Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Marshall men's soccer cracks Top 25, ranked highest in program history
10/15/2019 1:23:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Word on the Herd
The Thundering Herd is in the national rankings for the first time since 2001
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The last few weeks, the Marshall University men's soccer team was on the doorstep of the Top 25, among the first teams in the "also receiving votes" category. On Tuesday, Chris Grassie's Thundering Herd barged into the national rankings in historic fashion.
Marshall, after an 8-1-2 start, is ranked No. 21 – the highest ranking in program history – nestled between major conference schools and traditional soccer powerhouses from around the country. In Grassie's third season at the helm, voters have taken notice of what he has brewing here in Huntington. The Herd has a five-match unbeaten streak, which includes last Saturday's 0-0 tie at then-No. 5 Charlotte, which caught the attention of voters and catapulted the Marshall program into the Top 25.
This is the first time the Marshall men's soccer program has cracked the national rankings since Oct. 4, 2001, when the Herd was ranked No. 23. One week before that, Marshall started receiving votes, then spent one week inside the Top 25. Tuesday's national ranking is the second time the program has been in the Top 25, but the first time in 18 years and 11 days.
"It's nice to be ranked; it was an expectation of mine that we would get to that level," Grassie said. "We are well-supported. We have the resources and the support and the logistical things in place. It's about getting the right players and, I think, maybe we're a year ahead.
"But, we're only halfway through the season. If we finish the season ranked and in the NCAA tournament for the first time, then that's when we can get excited. I feel like we're on the track to do that and this ranking is a real sign of that."
Marshall is 3-0-1 in C-USA play, and the Herd's 10 points has it positioned to contend for the league title this season. But, what lies ahead of the team will be revealing. Marshall defeated UAB at home on Oct. 5, but does not play again at Hoops Family Field until Nov. 3, when Kentucky visits for Senior Day. The Herd has started a stretch of six consecutive games on the road, which started last Saturday at Charlotte, which is now ranked No. 10.
Marshall is now on a West Coast swing to face Loyola Marymount, which is also receiving votes for the Top 25, and San Diego State in a span of four days, and then the Herd finishes the month at Wright State, FAU and Oakland.
"We need to keep the ship steady and keep doing what we're doing," Grassie said.
Marshall's eight victories so far matches what the program produced in each of Grassie's first two seasons: 8-10-1 in 2017, and 8-9-3 last season. But the success shouldn't come as a surprise. In Grassie's six seasons at Division II University of Charleston, he compiled a 99-20-8 record, including 61-7-3 in his last three seasons. UC reached the national championship game in 2014 and 2016, and made it to the semifinals in 2015.
"I've never really been shy about saying that we're not here to just make up the numbers," Grassie said. "We want to win championships and trophies. We want to win the NCAA championship every year. That was the idea when we set it up. At Charleston, we looked around and said 'Why couldn't we do it here? Why not Charleston, West Virginia?' So, why not Huntington, West Virginia? I didn't see why we couldn't do it here."
"I'm not a middling person," he added. "I can't just be happy for my place in the world and we're going to be a mid-major and that's it. We're going to try and win every game and try to win championships. We knew it was possible if we created the culture we wanted."
That culture applied to all aspects of being a student-athlete at Marshall University, Grassie said. If there was an academic award his team could win, he wanted his players to out-work everyone to earn it. Winning, he insisted, needed to permeate every aspect of a student-athlete's life.
"We wanted to teach the guys that you can strive for things in life, but it takes dedication and discipline and focus," Grassie said. "They have the talent coming in, and all of those things combine together to create the culture that we want. It has to be based on every year we're going to try and win a national championship. It's not easy, but that's what we're trying to do."
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and a seven-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill) and Instagram (wordontheherd).
