 
|
Pat Laughlin Named Maine Men's Soccer Coach
Jan. 23, 2007 ORONO, Maine--The University of Maine has named Pat Laughlin head coach of the men's soccer program. A graduate of the University of Maine, Laughlin was a four-year letterman for the Black Bears. He spent last season as assistant coach at the University of Rhode Island. "We are excited to bring Pat Laughlin on board as our men's soccer coach," said Maine Athletic Director Blake James. "The pool of applicants for this position was strong and we are especially pleased to bring a former Black Bear student-athlete back as a coach." "I would like to thank Blake James for this opportunity," said Pat Laughlin. "I am excited about the future of the men's soccer program here at the University of Maine. As an alumni, it is great to be back to lead the program." Last season as an assistant coach at Rhode Island, the team won the Atlantic 10 Championship with a 12-5-6 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He served as the recruiting coordinator and prepared and assisted with all training sessions. Prior to URI, Laughlin was head coach at Dean College for six years. Laughlin helped take the program to new heights, which included its first-ever trip to the NJCAA National Finals in 2002. During his tenure, the Bulldogs captured the New England Region Championships in 2002 and 2003 and were finalists in 2005. During his six seasons in Franklin, his teams, which included four NJCAA All-Americans and four Academic All-Americans, combined to post a record of 69-36-6. Laughlin was named New England Region Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the National Coach of the Year in 2002. Before Laughlin's arrival at Dean, he built a program at Champlain College, improving each season he was there to post a 28-21-3 record. The Beavers were Northeast Region Champions in 1997 and finalists in 1998 and 1999. As a Division I Assistant at Cleveland State University he acted as the recruiting and travel coordinator as well as assisted in preparing and initiating training sessions for the perennial Horizon League contenders. Laughlin presently is a member of the Region I Olympic Development Program regional staff. He also coaches with the USL Super Y League. He holds a "B" Coaching License from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and an Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). As a player, Laughlin was a four year letterwinner for the Black Bears and the teams he played on were ranked among the top ten in the New England Region three of his four seasons in Orono. Pat captained the team as a senior, and over his career was named to the North Atlantic Conference All-Academic team in addition to receiving the University of Maine Scholar-Athlete Medallion three times. A native of Dallas, Texas, Laughlin is a 1992 graduate of the University of Maine, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He earned his Masters of Education in Sports Management at Cleveland State University in 1996 while also serving as assistant coach.
-U-M-
|
