Seamus McFadden

Position: Head Coach (34th Season) E-mail/Phone: seamusm@sandiego.edu/619-260-2305

Head Coach Seamus McFadden earned his 300th career victory in 2008 joining an elite group of coaches who have achieved such a milestone. With a career coaching record of 330-241-54 in 32 seasons at the Div. I level, McFadden is also a member of an even more prestigious group of coaches who have accumulated that many career wins at the same institution. No. 300 came on October 26, 2008 in front of a home crowd against Loyola Marymount as the Toreros defeated the Lions 3-0.

With all of the success enjoyed by the Torero soccer teams it is easy to overlook the remarkable job Coach Seamus McFadden has done building the program from the ground up.

McFadden has been named West Coast Conference Coach of the Year a record seven times (2000, `99, '98, '95, '94, '92, '86); won six WCC championships; has coached eight WCC Defensive Players of the Year, nine WCC Offensive Players of the Year and five WCC Freshmen of the Year.

In 2009, McFadden guided the Toreros to their most recent WCC championship with a 12-6-2 (8-2-2 WCC) record and their 12th NCAA tournament appearance. Prior to 2009, the Toreros made six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances from 1998 to 2003.

In 2003 his squad went 12-4-4, placed second in the highly competitive WCC, and reached the second round of the NCAA tourney. In 2002 he directed USD to a 14-6 mark and first round appearance in the NCAA tourney. In 2001 the Toreros went 12-4-1 and in 2000 he directed his Toreros to a 16-2-2 record, another WCC title and its eighth trip to the NCAAs since 1990. That season the Toreros reached a national ranking as high as third before finishing the season a program-best 10th overall.

McFadden arrived at USD in 1979 and fielded USD's first team in the fall of 1980. That same year he was quoted in the team's yearbook as saying: "I have no doubts that in the near future the University of San Diego will become a force to be reckoned with in Southern California intercollegiate soccer." How prophetic his words turned out to be.

The 1986 Toreros won 19 of 24 games. The 1990 squad, led by the first of McFadden's four All-Americans, dropped just three games the entire season and advanced to the NCAA Second Round. Those who know McFadden closely could see the writing on the wall many years earlier, when the Irishman led Mesa JC to a 30-4 record over two seasons while at the same time guiding Clairemont High to consecutive CIF-San Diego Section titles and the La Jolla Cup.

The whole puzzle came together in 1992 when McFadden had in place several of San Diego's best local talent. Student-athletes, who in the past had looked outside the city to showcase their talents, were suddenly arriving at Alcalá Park. The 1992 Toreros showed remarkable poise under their leader, compiling a 19-5 record and advancing to the NCAA Championship Game.

The 55-year-old McFadden seems to save his best coaching for the big games. Twice the Toreros have marched onto UCLA's home turf and walked away with stunning upsets over the heavily-favored Bruins. In 1994, USD shutout No. 6 ranked N.C. State, 3-0, in front of a national cable television audience. In 1998, USD upset Cal State Fullerton, the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, at Titan Stadium in first round action. In 1999 the Toreros defeated then No. 1-ranked Santa Clara on the road, 2-1 in overtime. USD is 8-10 in NCAA Tournament games under McFadden's direction.

McFadden played collegiately at San Diego State, where he received a B.A. degree in History in 1976. That same summer he was with the San Diego Jaws of the North American Soccer League.

Keeping true to his native roots, McFadden took the 1997 squad on a trip to his homeland, Ireland during the summer for exhibition games against Ireland and Britain's elite. In the summer of 2002 he is took his players to England. A native of Donegal, Ireland, Séamus and his wife Davette have two daughters (Hadley & Rorye) and a son (Conor). The McFaddens reside in Rancho Penasquitos.