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Rob Thompson - Men's Soccer - Clemson University Athletics

Rob Thompson

Position: Director of Operations

Rob Thompson enters his sixth season with the Clemson men’ soccer program in 2022, after being named the Director of Operations prior to the 2017 season. Before coming to Clemson, Thompson was heavily involved in coaching both youth and college soccer in New Hampshire since 1993.

At Clemson, Thompson serves in a vital role of organization and orchestration for the program, helping to oversee the time management and scheduling of student-athletes, as well as serving as a liaison with University personnel. Thompson leads the charge in travel coordination, campus recruiting and day-to-day operations for Head Coach Mike Noonan’s program. On a daily basis, Thompson reviews practice and game film, along with assisting in scouting opposition. Thompson calls upon his riches of coaching experience to develop training and match analytics for the squad and began to serve in an enhanced coaching role during the 2020 Spring season.

Prior to Clemson, Thompson spent 20 years as the head coach of men’s soccer at the University of New Hampshire. Thompson is currently UNH’s all-time wins leader, and was honored as America East Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2009. His Wildcats won an America East regular season title in 2009, and their undefeated conference regular season record of 6-0-1 in that same year was the first by any America East team since 1997. He led UNH to the conference semi-finals six times (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013) and advanced to America East conference title games in 2010 and 2012, dropping both in penalty kick shootouts after drawing 0-0 both times. UNH squads were nationally ranked in 1993, 1994, 1997 and 2005. His teams led the America East conference in best discipline record 14 out of 15 years, and they finished in the top three in national Division I NSCAA fair play rankings three times (2009, 2012, 2013). His program had a record eight straight NSCAA team academic awards from 2007-2014.

Thompson was named US Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) Regional Coach of the Year in 2008. He led the Seacoast United U18 Academy Team to its only USSDA playoff berth in club history in 2011. He coached the Seacoast United U17 boys team to the USL Super Y League championship match in 2007, and that same team went to the USYSA Region 1 final in 2007, finishing with a No. 8 national ranking.  From 1998 to 2006, he led Seacoast United youth teams to eight New Hampshire state USYSA titles. He was also a member of the USYSA Region 1 Olympic Development Staff from 1994 to 2007.

By coming to Clemson, Thompson is reunited with Head Coach Mike Noonan, as the two coached together at UNH in 1993 and 1994. During that two-year span, the Wildcats were nationally ranked and amassed 29 wins, with 11 coming from conference play. The duo also coached UNH to its first NCAA tournament appearance in program history.

Thompson has three daughters, Chloe, who plays soccer at University of the South (TN), Jordan and Brooke.

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