Rob Thompson joined the Clemson men’s soccer program prior to the 2017 season. Prior to coming to Clemson, Thompson was heavily involved in coaching both youth and college soccer in New Hampshire since 1993.
Thompson spent 24 years coaching at Seacoast United Soccer Club (SUSC), New Hampshire’s premier youth sports club. He most recently served as the College Recruiting Coordinator and Director of premier HS age teams in the club. This past year, he coached two Seacoast teams to state titles. Both the 2000 girls NPL team and the 2004 boys NPL team won the US Club NH State Championship. His 2004 boys NPL team advanced to the US Club national championship tournament.
Thompson spent 20 years as the head coach of men’s soccer at University of New Hampshire. Thompson is currently UNH’s all-time wins leader, and he was honored as America East Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2009. His Wildcats won an America East regular season title in 2009, and their undefeated conference regular season record of 6-0-1 in that same year was the first by any America East team since 1997. He led UNH to conference semi-finals six times (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013) and advanced to America East conference title games in 2010 and 2012, dropping both in penalty kick shootouts after drawing 0-0 both times. UNH squads were nationally ranked in 1993, 1994, 1997 and 2005. His teams led the America East conference in best discipline record 14 out of 15 years, and they finished in the top three in national Division I NSCAA fair play rankings three times (2009, 2012, 2013). His program had a record eight straight NSCAA team academic awards from 2007-2014.
Thompson was named US Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) Regional Coach of the Year in 2008. He led the Seacoast United U18 Academy Team to its only USSDA playoff berth in club history in 2011. He coached the Seacoast United U17 boys team to the USL Super Y League championship match in 2007, and that same team went to the USYSA Region 1 final in 2007, finishing with a No. 8 national ranking. From 1998 to 2006, he led Seacoast United youth teams to eight New Hampshire state USYSA titles. He was also a member of the USYSA Region 1 Olympic Development Staff from 1994 to 2007.
By coming to Clemson, Thompson is reuniting with head coach Mike Noonan, as the two coached together at UNH in 1993 and 1994. During that two-year span, the Wildcats were nationally ranked and had the best two-year win percentage in UNH history. The duo also coached UNH to its only NCAA tournament appearance in program history.