 Tom Stone | Head Coach
The winningest coach in program history, Tom Stone concluded his 17th season as the head soccer coach at Texas Tech in 2023. Stone, the fourth head coach in school history, has transformed the Red Raiders into one of the top programs not only in the Big 12 Conference, but nationally as well as Texas Tech has been ranked in the top 10. Stone has steadily built the program with a foundation of strong recruiting, annually bringing some of the top talent in the country to Lubbock.
During his tenure, Stone has also been active on the national level as he was hired in 2008 to be the assistant coach for the U.S. U-20 National Team. Serving under head coach Tony DiCicco, the 2008 team captured the FIFA World Championship. The 2010 squad, meanwhile, won the CONCACAF Championship before eventually heading to the FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Germany. On top of his national team duties, Stone has also served as the head coach of the southern region's U-19 Olympic Development team.
Stone rejoined the national team program as he was one of two collegiate coaches named as an advance scout for the 2015 FIFA World Cup held in Canada. Stone's responsibilities included traveling to several international tournaments to scout potential opponents for the Senior U.S. National Team that went on to win its third World Cup with a 5-2 victory over Japan in the championship match. It was the first time the U.S. had captured the World Cup title since 1999. Prior to his arrival at Texas Tech, Stone spent one season as an assistant coach at Clemson where he helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA Elite Eight. Clemson ended its season 11-8-5 overall which was the best season in school history at the time.
Before beginning his career on the collegiate level, some of Stone's greatest accomplishments may have come from his time leading the Atlanta Beat of the Women's United Soccer Association during all three years of its existence. Being the first coach hired when the league formed in 2001, Stone proved his worth quickly, claiming the inaugural WUSA Presidents Cup Championship and advancing to the Founders Cup title match.
In his three seasons with the Beat, Stone finished with the highest winning percentage among WUSA coaches, finishing 13 games over .500, while also being named an all-star coach twice.
When the WUSA ceased operations in 2003, Stone was named the technical director of the Top Hat Soccer Club in Atlanta, one of the top girls youth programs in the southern region. While with Top Hat, Stone was primarily involved in all areas of club and player development and the College Prep Program that prepares top players for college soccer opportunities. He was the head coach for the 2007 Gold Team that won the Georgia State Championship in 2004 and the Southern Regional Premier League in 2005, while also serving as the head coach of the Gwinnett Country Club team that won the regional championship and qualified for the national championship match in 2005.
Prior to beginning his professional career, Stone was the founding director of coaching at the Colorado Rush Soccer Club from 1991 to 2000. Under Stone's direction, the Rush would go on to win 35 state cups along with 12 regional championships and seven national championships, becoming arguably the most successful youth girls program in the U.S. from 1997-2000. Stone has also served as a volunteer assistant coach at Duke in 1997 and the University of Denver in 1996.
As a player, Stone may be most remembered for his game-winning goal in the 1986 National Championship match that helped Duke win its only NCAA title with a 1-0 victory. Stone, just a junior at the time, scored the match's lone goal, finding the open net in the 46th minute for his 16th goal of the season. He was later named the Offensive Most Valuable Player for the match.
In his four-year career at Duke, Stone was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection three times, while also setting the Duke record for most NCAA Tournament goals in a career and game-winners in a single season. Stone was also a team captain on the 1987 squad and still remains among the top 10 on the school's career points chart.
Following his career as a Blue Devil, Stone played professionally for Le Havre FC in France and the Washington Stars and Colorado Foxes of the APSL. A native of Irving, Texas, Stone was a three-year member of the U.S. Youth National Team and a two-time Parade All-American while attending MacArthur High School.
Stone and his wife, Lindsey, currently reside in Lubbock with their sons, Leyton and Landry, and daughter, Lily.
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