MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—Steve McCrath, the longest-tenured soccer coach in Barry University history, has resigned Michael L. Covone, the director of athletics, announced today.
McCrath is leaving to take over the program at Wheaton College in Illinois, one of the premier NCAA Division III programs in the country. The Thunder have made 36 NCAA tournament appearances, second-most in the division.
"It is with a mixture of joy and sadness that I announce that, after 24 impactful years and three presidents, I am hanging up my boots as the Barry University head men's soccer coach," McCrath said. "I cannot begin to express my joy in having led the Buccaneers into the national spotlight and be their head coach over these last two-plus decades, from when we received our very first All-American in Jon Samford, through national leaders in Alen Marcina, Avi Scabini, and Mark Anderson. We've accomplished so much on the field, including many All-Region and All-Conference players as well as conference and national titles in a very demanding sport. But over my career at Barry University, it has always been my mission to lead boys into men so that they would be fantastic men, leaders, husbands, fathers and impactful in their community.
"I always wanted to leave the program on stronger footing than I found it and I believe that I have done that. I'm really excited to see what this current group of players can accomplish and I'll be watching them from afar."
Leading the Buccaneers for 24 years, McCrath compiled a 241-135-39 record, including a 97-74-15 mark in the Sunshine State Conference. The Bucs won three SSC regular season titles and two tournament championships. In 2018, Barry captured the NCAA Division II National Championship. McCrath has coached 65.3 percent of all Buccaneer men's soccer games (415 of 636) and ranks fourth among active SSC coaches in wins.
He came to Barry from Seattle Pacific University, where he served as an assistant to his father, Cliff McCrath, from 1995-97. The elder McCrath is the winningest coach in NCAA Division II men's soccer history. A highly-decorated player and coach, the younger McCrath was a four-year letterman at Seattle Pacific. He helped the Falcons to the 1986 NCAA Division II national championship and was captain of the 1989 squad. As a senior, he earned First-Team NCAA Division II All-Far West Region honors.
He played professional soccer with the Seattle Storm of the Western Soccer League and later with the indoor Milwaukee Wave of the National Professional Soccer League. He finished his professional career with the Everett Bigfoot in the U.S.I.S.L. Division III. In 1993, he anchored the Murphy's Pub defense for the U.S. Men's Amateur national cup champions. McCrath also toured with Athletes-in-Action to South Africa in 1996.
The university will begin an immediate search for his replacement.
Courtesy of Barry Athletic Communications