Ohio Valley Conference

TTU Sports Information

Pat Farmer

Twice named the National Collegiate Soccer Coach of the Year, Patrick Farmer has been selected as the new head soccer coach at Tennessee Tech University.

A head coach at Penn State, Ithaca College and the New York Power of the WUSA, Farmer's collegiate teams have been among the most successful in the nation both on the field and academically.

He took his teams at Penn State and Ithaca College to the NCAA Tournament 13 times in 14 years, including five trips to the Final Four. He was named the National Coach of the Year in both Division I and Division III.

"It's obvious that Patrick Farmer understands how to develop highly successful programs both athletically and academically," said Mike Hennigan, interim athletics director. "We had a very good pool of candidates, and Patrick Farmer was clearly the most qualified and the best choice."

He replaces Greg Stone, who resigned in May. Justin Zoslow will remain on Farmer's staff as assistant coach.

"I'm excited to be going to a program that has done well over the past few years, and I like the challenge to continue building on what Coach Stone has done," Farmer said.

"Everyone I met when I visited talked about the whole community of soccer," he said. "Not just soccer at the university, but the programs at every level, and it will be exciting working where people have an interest in soccer.

"I think my coaching experiences with the WUSA and the Olympic Development Program have provided great insight into the playing requirements needed at many different levels," Farmer added.

While he has been out of college coaching for the past two years, Farmer has continued to work with college-level players and coaches while working at the Olympic Development Camp.

"I've been working with college coaches and looking a college kids, and now I just have to put that hat back on," he said. "I really like coaching the college level better than the pro process. I like trying to figure out who fits into your program, then coaching them and watching them develop. College coaching is the place I feel most comfortable."

In seven seasons at Penn State, he built the program from its inception into the dominant team in the Big Ten conference and a perennial national Top 10 programs. His team won three Big Ten championships and advanced to the NCAA tournament each of his last six years. The squad made it to the NCAA quarterfinals his final three years, including the final four in 1999. Five of his Nittany Lion players were named All-America and 20 earned all-region honors.

In addition to playing winning soccer, Farmer's teams at Penn State posted a combined grade average above 3.0 each his last 11 semesters,

In 1999, he was named the NSCAA Division I National Coach of the Year.

After posting a 123-34-8 record in his seven seasons at Penn State, he left in 2000 to help launch the WUSA as the first women's professional soccer league. His first squad in 2001 finished third in the league and reached the championship semifinals.

Prior to Penn State, Farmer was head coach at Ithaca College for seven years, taking that squad to the NCAA Division III national tournament each year and the final four in four consecutive years. His team won the NCAA national
championship in 1990 and 1991. He had 13 players selected All-America.

Again, his team got the job done in the classroom with a combined team grade average above 3.0 in his final 12 semesters.

In 1989 he was named the NSCAA Division III National Coach of the Year, and in 1998 he was inducted into the Ithaca College Sports Hall of Fame. He posted a 110-23-23 record at Ithaca.

Overall, his record as a collegiate head coach at Penn State and Ithaca is a combined 233-57-31 for a .774 winning percentage.

In addition to his collegiate coaching, Farmer has been a member of the Region I (East) Olympic Development Program staff for 15 years. He has earned the highest coaching credentials available with an "A" license from the USSF and a "Premier" diploma from NSCAA.

"It was a case of perfect timing," said Frank Harrell, assistant athletics director and head of the search committee. "We were looking for a coach and he was available, and we feel extremely fortunate to be able to hire him."

"He was a unanimous choice of the search committee," continued Harrell, "and his record speaks for itself. When he visited, he met with student-athletes, administrators, members of the community, the search committee, and everyone who met him recommended him and told us he was their number one choice."

A native of Old Forge in upstate New York, Farmer went to St. Lawrence College on an athletic scholarship as a downhill skier, and also played soccer. He received his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1974 from St. Lawrence, and added his master's degree in secondary education in 1976. While a graduate student, he was the men's ski coach at St. Lawrence and an assistant women's soccer coach, helping the team post a 13-2-3 record.

From 1976 through 1987, he was the women's soccer coach and ski coach at the Town of Webb High School. His soccer teams won three sectional crowns, six league titles and posted a 105-26-13 record.

"As I called around the country checking on candidates, his name always surfaced," Harrell added. "Even when talking with people about another candidate, when they heard that Patrick Farmer was also a candidate, everybody told me he is just an outstanding coach."