IU men's soccer Coach Todd Yeagley recorded his 100th career win on Tuesday night in a 4-0 victory against Evansville.
“It’s special," Yeagley said. "Growing up in a household where a winning culture is very strong, I’ve known a lot of people who have known how to win. I’m just the fortunate one to be the head coach of this team. The staff and the players are the true reason of why I’ve reached this milestone.”
Yeagley, who has been a collegiate head coach for more than eight seasons, was named IU head coach in December 2009 after a brief stint as the head coach of Wisconsin, and the program never looked back.
IU has made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament every season since he’s been at the helm.
IU has won one Big Ten Regular Season Championship and one Big Ten Tournament Championship under Yeagley's guidance.
In his time at IU, Yeagley has produced 11 Major League Soccer draft picks, 29 All-Big Ten honorees and three Big Ten Player of the Year selections. He is also a member of the Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame, the Monroe County Hall of Fame and the IU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Yeagley said it’s special to get his 100th win with this current group of players, who have been so dominant all season long.
“This was a perfect night to get the 100th win,” Yeagley said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of this program that has won a lot of games, and we want to keep that going in the future.”
Now in his eighth season as IU head coach, Yeagley has had numerous memorable moments. He said even though there are a lot of fond memories, he’ll never forget when his 2012 team beat the defending champions, North Carolina, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament en route to the program’s eighth national championship.
“The feeling in that locker room after the game was special,” Yeagley said. “In celebration, the group broke out singing the fight song, and I’ll never forget that. It was one of the more special moments I’ve had as a coach to see the joy that the group was going through, and we ended up winning it all that year.”
Junior midfielder Trevor Swartz said it was special for the current players to be a part of a milestone for their head coach, and he said it shows how good of a coach Yeagley is.
“It’s great for him,” Swartz said. “There’s been a lot of great players that have come through here, and he’s really appreciative towards us. He’s a winner, and it’s great for him to get that 100th win.”
Freshman attacker Mason Toye, who netted a brace for the Hoosiers against the Purple Aces, said the tradition the program is built around was one of the reasons he came to IU, and he said the other reason was Yeagley.
“There’s so much history and, in my opinion, he’s the best coach in the country,” Toye said. “He’s an awesome guy who knows what he’s doing."
Speaking about his father's 544 career wins, Yeagley said he hopes he doesn't surpass him because of the respect he has for his dad.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to get that many wins,” Yeagley said, laughing. “If I’m not retired by then, I’ll be coaching way past the age that I should. I don’t think that win total will be touched, and honestly I hope it doesn’t. I care so much for my dad, and I think it’s a neat honor for him to reach that mark. Hopefully, it stays with him through time.”
