914 at the 2010 census. In September 2010, Forbes magazine placed Atherton's zip code of 94027 at #2 on its annual list of America's most expensive zip codes, with a median home price of $4,010,200...
. That fall he received an offer to play for P.S.V. Schwartz Weiss in the Austrian second division. Liner would remain in Austria for the next two years. In February 1996, the San Jose Clash selected Liner in the fourteenth round (138th overall) of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
The MLS Inaugural Player Draft, held before Major League Soccer's initial 1996 season, distributed players who had already graduated from college to the league's ten inaugural teams. The draft occurred on February 6 and 7, 1996...
. That season, he was the Clash starting goalkeeper, playing twenty games with a 1.73 goals against average
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
. Injuries reduced his playing time in 1997 to two games. He retired from playing professionally at the end of the season and was immediately hired as the head coach of the Foothill College
Foothill College
Foothill College is a community college located in Los Altos Hills, California and is part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. It was founded on January 15, 1957 by Founding Superintendent and President Dr. Calvin C. Flint.-History:...
women’s soccer team. From 2007 he has coached the Foothill Mens soccer team.