Doug Allison Position: Head Coach Experience: 15th Season Alma Mater: South Carolina '89

Over the course of 13 seasons, Doug Allison has established himself as one of the most successful and respected head coaches in all of college soccer.

Allison enters his 14th season as Furman's skipper with an overall winning percentage of .701 (181-71-21) which ranks 11th in the nation among active coaches in NCAA Division I.

Since Allison took over the Paladin soccer program in 1995, Furman has been one of the most successful programs in the nation. In Allison's 13 seasons, the Paladins have claimed eight Southern Conference regular season titles and six SoCon Tournament championships, along with several individual accolades, including 35 All-America and Scholar Athlete All-America citations.

Allison was named NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year in 1999 and was a finalist for the national Coach-of-the-Year award that year. He has been named Southern Conference Coach of the Year six times and was honored in 1999, 2000 and 2003 as the recipient of the Furman University J. Lyles Alley Coach-of-the-Year award.

In October of 2007, Allison recorded his 171st victory as Paladin head coach with a 2-1 triumph at UNC Greensboro to pass Davidson's Charlie Slagle as the winningest coach in Southern Conference history.

"I truly believe that Doug Allison is one of the outstanding young coaches in college soccer," commented Furman Athletics Director Gary Clark. "This is evident by the young men he has developed in Ricardo Clark and Clint Dempsey as well as the great success he has had."

Allison's tenure at Furman has included many memorable moments and record-breaking performances as Paladin soccer has reached new heights. This past season Allison guided Furman to its 18th SoCon regular season title and 11th SoCon Tournament crown with a 19-4-0 mark. Furman, led by All-Americans Jon Leathers and Shea Salinas, notched a perfect 7-0 SoCon, garnered a NCAA Tournament berth and advanced to the second round with a 2-0 victory over Campbell at Stone Stadium.

In 2002, Furman broke two long standing NCAA Division I records. The Paladins extended their Southern Conference unbeaten streak to 43 matches, eclipsing the old NCAA mark of 42 straight conference matches without a loss. Remarkably, Furman also put together an 11-match shutout streak, not allowing a goal from October 9 through November 27. The 2002 campaign ended with a 2-1 double-overtime loss to eventual national runner-up, Stanford, in the third round of the NCAA Tournament and a 19-3-1 overall record.

In 2003, Allison's squad stretched its NCAA record Southern Conference unbeaten streak to 46 matches and Paladin midfielder Clint Dempsey became the second Furman standout in as many years to be selected in the first round of the Major League Soccer Draft when the New England Revolution tabbed him the eighth overall pick.

Allison and the Paladins also found the national spotlight in 1999 as Furman posted a 21-2-1 record, won the Southern Conference regular-season and tournament titles, advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, and finished the season ranked third in the nation. Furman followed up the 1999 campaign with successful seasons in 2000 and 2001, winning the SoCon regular-season and tournament crowns in each season and earning two more berths in the NCAA Tournament.

During his time at Furman, Allison has developed numerous players that have gone on to make their mark in the professional ranks, including United States National Team standouts Clint Dempsey and Ricardo Clark. Dempsey earned a place on the United States' 2006 World Cup squad and was the USA's only goal scorer in Germany. Clark made his first appearance with the squad in late 2005 and has become a regular in the midfield. Former Paladin All-American John Barry Nusum also garnered attention on the international level, ranking second in scoring during CONCACAF while playing for Bermuda. Following the 2007 season, both Leathers and Salinas were selected in the MLS SuperDraft while Eliot Paschalis and Dominic Cianciarulo inked contracts in the United Soccer League.

Allison's arrival at Furman followed a four-year stint as an assistant coach under Mark Berson at the University of South Carolina, his alma mater. During that span, the Gamecocks posted a 59-18-7 record and made three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a national runner-up finish in 1993.

His latest tenure at South Carolina was his second, and followed a two-year stint at the University of North Carolina in 1989-90. During his time as an assistant coach for North Carolina, the Tar Heels advanced to the NCAA Final 16 in 1990. While at UNC, Allison also earned a master's degree in physical education, recreation and sports science, and was honored as Outstanding Physical Education Teacher of the Year in 1991.

A native of Bath, England, Allison came to the University of South Carolina in 1984, and in four years fashioned one of the finest careers of any player in Gamecock soccer history. Allison lead USC to four consecutive winning campaigns and a berth in the NCAA Tournament each of his last three years. He led the Gamecocks in scoring each of his four seasons and still remains South Carolina's all-time leading scorer with 63 goals and 32 assists (158 points). As a sophomore, Allison scored 17 goals and played a key role in leading USC to a school-best 20-3-1 record and a NCAA quarterfinal finish. During his time as a player, the Gamecocks posted a 67-14-6 record against some of the nation's top competition.

Winner of numerous honors while at South Carolina, Allison was a three-time NSCAA All-South pick, as well as an All-America first-team selection in 1987. A co-captain of the 1987 squad, Allison also earned GTE Academic All-America accolades his junior and senior seasons. In his final season, Allison was named the team's most valuable player and participated in the ISAA Senior Bowl. He was also named to the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society prior to graduating summa cum laude with a degree in physical education in 1989.

Allison, who played professionally one year in Ireland following his tenure at USC, earned his NSCAA Advanced Coaching License in 1992, and later added his USSF "A" License in 1994. Over the last few years he has been actively involved with youth soccer in South Carolina, including the position of staff coach with the Olympic Development Program of the South Carolina Youth Soccer Association and as a Region III staff coach.

Allison, 43, is married to the former Michelle Rapp of Pittsburgh, Pa. The couple has a seven-year old son, Callum, and four-year old son, Keegan.

While at Furman:

181-71-21 Overall Record (.701)

75-16-3 SoCon Record (.814)

98-22-4 vs. SoCon Teams (.806)

75 All-SoCon Selections

34 NSCAA/Umbro All-South Picks

28 All-America Selections

9 NSCAA Scholar All-Americans

8 SoCon Regular-Season Titles

8 MLS Draft Picks

7 SoCon Freshmen of the Year

6 SoCon Tournament Crowns

6 SoCon Coach of the Year Awards

6 SoCon Players of the Year

6 SoCon Tournament MVPs

3 Furman Coach of the Year Honors

2 Players on the U.S. National Team

1 Regional Coach of the Year Award