Re: Hill Watch...168 days!!! (24 weeks!)

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168 - Mike Noonan has Recorded 168 Victories as Clemson Head Soccer Coach

Mar 16, 2024, 12:05 AM

Three different Clemson sports teams have won a total of eight national championships (and counting). Clemson’s Men’s Soccer HC Mike Noonan has claimed two of those national titles. Under his guidance, Clemson has specifically won two of the last three national titles. Currently, the Tigers are the reigning National Champions!

According to ClemsonTigers.com:

“During his 14 seasons at Clemson, Noonan has amassed a 168-82-41 record, including a 111-36-17 record at Historic Riggs Field. In his career spanning four different schools, Noonan has totaled 392 wins (392-198-82).”

https://clemsontigers.com/coaches/mike-noonan/#:~:text=During%20his%2014%20seasons%20at,rival%20South%20Carolina%20in%202017.

Before Clemson:

According to Wikipedia:

“Noonan attended Middlebury College, playing on the men's soccer team from 1979 to 1982. He was a 1981 and 1982 Division III NCAA First Team All American. Noonan played for the Louisville Thunder in the American Indoor Soccer Association. In 1986, he signed with the Fort Wayne Flames where he spent two seasons. In 2017, Noonan was inducted into the Middlebury College Athletics Hall of Fame for his playing time there.”

Before Clemson, Noonan served as the Head Coach at:
- Wheaton (Lyons): 1989-1990
- New Hampshire (Wildcats): 1991-1994
- Brown (Bears): 1995-2009

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Noonan

At Clemson:

The same ClemsonTigers.com article cited above also provides the following stats for Clemson Soccer since Noonan’s arrival:

“The Tigers have reached the NCAA Tournament ten of the past 11 seasons, including NCAA College Cup appearances in 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2023. In 2015, Noonan guided the Tigers to a spot in the NCAA National Championship match, finishing as the national runner-up that season. Noonan has also led the program to an ACC Tournament Championship in 2014, an ACC Regular Season title in 2019 and Championship in 2020 and 2023, as well as appearances in the semifinal round of the ACC Tournament in five-straight seasons.

In 2021, Noonan’s Tigers finally broke through to win the National Title in a 2-0 victory over No. 2 Washington in front of a raucous Clemson-heavy crowd in Cary, N.C. En route to the Championship, Clemson upended the No. 9, No. 1, No. 4 and No. 4 seeds.

The Tigers returned to glory in 2023 making an unbelievable run through the NCAA Tournament as the No. 9 seed. The Tigers shut out Charlotte, New Hampshire (at NH), Stanford and West Virginia before defeating Notre Dame, 2-1, in Louisville, Ky. to capture the 2023 crown.”

https://clemsontigers.com/coaches/mike-noonan/#:~:text=During%20his%2014%20seasons%20at,rival%20South%20Carolina%20in%202017

Something worth noting is pointed out by that last sentence. In this year’s playoff run to the national championship, Clemson shut out each of its first four opponents. The Tigers did not give up a goal until very late in the national title game. And Notre Dame was only able to score that goal off of a close-range penalty kick. Amazing run by the Tigers!

Additionally, the same ClemsonTigers.com article points out Coach Noonan’s teams’ academic successes and their ongoing commitments to better the community:

“Not only has Noonan’s program been successful on the field, but they have seen incredible achievement in the classroom. During the 2023 national championship fall semester, Noonan’s Tigers earned a 3.17, its 19th straight semester at 3.0 or higher and had 26 student-athletes at 3.0 or better. During his 14 seasons at Clemson, Noonan has had 64 players named to the Academic All-ACC team, including a record 12 honorees in 2022. The 2019-20 school year saw 21 players named to the ACC Honor Roll.

