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Todd West enters his 10th season as the Eagles' head coach and
14th overall season with the program.
West has guided the Eagles to three NCAA Tournament appearances,
including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2001 and Second Round
appearances in 2002 and 2004. In addition, he has led his squad to
victory in four of seven D.C. College Cups, and has captured two
Patriot League Championships.
In 2008, West led the Eagles to a 5-1-1 Patriot League record,
earning a share of the regular season crown. West was named the
Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2008, the second time he has
been honored by the league (also in 2004). In his career, West has
accumulated an overall record of 83-74-19 (.526) and a conference
mark of 38-18-9 (.654).
AU continues to play one of the most competitive schedules that
Division I soccer has to offer, regularly scheduling matches
against top programs such as Boston College, Connecticut, Duke,
Maryland, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio State, Old Dominion,
Penn State, St John's, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
NCAA Tournament Success
In 2001, in just his second season at the helm at AU, West led the
Eagles into the national spotlight with a Patriot League
Championship and NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. In the Patriot League
finals, the Eagles defeated Holy Cross on penalty kicks, 4-3, to
earn the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
In the NCAA Tournament, The Eagles defeated Ohio State, 2-1, in
the opening round, and followed it up with a 3-0 second round
victory at Wake Forest. In the Sweet 16, AU fell 1-0 in overtime to
eventual national champion North Carolina. AU completed the season
with a 13-8-2 overall record, including 6-1 in the Patriot League.
In 2002, the Eagles built on the momentum that had begun in the
previous campaign. Throughout the season, AU was ranked in the
national polls, peaking at 11th in the country. AU finished with a
13-7-2 record, including 4-2-1 in Patriot League play, finishing
second in a conference that placed three teams in the NCAA
Tournament. The Eagles boasted impressive non-conference wins over
No. 9 Boston College and No. 18 Penn State, which helped them earn
an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. AU hosted George Washington
in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, and defeated the
Colonials, 1-0, before falling to Maryland in the second round,
1-0.
In 2004, West recorded a career-high 15 wins as AU finished 15-6-2
overall and 6-1-0 in the Patriot League. The Eagles won both the
Patriot League regular season and tournament championships in route
to the team's third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years. In
the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Eagles defeated Long
Island University, 3-0, before coming up on the short end of a 2-1
decision to No. 4 Virginia in the second round. West was named the
Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2004.
Outside of AU
In addition to his duties at American, West has worked as
an assistant coach of the U-20 U.S. National Team, where he served
under Head Coach Thomas Rongen. West also served as an assistant
coach under Rongen with D.C. United, a three-time Major League
Soccer (MLS) champion. While with United, West assisted in match
preparation, player development, training sessions and scouting.
Todd has coached U.S. Soccer Regional teams in international
competitions in Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Portugal and the
U-20 National team in the Netherlands.
In the Beginning
Before taking over the AU program, West spent four seasons as an
assistant to former head coach Bob Jenkins. His tenure during that
run was highlighted by the Eagles' trip to the 1997 NCAA
Quarterfinals and a No. 5 national ranking.
West's career began as a stellar high school, club and Olympic
Development Program (ODP) coach in the Washington, D.C.,
metropolitan area. He served as the head boy's coach at Lake
Braddock Secondary School from 1993 to 1996, where he compiled a
record of 47-13-6. His Lake Braddock teams won three district
titles (appearing in four) and the 1995 team captured the Northern
Region and Virginia State Championships and finished with a No. 12
national ranking in the final poll. For his efforts, he was named
1995 NSCAA Virginia State Coach of the Year.
One of the most accomplished youth club coaches in Virginia, West
has served on the U.S. Region I U-14, U-15, U-16 and U-17 staff. He
currently works with George O'Neil as the U-17 Regional coach. West
also holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) National "A"
Coaching License.
Playing Years
A top-level student-athlete during his playing career,
West is a 1988 graduate of George Mason University, where he was a
four-year starter for the Patriots and received a bachelor of
science in physical education and business. During his career at
George Mason, West played in three NCAA tournaments and helped the
program capture three Colonial Athletic Association championships.
George Mason finished in the top 20 three times during his
collegiate career.
A native of Dallas, Texas, West currently resides in Falls Church,
Va., with his wife, Samira (Sam), and daughters, Kyra (9) and Zoe
(7).
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Todd West
