MORAGA, Calif. -- Saint Mary’s College men’s soccer has enjoyed the most successful era in program history under Adam Cooper.

With Athletic Director Mark Orr’s announcement today that the 2-time West Coast Conference Coach of the Year signed a multi-year extension to remain the Gaels’ head coach, SMC is expected to continue its rise as one of the West Coast’s top programs.

“Coop has done a great job to create a consistently successful men’s soccer program at Saint Mary’s,” said Orr.  “He has developed a culture of competitive and academic success as well as emphasizing service to the community.  The student-athletes in our men’s soccer program are strong academically and athletically and embody the Lasallian values of Saint Mary’s College.”

Cooper, who enters his 10^th season as the head coach of the Gaels, has compiled a 76-67-34 overall record at Saint Mary’s.  His .525 winning percentage is the best in program history and he is the only coach to lead the Gaels to a league title and the NCAA Tournament.

Since 2009, Saint Mary’s owns a .500 or better record against five of its seven WCC opponents, including all three of its Northern California league rivals.  The Gaels advanced to the 2009 and 2011 NCAA Tournaments, the second-most in the league in the last six seasons.

“I appreciate President James Donohue and Mark Orr for giving me the opportunity to continue to lead the men's soccer program at this great institution," said Cooper.  "It has been my honor to represent Saint Mary's College on and off the soccer field.  I have the privilege of coaching and working with some amazing people and I look forward to the journey of continued success on the field and in the classroom."

A 1999 graduate of UCLA, Cooper’s program has produced 29 all-WCC selections and placed at least one member on the league’s all-freshman team in each of the last nine seasons. 

During Cooper’s tenure, he has developed two conference defenders of the year and a goalkeeper of the year and seven players were named NSCAA all-Far West Region. SMC seniors were chosen by Major League Soccer in its 2007, 2012 and 2015 drafts.

In 2010, Dylan Leslie was named the WCC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and is one of 20 Gaels to earn Academic all-WCC honors since 2006.  During the last nine years, six men’s soccer players have been selected as winners of the George R. McKeon Award  - an honor given to the most distinguished male and female senior scholar-athletes at Saint Mary’s.

As a program, his teams have earned a College Men's Team Academic Award from the National Soccer Coaches' Association for having a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better in three of the last four years

Cooper’s teams routinely participate in various events in the community to raise funds and awareness for worthy causes.  In addition, the team spearheaded an effort to raise more than $20,000 to help offset medical costs for teammate Emmanuel Sarabia, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010.

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