Men's Soccer
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- skfindle@ncsu.edu
- Phone:
- (919) 515-1297
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Kelly Findley became the eighth NC State men's soccer coach on December 22, 2010. After going to two straight NCAA Tournaments and being named the Horizon League Coach of the Year at Butler University, Findley came to Raleigh to take over a NC State soccer program rich in tradition.
2015
In a very strong season, the Wolfpack finished with the No. 33 RPI in the nation and a 2-3-3 record against teams in the Top 25. NC State tied No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 7 Notre Dame, and No. 24 Louisville, while defeating No. 15 South Carolina and No. 16 Boston College. The Wolfpack spent six weeks of the regular season ranked in the national polls, climbing as high as 20th at one point. Zach Knudson and Julius Duchscherer landed on the All-ACC Second Team while Holden Fender and Alex McCauley catpured CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. The Wolfpack proved very strong at home, posting a 6-1-2 mark at Dail Soccer Stadium.
2014
NC State returned to the ACC Tournament with an infusion of new talent, after knocking off No. 5 Louisville and earning a draw against No. 5 Syracuse during the regular season. Holden Fender made the All-ACC third team, while Zach Knudson landed on the All-Freshman squad. MLS SuperDraft picks Clement Simonin (No. 9 overall to Toronto FC) and Conor Donovan (No. 22 overall to Orlando City SC) established the Wolfpack as a launching pad to the pro ranks, with Simonin's selection the loftiest ever for an NC State men's soccer player.
2013
State finished the year with the No. 39 RPI in the nation, narrowly missing an at-large bid to the 48-team NCAA Tournament field, thanks to wins over RPI Top 20s North Carolina and William & Mary, and ties against RPI Top 15s Virginia and Wake Forest.Nazmi Albadawi made the All-ACC second team, Alex Martinez made the third team, and Travis Wannemuehler secured an All-Freshman honor. Martinez became the second Wolfpacker selected to the MLS SuperDraft under Findley, a third round selection to Sporting KC, and joined Albadawi on the NSCAA All-South Region second team.Findley's recruiting class for 2014 was ranked No. 3 in the country by TopDrawerSoccer.com.
2012
The Wolfpack finished 10-10 while being led by transfer Alex Martinez, who earned a spot on the All-ACC first team. Martinez became the first Wolfpacker to make the first team since 2009. State leapt out to a 6-0 start, the second best in program history, eclipsed only by a 7-0 start in 1982. The 2012 Pack managed to climb as high as No. 14 in the national rankings.
2011
The Pack finished 7-11-2 with a roster comprised mostly of newcomers. The opening day lineup featured eight of the 11 starters appearing in their first game for NC State. The highlights of the season featured a 1-0 overtime win against No. 9 SMU and a 2-1 home win over No. 13 Boston College. In the classroom, the Pack once again earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Award, and three players were named to the All-ACC Academic Team. Findley's first recruiting class (2012) was ranked No. 12 nationally by CollegeSoccerNews.com.
ABOUT COACH FINDLEY
"Kelly Findley has great character, and is totally focused on winning championships and graduating his players," NC State Athletics Director Deborah A. Yow said when Findley was hired. "He is a rising star in NCAA soccer. He will revitalize Wolfpack men's soccer and will elevate our program to elite status in this sport."
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Findley came to the Pack after spending the previous five seasons as head coach at Butler, the last four of which he posted winning records. With the Bulldogs, Findley posted a record of 59-25-15 overall and 24-7-8 in Horizon League conference play. He was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year in both 2009 and 2010, after guiding Butler to the NCAA Tournament both seasons.
His 2010 Butler squad entered the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 5 nationally, and was one of only two unbeaten teams in the nation. The squad finished the year 16-1-3. He also mentored the league player of the year and Herman Trophy semifinalist Ben Sippola.
The 2009 squad also won the Horizon League championship, and over his final three years Butler went 18-1-5 in conference play.
Findley values the academic work of his athletes as demonstrated by a three-year team GPA of 3.25 at Butler, and once earning the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) team academic award.
FINDLEY'S EARLY YEARS
Prior to his stint at Butler, Findley coached at Charlotte (2001-05) where he served three seasons as an assistant coach and two seasons as associate head coach. During his tenure at Charlotte, the 49ers compiled a 42-40-14 record, and in 2003 reached the finals of the Conference USA tournament for the second time in school history.
Findley's first head coaching position was at Mars Hill College from 1999-2000. He guided the Lions to a 17-22 mark over the two seasons, including 10-8 in conference play and a runner-up finish in the South Atlantic Conference in 2000.
Findley's other coaching experiences have been one season as an assistant at Miami (Ohio) in 1998, two seasons as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Eagles professional soccer team (1997-98) and one season as an assistant coach at Judson College (1992). During his tenure with the Charlotte Eagles, the professional club won two South Atlantic Division Championships.
Findley enjoyed a standout collegiate career, as he was a four-time Most Valuable Player on the men's soccer team at Judson College in Elgin, Ill. He was a three-time NAIA All-American, a three-time NCCAA All-American, and a two-time NSCAA All-American as a midfielder. He was named the Northern Illinois Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons, and he was named Judson's Athlete of the Year in 1990.
Findley helped Judson to its first NCCAA National Tournament championship in 1991, and he finished his collegiate career in fifth place on Judson's all-time assist list with 48. He was named to Judson's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Following his collegiate career, Findley played professional soccer for the Charlotte Eagles for six seasons (1991-96). He helped the Eagles to three South Atlantic Division Championships, five divisional playoff appearances, and two trips to the national finals.
Findley holds a USSF "A" license, a NSCAA Premier Diploma and is currently on both the NCAA Regional Ranking Advisory Committee and the NCAA Certification Committee.
He and his wife, Joanne, have five children, Gabriel, Elysia, Corinne, Stephen and Keane.
| Year | School | Overall Rec. | Conf. Rec. | Finish |
| 1999 | Mars Hill | 7-14 | 4-4 | 4th |
| 2000 | Mars Hill | 10-8 | 5-2 | 2nd |
| 2006 | Butler | 7-11-2 | 2-4-1 | 6th |
| 2007 | Butler | 9-7-4 | 4-2-2 | T-4th |
| 2008 | Butler | 13-3-4 | 5-0-3 | 2nd |
| 2009 | Butler | 14-3-2 | 6-1-1 | 1st |
| 2010 | Butler | 16-1-3 | 7-0-1 | 1st |
| 2011 | NC State | 7-11-2 | 2-6 | 8th |
| 2012 | NC State | 10-10 | 1-7 | 8th |
| 2013 | NC State | 8-5-4 | 3-5-3 | 9th |
| 2014 | NC State | 7-7-4 | 1-4-3 | 10th |
| 2015 | NC State | 8-6-3 | 1-4-3 | 10th |
| Totals | 116-86-28 | 41-39-17 |
