DURHAM, N.C.-Former Duke University men's soccer head coach John Rennie will be honored for his success in and service to the game of soccer when he is inducted into the North Carolina Hall of Fame on Jan. 22. The longtime coach led Duke to the school's first NCAA title in any sport when the Blue Devils captured the 1986 NCAA Championship.
One of the most successful coaches in NCAA collegiate soccer history, Rennie served as the head coach at Duke for 29 seasons. Starting in 1979, he quickly established the Blue Devils as one of the top men's soccer programs in the nation. Overall, he led his squad to a total of five NCAA College Cups - 1982, 1986, 1992, 1995, and 2004 - earned two runner-up finishes in 1982 and 1985 and ultimately the NCAA title in 1986. He mentored six national players of the year, including five Hermann Trophy winners, which still ranks among the most among any program.
Rennie was selected as the Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year five times - 1980, 1983, 1987, 1997 and 1999 - and led his team to five ACC Championships, become just the second school to win consecutive titles when he did so in 2005 and 2006. Known as an astute tactician, Rennie guided the Blue Devils to 20 NCAA Tournament appearances and two undefeated regular seasons in 1982 and 1999. He holds the record for the most wins by a coach at an ACC school (399) and in ACC matches (91).
A 1967 graduate of Temple University, Rennie came to Duke after six seasons at Columbia University. The Lions won the Ivy League title in his final season as the head coach. He closed out his 36-year coaching career with a 454-207-48 overall records and a 410-161-34 mark in 29 seasons with the Blue Devils. Upon retirement, his 454 wins ranked fifth all-time among Division I head coaches and 13th among coaches across all three divisions.
The Induction Banquet will be held at 7:15 p.m. on January 22, 2011, at the Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel in Greensboro, NC. A reception preceding the banquet begins at 6:15 p.m.
The N. C. Soccer Hall of Fame was started in 1996 by the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association, headquartered in Greensboro. NCYSA is the largest youth sports organization in the state, with over 70,000 players and over 100 local associations as affiliated members. Other statewide soccer organizations that have joined NCYSA as partners of the N. C. Soccer Hall of Fame include the North Carolina Adult Soccer Association (with 20 leagues and over 10,000 players), the North Carolina Soccer Referees Association and the North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association.
No comments:
Post a Comment