Tom Stone (soccer)

Tom Stone (born in Dallas, Texas) is the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders women’s soccer team. He played soccer as a youth, collegiately and professionally. Stone, a former graduate of Duke University and member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, has held various coaching positions before coming to Tech.

Playing career

Tom Stone played youth soccer for the Texas Longhorns in Dallas, where he was instrumental in seeing the team compete in the U.S. Youth Soccer finals. Later, he attended Duke University. As a player for the Duke Blue Devils, Stone scored the only goal in the 1986 National Championship game, giving his team the win over Akron. He went on to play professionally for three teams.^[1][2][3]

Coaching career

Stone's first coaching job was as a part-time assistant at the University of Denver in 1996 and as a volunteer assistant at Duke in 1997. Then, from 1997–2000, Stone coached girls' soccer for the Colorado Rush youth soccer club. Under his leadership, the team won 35 state cups, twelve regional championships and eight national championships. He left the Rush to coach professionally in the Women's United Soccer Association, leading the Atlanta Beat to the league's inaugural championship game, losing in overtime on penalty kicks to the Bay Area CyberRays. He also provided soccer commentary for Fox Sports, ESPN and CBS College Sports Network.^[1][4] Stone returned to college coaching when he was hired as an assistant for the Clemson Tigers. He spent a year there before taking the job at Texas Tech.^[5][6]

Prior to his arrival at Texas Tech, the team had a record of 6–63–1 in Big 12 play. In Stone's first year and half as coach, the team has matched that record, going 6–5–1 in conference play.^[7]

References