Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Grassie signs extension, talks big plans for men's soccer program
3/10/2020 9:21:00 AM | Men's Soccer, Big Green Scholarship Foundation, Word on the Herd
Marshall won a school-record 16 games in 2019 and reached the Sweet 16
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Midway through Friday night's end-of-season banquet for the Marshall men's soccer team, head coach Chris Grassie addressed the audience. This was a night of celebration for the program, which had its most successful season ever in 2019.
Grassie has grander visions for 2020, and the fact that he is talking about what he wants to accomplish with the Thundering Herd next season is news in itself.
"I feel like we're at the end of the beginning," he told the crowd at Guyan Golf and Country Club.
Grassie then shared the news: he had signed a new contract to stay at Marshall.
"We're thrilled to have Coach Grassie and his staff around for years to come," said Mike Hamrick, Marshall's Director of Athletics. "The 2019 season was the greatest in the history of our men's soccer program. They have created a buzz in our soccer community with their success, and the program's student-athletes excel in the classroom and are great representatives of Marshall."
There was every reason to believe Grassie would be a hot name for coaching vacancies around major college soccer, so Grassie's news prompted enthusiastic applause from Friday night's crowd. The new contract is a three-year extension, and Grassie has big plans.
After a season in which Marshall won a school-record 16 games, surged to its highest national ranking in school history, won the Conference USA regular season and tournament championship, clinched a berth to its first NCAA tournament, and defeated WVU to be among the final 16 teams competing for a national championship, Grassie points to that success as the foundation.
"Building on top of that is the exciting part," he said. "We still have an opportunity to be a great team, to be a national championship team, to be one of those consistent College Cup teams. That's the status we're trying to achieve. We've turned the corner."
Marshall debuted in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll on Oct. 15, the second time in program history – and first time in 18 years – the team has been nationally ranked. The Herd stayed ranked for the duration of the season, entering and exiting the NCAA tournament as the No. 11 team in the nation.
Late-season wins against No. 15 Kentucky (twice), No. 19 FIU and No. 17 Charlotte gave Marshall momentum entering the NCAA tournament, and the Herd men played in front of the largest NCAA tournament crowd of the first two rounds when it knocked off the Mountaineers in Huntington.
"We closed the chapter on the beginning, the foundation is laid and now it's just about improving that," Grassie said. "Part of the excitement of continuing that is that we're ahead of schedule. I thought it would take me four years to really turn things around, to become a quality team, instill our traditions and the style of play, and the culture that helped make us great this year. Now we have the basis of those in place, so the fourth year can, hopefully, be better."
After the 2019 season, the individual honors followed the team success. Milo Yosef, the Conference USA Offensive MVP and league's Freshman of the Year, became the program's first All-American, earning second team honors. Paulo Pita was named the co-winner of the Conference USA Golden Glove Award. Eight players were named to the C-USA first, second, third or all-freshman teams.
Grassie was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year, and his staff earned recognition as the Southeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
The head coach, and that award-winning staff, is coming back for another run. As Grassie has shown, when he runs, he runs forward. A step back next season is not an option.
"I told the guys that 2020 is the most important season in Marshall's history," Grassie said. "We have to put our eggs in this basket. If we can maintain two years in a row, that really puts us on the map. It's not just a blip on the radar. Then, 2021 becomes even easier than that. I know we had a fantastic year last year, but if we can make this next year coming up the best one, that's the idea."
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and an eight-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).
