Clemson Tigers men's soccer

Clemson Tigers men's soccer
2024 Clemson Tigers men's soccer team
Founded1934; 90 years ago (1934)
UniversityClemson University
Head coachMike Noonan (15th season)
ConferenceACC
Atlantic Division
LocationClemson, South Carolina
StadiumHistoric Riggs Field
(Capacity: 6,500)
NicknameTigers
ColorsOrange and regalia[1]
   
Home
Away
NCAA Tournament championships
1984, 1987, 2021, 2023
NCAA Tournament runner-up
1979, 2015
NCAA Tournament Semifinals
1973, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1987, 2005, 2015, 2021, 2023
NCAA Tournament appearances
1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Conference Tournament championships
1998*, 2001*, 2000, 2014, 2020, 2023
Conference Regular Season championships
1972*, 1973*, 1974*, 1975*, 1976*, 1977*, 1978*, 1979*, 1981*, 1982*, 1985*, 1990, 1993, 1998, 2019, 2021

The Clemson Tigers men's soccer team represent Clemson University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I soccer. The program has won 4 NCAA national championships, 16 Atlantic Coast Conference championships, and hosted 4 Hermann Trophy winners (Bruce Murray in 1987, Wojtek Krakowiak in 1998, Robbie Robinson in 2019, and Ousmane Sylla in 2023).

History

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The 1939 Clemson team

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 to 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.

A Clemson match in 1976

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 five 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 second 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 an 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 2001 season, the Tigers captured their second 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.

Clemson playing vs. NC State in September 2006

The 2006 team would make the round of 16, falling to eventual runner-up UCLA. 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.[2] 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 fourth head soccer coach.[3] Since Coach Noonan took over, the Tigers have slowly risen back to prominence, returning to the NCAA tournament in 2013 and winning their 14th ACC championship in 2014. In 2015, the Tigers advanced to the finals of the NCAA College Cup for the first time since 1987, falling in the national championship match to Stanford. In 2016, the Tigers finished runners up in the ACC Tournament and advanced to the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. In 2019, the Tigers would win the ACC Atlantic Division, finished runners up in the ACC tournament, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. In addition, Robbie Robinson became the third Clemson player to win the Hermann Trophy. Robinson was drafted first overall in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, becoming the first Clemson men's soccer player to be drafted first overall.[4] 2021 was a landmark year for the program and coach Noonan as the Tigers won the national title for the third time in program history and had a school-record six players drafted in the MLS Draft.[5] 2023 was also a banner year for the team as they won their second national title in three years. They defeated Notre Dame 2–1 in the title match after not having allowed a goal in the tournament leading up to the final.[6] They also won the ACC Tournament in 2023, with a penalty shoot-out victory over North Carolina.[7] Ousmane Sylla also became the fourth Clemson player to win the Hermann Trophy.[8]

Players

[edit]
See also: Category:Clemson Tigers men's soccer players

Current roster

[edit]
As of 13 Sep 2024[9]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
0 GK United States USA Patrick Donovan
1 GK Ghana GHA Joseph Andema
2 DF Iceland ISL Lukas Magnason
3 DF United States USA Adam Lundegard
4 DF United States USA Galen Flynn
5 DF United States USA Terry Watson
6 DF France FRA Joran Gerbet
7 FW Ghana GHA Wahabu Musah
8 DF United States USA Mason Lamb
9 FW United States USA Tyler Trimnal
10 MF United States USA Jackson Worbel
11 MF Japan JPN Misei Yoshizawa
12 GK United States USA Charlie Reed
13 DF United States USA Mathieu Brick
14 DF United States USA Titus Sandy Jr.
15 FW Estonia EST Alex Meinhard
16 MF United States USA Mason Jimenez
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF Italy ITA Antonio Illuminato
18 DF United States USA Matthias Leib
19 FW United States USA James Kelly
20 MF Ghana GHA Ransford Gyan
21 MF United States USA Noah Behrmann
22 GK United States USA Aiden Hampton
23 FW United States USA Duncan Wilson
24 FW United States USA Vitor Geromel
25 MF United States USA Nathan Richmond
26 FW Italy ITA Marco Garcia
28 DF England ENG Will Cain
29 DF Brazil BRA Rafael Borlido
30 FW United States USA Remi Okunlola
31 GK United States USA Logan Brown
33 DF France FRA Arthur Duquenne
34 MF United States USA Samir Dishnica
35 MF Bolivia BOL Paulino Paz

