Indiana University Athletics
Yeagley: National Coach of the Year
1/17/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Recently retired Indiana men's soccer coach Jerry Yeagley was named the 2003 adidas/National Soccer Coaches' Assocation of America National Coach of the Year award for Division I on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C. at the annual NSCAA Convention. The honor marks the sixth of its kind for Yeagley, which stands as a record. He also earned national coach of the year accolades in 1976, 1980, 1994, 1998 and 1999.
Yeagley's players sent him out in style with his sixth NCAA championship in 2003. His career numbers speak for themselves: six NCAA titles and 16 trips to the College Cup, both second-most in NCAA history; 12 appearances in the championship game, and every four-year Indiana player has competed in at least one College Cup, a claim that no other program can make. Since he guided soccer to varsity status on the Bloomington campus in 1973, no other team has won more NCAA Championships or appeared in more College Cups.
The consistency the Indiana program has maintained under Yeagley's tutelage is unmatched. Yeagley led the Hoosiers to 27 NCAA tournament berths, the third-most in NCAA history, including one in each of the last 16 seasons. He also guided Indiana to 10 Big Ten tournament championships since they began 13 years ago, and his squads have been on top of the regular-season conference standings the past eight years. Yeagley's overall career record closes at 544-101-45 (.821) and he posted a winning record in all 31 of his seasons in Bloomington. He is only the second coach in NCAA Division I men's soccer history to post 500 career wins, and his 544 career wins rank No. 1 among Division I men's coaches.
In addition, Yeagley's mentor, Mel Lorback, received the NSCAA's highest recognition, the Honor Award at the NSCAA convention. Lorback was the coach at West Chester University for 34 years. His teams also advanced to two national semifinals, won six NCAA regional championship and three conference titles. Under his guidance, 16 West Chester players achieved All-America status, and many of his past student-athletes have forged highly successful coaching careers at the high school and college levels. Yeagley was a member of Lorback's 1961 national champion squad.