Community relations are also a priority for Noonan and the members of his program. In 2015-16, the team’s efforts were recognized with the squad earning Clemson’s President’s Pride Cup. The President’s Pride Cup is annually awarded to the Clemson athletic team that earns the highest point total based on three components: community outreach, academics, and athletics, with bonus points added for leadership as well as individual honors and contributions. The 2018-19 school year saw Noonan’s squad rank second in the nation for community service hours recorded amongst men’s soccer teams.”

What more could any Clemson fan ask of its coach?

And about those national titles:

Pictures that say a thousand words:

2021:

2023:

Thank you, Coach Noonan! Thank you!!

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Clemson: Academic Excellence! Athletic Excellence!

While at Clemson:

OL Kyle Young was one of Clemson’s best (1998-2001). Young was outstanding both on the field and in the classroom. Sports Illustrated summarized Young’s accolades in both areas:

“Only Clemson football player to be named to athletic and academic All-American teams in two separate years. As a center, Young was named third-team All-American and was one of five finalists for the Rimington Award. He had 168 knockdown blocks as a senior including 18 in a bowl win over Louisiana Tech and won the Jim Tatum Award as an outstanding scholar-athlete football player in the ACC.”

https://www.si.com/college/clemson/football/clemson-tigers-football-offensive-linemen-top-10

ClemsonTigers.com added additional details about Young’s successes:

“Young ranks among the top student-athletes in Clemson history. He is the only three-time first-team Academic All-American in any sport in the Clemson record books. He is also one of just two ACC football players and one of just two offensive linemen in college football history to be a three-time first-team selection.

Young was a two-time All-American on the field in 2000 and 2001. As the starting center for the Tigers, he was a finalist for the Dave Rimington Award in 2000 and 2001 for the nation’s top center. Young helped the Tigers to three bowl games in Tommy Bowden’s first three years, including the 2000 season when Clemson finished 14th in the final USA Today poll with a 9-3 record.
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In 2001, Young became the first Clemson football student-athlete in 23 years to win an NCAA Football Foundation Scholar Athlete Award. He was honored in New York City in December of 2001, the same night Terry Kinard was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He also won the Jim Tatum Award given to the ACC’s top scholar athlete in football and was the recipient of the Anson Mount scholarship for the nation’s top scholar athlete in football.

Young was a Strength & Conditioning All-American in 2001 and is the only student-athlete in Clemson history to be named an All-American in all three areas. He and former Tiger and current PGA golfer Jonathan Byrd are the only athletes in Clemson history to be named on-the-field and academic All-Americans twice.

Young graduated from Clemson summa ### laude in Secondary Education in May of 2001 and played his senior year as a graduate student.”

https://clemsontigers.com/staff/kyle-young-2/

After Clemson:

Even today, Kyle Young still contributes to Clemson athletics – just now in a different role. According to the same ClemsonTigers.com article cited above:

“Kyle Young is in his eleventh year as a Senior Associate Athletic Director in the Clemson Athletic Department after a decorated playing career as an offensive lineman at Clemson. He has worked in administration in the Clemson athletic department since 2005 in various administrative roles. Young’s current role includes the coordination of Olympic Sport administration, supervision of the baseball and men’s soccer programs, athletic department personnel activity, as well as coordination of summer camps clinics and football scheduling.

In addition to his role, he is also involved in the President’s Leadership Institute, the NCAA Research Committee, Chairs the ACC Men’s Soccer Committee, ACC Baseball Committee, the Brooks Sports Science Institute Research Review Committee. Additionally, he also teaches in the Athletic Leadership program.

He oversees all personnel activity for more than 250 full time staff and 400 part-time staff within athletics.”

https://clemsontigers.com/staff/kyle-young-2/

Additionally, Kyle’s young son (sorry, couldn’t resist), Watson Young, has signed with Clemson to play OL like his Dad. At a mere 6-3 at 285 pounds, Watson is part of the 2024 signing class.

Best of luck to Watson and to the entire Young family!

Hill Watch...168 days!!! (24 weeks!)