Notable alumni

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Current professionals

[edit]
  • Updated January 12, 2024

Coaches

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Coaching staff

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Position Staff
Athletic director United States Graham Neff
Head coach United States Mike Noonan
Associate head coach England Philip Jones
Assistant coach Colombia Camilo Rodriguez
Director of Operations United States Rob Thompson

Seasons

[edit]
Keys
  •   National Champion †
  •   Conference Champions
  •   NCAA Tournament berth
Season Head coach[10] Season results[11] Tournament results
Overall Conference Conference[12][A 1] NCAA[13][A 2]
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†
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†
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 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^
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 5 8 4 2 4 2 7th Quarterfinal —
2011 8 8 2 4 4 0 7th Quarterfinal —
2012 6 9 5 3 2 3 5th Semifinal —
2013 11 7 3 5 4 2 T-4th Semifinal First round^
2014* 12 7 3 5 2 1 T-1st Atlantic Division Champion* Round of 16^
2015 17 3 4 6 1 1 2nd Atlantic Division Semifinal Runner-Up*
2016 14 4 5 4 1 3 3rd Atlantic Division Runner-Up Quarterfinal^
2017 12 6 1 4 4 0 3rd Atlantic Division Semifinal Second round^
2018 7 9 1 2 6 0 6th Atlantic Division First round —
2019 18 2 2 6 1 1 1st Atlantic Division Runner-Up Quarterfinal^
2020 14 3 3 7 3 2 1st Atlantic Division Champion* Round of 16
2021† 16 5 2 5 3 0 1st Atlantic Division Semifinal Champion†
2022 13 7 1 3 4 1 4th Atlantic Division Runner-Up Second round
2023† 15 3 5 4 2 2 2nd Atlantic Division Champion* Champion†
  1. ^ The Atlantic Coast Conference began holding a tournament in 1987.
  2. ^ The NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship began in 1959.

Honours

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Clemson Athletics Style Guide". Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  2. ^ Kennedy, Paul (June 17, 2009). "Trevor Adair resigns as Clemson coach". College Soccer Reporter. Soccer America. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
  3. ^ Szostak, Mike (January 5, 2010). "Brown soccer coach Mike Noonan leaves for Clemson". Providence Journal. Archived from the original on August 3, 2011. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
  4. ^ "Robinson #1 Selection in 2020 MLS Superdraft". clemsontigers.com. Clemson University. January 9, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  5. ^ "lemson Has School-Record Six Players Drafted". clemsontigers.com. Clemson University Athletics. January 11, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  6. ^ "Parrish and Sylla each score to help Clemson beat Notre Dame for program's 4th men's soccer title". apnews.com. Associated Press. December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  7. ^ Turri, Alex (November 12, 2023). "Clemson wins the 2023 ACC Championship over North Carolina in penalty kicks". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  8. ^ Keepfer, Scott (January 5, 2024). "Clemson's Ousmane Sylla wins Hermann Trophy as college soccer player of the year". Greenville News. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  9. ^ "2024-25 Men's Soccer Roster". clemsontigers.com. Clemson University Athletics. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  10. ^ 2010 Media Guide, pp. 93
  11. ^ 2010 Media Guide, pp. 94–100
  12. ^ "2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Soccer" (PDF). Atlantic Coast Conference. pp. 51, 58–60. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  13. ^ "Men's Division I Championship Brackets" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 6, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2011.

Bibliography

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