Cliff McCrath
Encyclopedia
Cliff McCrath is a retired American soccer player and coach. His greatest fame came as coach of Seattle Pacific University
where he led the team to five NCAA Division II championships. He was the 1978 NSCAA
Coach of the Year and retired ranked second on the all time collegiate coaching wins list with 597 wins.
McCrath grew up in Michigan as an avid hockey fan. He had originally intended to attendMichigan State to play hockey, but attendance at a revival changed his mind and he entered Wheaton College
in 1954. That year, he saw soccer played for the first time. Intrigued, he tried out for the team his sophomore year. Despite his late introduction to the game, he quickly rose to the top of the collegiate ranks when he was named an Honorable Mention (third team) All American in 1957. He graduated in the spring of 1958 and remained at Wheaton that fall to coach the team. McCrath was inducted into the Wheaton College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1979. In 1960, Gordon College
in Wenham, Massachusetts
hired McCrath. Over seven seasons, he took the NAIA Fighting Scots to a 52-26-2 record, four post season tournaments and the 1966 NAIA semifinals. That year, he graduated with an MDiv from the Gordon Divinity School. In 1967, he moved to Spring Arbor College where he inherited a mediocre team. In his first season, he went 4-4-0, but quickly improved as the Cougars went to the NAIA post season in 1968 and 1969. In 1969 he again took his team to the semifinals. This brought him to the attention of David McKenna, president of Seattle Pacific University
, a sister school to Spring Arbor. McKenna was looking to upgrade the SPU soccer program and consequently hired McCrath. McCrath’s team again had a poor first season, going 0-7-3. However, the next year, he took the Falcons to a 7-3-4 record and the regional post-season tournament. He improved in 1972 as the Falcons made it into the NCAA post-seasons tournament. At the time, an investment group began laying the foundation for the establishment of a North American Soccer League
franchise in Seattle, eventually to be known as the Seattle Sounders
. They approached McCrath about coaching the team, but he declined. Instead, he worked with the team ownership to hire John Best
as the team’s first coach. McCrath then did much of the early work scouting players and assembling a roster. Once the team began playing in 1974, he worked as a color commentator for local broadcasts of Sounders’ games. He did not slight his collegiate coaching duties and took Seattle Pacific to the NCAA Division II championship game
in 1974, 1975 and 1977. Each time, the team finished as runner-up. In 1978, the Falcons finally took the title and McCrath was named the National Coach of the Year. The Falcons won the championship again in 1983, 1985, 1986 and 1993 and finished as runner-up in 1984 and 1990. In 2007, the Falcons finished 7-6-7. This disappointing result led to his dismissal as coach at the end of the season.
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University is a Christian university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1891 by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary...
where he led the team to five NCAA Division II championships. He was the 1978 NSCAA
NSCAA
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. The NSCAA has grown from a handful of college soccer coaches to more than 22,000 members, making it the largest coaching organization in the world. Its members coach at all levels of...
Coach of the Year and retired ranked second on the all time collegiate coaching wins list with 597 wins.
McCrath grew up in Michigan as an avid hockey fan. He had originally intended to attendMichigan State to play hockey, but attendance at a revival changed his mind and he entered Wheaton College
Wheaton College (Illinois)
Wheaton College is a private, evangelical Protestant liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago in the United States...
in 1954. That year, he saw soccer played for the first time. Intrigued, he tried out for the team his sophomore year. Despite his late introduction to the game, he quickly rose to the top of the collegiate ranks when he was named an Honorable Mention (third team) All American in 1957. He graduated in the spring of 1958 and remained at Wheaton that fall to coach the team. McCrath was inducted into the Wheaton College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1979. In 1960, Gordon College
Gordon College (Massachusetts)
Gordon College is a liberal arts college located on the former Princemere estate in Wenham, Massachusetts, northeast of Beverly. Founded by Baptist minister A. J...
in Wenham, Massachusetts
Wenham, Massachusetts
Wenham is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,875 at the 2010 census.The Town of Wenham was originally settled in 1635 and has retained much of its unique historic character and tranquil rural scenery...
hired McCrath. Over seven seasons, he took the NAIA Fighting Scots to a 52-26-2 record, four post season tournaments and the 1966 NAIA semifinals. That year, he graduated with an MDiv from the Gordon Divinity School. In 1967, he moved to Spring Arbor College where he inherited a mediocre team. In his first season, he went 4-4-0, but quickly improved as the Cougars went to the NAIA post season in 1968 and 1969. In 1969 he again took his team to the semifinals. This brought him to the attention of David McKenna, president of Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University is a Christian university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1891 by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary...
, a sister school to Spring Arbor. McKenna was looking to upgrade the SPU soccer program and consequently hired McCrath. McCrath’s team again had a poor first season, going 0-7-3. However, the next year, he took the Falcons to a 7-3-4 record and the regional post-season tournament. He improved in 1972 as the Falcons made it into the NCAA post-seasons tournament. At the time, an investment group began laying the foundation for the establishment of a North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
franchise in Seattle, eventually to be known as the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (NASL)
The Seattle Sounders were a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor and outdoor soccer. The team folded after the 1983 NASL outdoor season.-Stadium:The Sounders played at Memorial...
. They approached McCrath about coaching the team, but he declined. Instead, he worked with the team ownership to hire John Best
John Best (soccer)
John Best is a former U.S.-English soccer defender. He spent six seasons in the North American Soccer League where he was a five time first team All Star. He later coached the NASL Seattle Sounders and served as the general manager of the Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps. He also earned one...
as the team’s first coach. McCrath then did much of the early work scouting players and assembling a roster. Once the team began playing in 1974, he worked as a color commentator for local broadcasts of Sounders’ games. He did not slight his collegiate coaching duties and took Seattle Pacific to the NCAA Division II championship game
NCAA Men's Division II Soccer Championship
The NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship has been played since 1972.The tournament is a 32-team, single-elimination tournament. The Division II tournament is structured around the eight NCAA regions . Four teams from each region are selected with no automatic qualifiers given...
in 1974, 1975 and 1977. Each time, the team finished as runner-up. In 1978, the Falcons finally took the title and McCrath was named the National Coach of the Year. The Falcons won the championship again in 1983, 1985, 1986 and 1993 and finished as runner-up in 1984 and 1990. In 2007, the Falcons finished 7-6-7. This disappointing result led to his dismissal as coach at the end of the season.