Dec. 6, 2012
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame men’s soccer head coach Bobby Clark has been named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year.
Clark guided the Fighting Irish to a 17-4-1 record, which marked the most wins for the program since 1988. Notre Dame won the BIG EAST Championship and the Irish garnered the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history.
Notre Dame entered the 2012 season unranked but soon moved up in the polls after starting the campaign with seven straight victories. After opening the season with a 1-0 win over Duke, the Irish captured the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic and the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament titles in consecutive weekends.
The Fighting Irish were 6-1-1 against top-10 opponents, including regular-season wins over College Cup participants Indiana (1-0) and Georgetown (3-0). The Irish also topped the Hoyas, 3-2 in double-overtime, in the title match of the BIG EAST Championship.
The Irish received a first-round bye in the NCAA Championship and defeated Michigan State, 3-0, in the tournament’s second round. Notre Dame fell to Indiana, 2-1 in double-overtime, in the Round of 16. The Irish were 7-1-1 in their final nine matches of the season.
Notre Dame’s 52 goals during the 2012 campaign were the most for the program since 1994. That goal total currently ranks fourth nationally.
Clark is 153-68-35 (.666) in 12 seasons at Notre Dame. He has taken the Fighting Irish to the NCAA Championship 11 times and has captured three regular-season BIG EAST titles and two BIG EAST Championship crowns.
This is the second time Clark has been named the NSCAA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year. He also received the award in 2003.
The NSCAA has selected eight regional coaches of the year from NCAA Division I. The NSCAA National Coach of the Year will be announced in mid-January.
–ND–