Joe Clarke Named NSCAA Division III Central Region Coach of the Year
St. Louis, Mo., December 13, 2010 – Washington University in St. Louis men’s soccer head coach Joe Clarke was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) 2010 NCAA Division III Central Region Coach of the Year, as announced Monday by the association.
Clarke earns region coach of the year honors for the first time in his career and is just the third coach in school history to garner the distinction, joining Joe Carenza, Jr. in 1985 and Ty Keough in 1995.
The 2010 season marked one of Clarke’s finest at Washington University, with the Bears posting a 14-1-5 overall mark and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Washington U. opened the season with a 10-0-3 record, which was the team’s best start to a season in more than 30 years; in 1979 the Bears went 14 games (12-0-2) without a loss.
The Bears hosted Loras College in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, playing to a 1-1 tie before falling to the Duhawks in penalty kicks. The squad’s 14 wins mark the highest total since 2007 and ties for the second-best output during Clarke’s tenure at Washington U.
In 14 seasons at Washington University, Clarke has posted an overall record of 162-75-31 for an overall winning percentage of .662. Prior to arriving on the Danforth Campus, Clarke served as the head men’s soccer coach at his alma mater, Saint Louis University, where he posted a mark 205-74-30 (.712). He was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame on Sept. 13, 2007.
In 28 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Clarke boasts a winning percentage of .689 with a 367-149-61 record. He has earned six NCAA Tournament appearances in his 14 seasons at Washington University, advancing to the national quarterfinals in 2007.
Washington University boasted three NSCAA all-region selections and one All-American under Clarke’s tutelage in 2010. Senior Harry Beddo, junior Patrick McLean and senior Cody Costakis each earned all-central region accolades, with Beddo being named a first-team All-American for the first time in his career.