GNAC Men's Soccer

McCrath Resigns After 38 Seasons at SPU

Cliff McCrath, who led Seattle Pacific to five NCAA championships and 512 victories in his 38 years as head of the program, has announced his retirement, effective February 29, 2008.

McCrath, who began his career at SPU in 1970, won five NCAA championships, and qualified for the NCAA playoffs 30 of the last 38 years, including 10 trips to championship games. In nearly half a century as a collegiate head coach, he won a total of 597 contests.

This past year the Falcons finished with a 7-6-7 record, extending their NCAA Division II record for most consecutive winning seasons to 37.

McCrath (512-190-87, 38 years; Overall 597-233-95, 49 years) ranks second all-time in coaching victories.

“Cliff McCrath is simply a legend in the sport, in Seattle, and around the world,” said SPU President Dr. Philip Eaton. “He achieved records and distinctions as a coach that may never be challenged. I am extremely grateful that Cliff has been such a strong advocate and ambassador in the world of soccer for Seattle Pacific University.”

McCrath won virtually every award associated with soccer. In 1993, he was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame. He was named “National Coach of the Year” in 1978 by the National Collegiate Soccer Coaches, received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's Honor Award in 1986, and was named the “Seattle Sports Star of the Year” that same year by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

He was named coach of the year six times in the Northwest Collegiate Soccer Conference, and in 2005 and 2006 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

McCrath's influence in the soccer world can be seen in the players he has coached over the years. More than 40 players under his tutelage have been drafted by professional teams, including Marcus Hahnemann, a goalkeeper for the U.S. World Cup team and prominent figure in England's English Premier League.

More than 100 former Falcon soccer players have gone on to coach in the prep and collegiate ranks. In 1973, he founded the extremely popular Northwest Soccer Camp on Whidbey Island, providing fundamentals for such international stars as Kasey Keller and Michelle Akers.

“Cliff grasped the vision to build a nationally competitive soccer program at Seattle Pacific College and never looked back,” says SPU Director of Athletics Tom Box. “He is a larger-than-life personality who poured his head and his heart into shaping gifted student-athletes into champions – on and off the pitch. Over the years, Seattle Pacific athletics owes so much to this generous mentor and leader.”