SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – After 25 years at the helm of one of Union College's most successful programs, head women's soccer coach
Brian Speck has announced his retirement from college coaching, Director of Athletics
Jim McLaughlin '93 announced on Friday.
"I would like to thank the College for the opportunity afforded to me nearly 25 years ago and want to thank the hundreds of dedicated young women that I have had the privilege to coach as well as my family, the alumnae, support staff, and the Union College community who have supported our program throughout the years," said Speck. "This was the right time for me to step away from the program and I wish the current and future teams many years of success moving forward."
Speck finished his 25-year career with a 311-111-35 (.719) record as the Dutchwomen's head coach, a mark that currently ranks him 40th in NCAA women's soccer history in career victories and third all-time in wins among all Union coaches. He was named the NSCAA New York Region Coach of the Year and the NYSWCAA Coach of the Year in 1998, when Union earned the first national ranking in school history, and was a three-time conference Coach of the Year selection.
"We wish Brian and his family the best in his retirement and applaud the success of the teams and student-athletes that competed through the years, including countless All-Academic team selections, All-Americans, and two teams that have been inducted into our Athletics Hall of Fame," said McLaughlin.
During his tenure, Union women's soccer reached unprecedented heights: six conference championships, two state titles, 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 12 different seasons with a national ranking, reaching as high as fifth in the country in both 1998 and 2007. The Dutchwomen also were the first Union women's team to win a game in the NCAA Tournament when they defeated Ithaca College 4-3 in double overtime in the first round on November 3, 1999.
The individual honors for Union student-athletes were plentiful as well. Seven Dutchwomen earned NSCAA All-America honors and 33 picked up All-Region accolades, four players were named conference Player of the Year, and a whopping 126 student-athletes earned All-Conference laurels over the last 25 seasons. His teams succeeded off the field as well, boasting an average of 10 conference All-Academic Team honorees per year since 2003, a pair of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and eight CoSIDA Academic All-District selections, the most among any women's sport at Union and fifth-most among all programs.
Seven women's soccer players that played during this period have so far been inducted into the Union College Athletics Hall of Fame, while the 1999 NCAA Tournament team was the first female team inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Team of Distinction in 2013.
In addition to his time with the women's soccer team, Speck also spent 14 successful years with the Union softball team, helping that program achieve new heights in two seasons as a head coach and 12 seasons as an assistant. During his time with the program, Union posted a combined 326-147 (.649) record, reached four straight NCAA Tournaments, earned three straight ECAC Upstate championships, and were ranked as high as eighth nationally. The 2003 team made the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance and was the second women's team inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.
A national search for a new women's soccer coach will begin immediately.