With Saturday’s 1-0 win over Hofstra, men’s soccer coach Ralph Lundy added to his outstanding legacy by capturing his 300th victory in his 29th season as the head coach of the College of Charleston.
Coach Ralph Lundy
Lundy has left an indelible mark on the men’s soccer program, CofC and the college soccer community as a whole. He will long be remembered as one of the most successful, driven and passionate coaches in the country.
In 40 seasons as a head soccer coach, Lundy has compiled a 431-306-54 overall record (300-235-41 at CofC), which includes his 11 seasons at Erskine College in Due West, S.C. He currently ranks fifth among active Division I men’s soccer coaches in wins (431).
Lundy has led the Cougars to 19 winning seasons during his tenure. Since the team’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division I status in 1991, he has inspired his teams to reach five conference championships and five appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, there are currently six products of Lundy’s system playing soccer in the professional ranks.
Most recently, Lundy has ushered the Cougars into a new era, as he has overseen the program’s transition into the Colonial Athletic Association. In two full seasons, eight players have earned All-CAA honors under Lundy.
The Cougars earned the Southern Conference’s second ever at-large bid to the NCAA tournament in 2010. CofC also hosted the first ever NCAA Tournament event at the College of Charleston and downed East Tennessee State University in the opening round.
Prior to that, the Cougars were crowned Southern Conference Champions in 2004 to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Cougars finished the 2004 season ranked 20th in the nation in the NSCAA Coaches’ Poll and College Soccer News, and 25th by Soccer America.
During CofC’s time in the Southern Conference, Lundy had 16 players named to the Southern Conference All-Conference First Team, with four earning repeat selections. Additionally, 18 of his athletes have been named to the Southern Conference All-Tournament Team and Ben Hollingsworth was named tournament MVP in 2004.
In an age when longevity is rare, Lundy has managed to coach for just two collegiate programs throughout his illustrious, 35-year career, beginning work as a head coach at Erskine College in 1976. During 11 seasons at Erskine, he compiled a 131-71-13 record, with 10 winning seasons. He led the Flying Fleet to seven district titles and three NAIA National Tournaments. Lundy was inducted into the Erskine Athletics Hall of Fame and an annual soccer award is given in his honor at the college.
In 1987, the Flying Fleet hadn’t lost to the College in their last 16 matches, so Coach Lundy was only mildly interested when the College’s athletic director at the time, John Kresse, and Assistant Athletic Director Jerry Baker, called him about coming to coach the Cougars.
Prior to joining the Southern Conference, the Cougars were a member of the Trans-America Athletic Conference for six years. Lundy’s team won four-straight TAAC Championships from 1993 to 1996 and earned bids to the NCAA Tournament in 1994, 1995 and 1996. He was named the TAAC Coach of the Year in back-to-back years (1993 and 94).
The North Carolina native was a three-sport athlete at Western Carolina University, where he competed in soccer, wrestling and baseball for the Catamounts. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1972.
Men’s soccer Coach Ralph Lundy (center, in black) with his Cougars.
