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Known nationally fi rst as a player, and now as a coach, Tom Stone enters his second season as Texas Tech head coach, after a first year that saw the program rise to new heights. With essentially only two months before the 2007 opener following his May hiring, Stone had little time to evaluate his new players, let alone get to really know them, making the non-conference portion of the season a learning experience both for Stone and the players. In October, however, things finally came together as the Red Raiders won four out of five conference matches down the stretch to qualify for the Big 12 Championship for the first time since 1999, while also matching the most conference wins in school history. Following his inaugural season, Stone was named the assistant coach of the U.S. Under-20 National Team that traveled to Puebla, Mexico. Stone will rejoin the team following the 2008 season for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Prior to his arrival at Tech, Stone spent the 2006 season at Clemson as an assistant coach, where the Tigers fi nished 11-8-5 and earned a birth into the Final Eight in the NCAA Tournament. Several of Stone's greatest accomplishments as a coach, however, may have come from his time leading the Atlanta Beat of the WUSA for all three years of its existence from 2001-2003. Being the first coach hired when the league formed, Stone proved his worth quickly, claiming the inaugural WUSA regular season title. The Beat advanced to the Founders Cup title match in both 2001 and 2003. In his three seasons with the Beat, Stone finished with the highest winning percentage among WUSA coaches, finishing 13 games over .500, while also being named an all-star coach twice. Soon after the league's fall, Stone was named the technical director of the Top Hat Soccer Club in Atlanta, which is one of the top girls youth programs in the southern region. While with Top Hat, Stone was primarily involved in all areas of club and player development and the College Prep Program that prepares top players for college soccer opportunities. He was also the head coach for the 2007 Gold Team that won the Georgia State Championship in 2004 and the Southern Regional Premier League in 2005. Before beginning his professional career, Stone was the founding director of coaching at the Colorado Rush Soccer Club from 1991 to 2000. Under Stone's direction, the Rush would go on to win 35 state cups along with 12 regional championships and seven national championships, becoming arguably the most successful youth girls program in the U.S. from 1997 to 2000. Stone has also served as a volunteer assistant coach at Duke in 1997 and the University of Denver in 1996. As a player, Stone may be most remembered for his game-winning goal with Duke against Akron in the 1986 National Championship match, where the Blue Devils would take the NCAA title, winning 1-0. In his four year career at Duke, Stone was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection three times, while also setting the Duke record for the most NCAA Tournament goals in a career and gamewinners in a single season. Stone was also a team captain on the 1987 squad and finished among the top 10 in Blue Devil history in career points and goals. Following his career as a Blue Devil, Stone played professionally for Le Havre FC in France and the Washington Stars and Colorado Foxes of the APSL. A native of Irving, Texas, Stone was a three-year member of the U.S. Youth National Team and a two-time Parade All-American while attending MacArthur High School. When not coaching, Stone has served as an analyst for various national television networks, covering everything from the NCAA Championship to the World Cup. He has worked as the lead soccer analyst for both CSTV and Fox Sports, while also joining ESPN for its coverage of the 2003 Women's World Cup. Stone has also written guest columns for various soccer websites. Stone holds a USSF "A" License. He and his wife, Lindsey, currently reside in Lubbock with their one-year-old son, Leyton, and are expecting their second child in September 2008. To contact Coach Stone, email him at tom.stone@ttu.edu or call him at (806) 281-7684. |
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