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                               February 1, 2002

Swanbeck named head soccer coach

By Mady Salvani
Asst. Dir., Athletic Media Relations

Kurt Swanbeck, a top collegiate coach at the NAIA level, has been named head men’s soccer coach at Army, it was announced by Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan.

A 1981 graduate of Columbia University, Swanbeck served as head men’s soccer coach at Berry College in Mount Berry, Ga., the past nine years, compiling an overall ledger of 112-69-5 (.616). He guided Berry to its conference’s postseason tournament each of those nine seasons.

A two-time conference coach of the year honoree, Swanbeck helped the Vikings to one of their most successful seasons, leading Berry to a 17-5 record, a No. 13 national ranking and the school’s first appearance in the NAIA Tournament in two decades.

Swanbeck spent five years as head coach at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., prior to assuming control of the soccer program at Berry. In 14 years as a collegiate head coach, he has authored an overall record of 145-117-9 (.552).

"We are very pleased to announce the hiring of Kurt Swanbeck to head our men’s soccer program," Greenspan stated. "Kurt has proven to be a highly successful head coach at the collegiate level and brings a spirited passion for the game.

"He is a proven winner and is extremely well respected on the national scene," Greenspan added. "We are confident that Kurt will make a tremendous impact on our men’s soccer program."

Swanbeck, who holds a pair of master’s degrees from Columbia, lettered four times for the Lions during his undergraduate days in New York City. A three-time All-Ivy League performer, Swanbeck captained the Columbia squad during his junior and senior seasons, and earned team most valuable player laurels. He helped the Lions to a 48-12-5 record, three Ivy League titles and an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1979.

Following graduation, Swanbeck played professionally for one year with the Nashville Diamonds of the American Soccer League before beginning his coaching career as an assistant on the staff at Dartmouth College. He returned to his alma mater in the fall of 1983, serving a highly successful five-year term as an assistant on the Lions’ coaching staff. During that period Columbia posted a 58-17-7 record, while claiming a trio of Ivy League championships. The club made three trips to the NCAA Regional finals and advanced to the NCAA championship game in 1983, closing the regular season ranked No. 1 nationally.

Swanbeck, who served as president of the NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches Association this past year, became head coach at Clark in August of 1988. He accepted the coaching reins at Berry five years later and was credited with transforming the Georgia school into a national soccer power.

"I’m very excited to have the opportunity to return to coach in the Northeast," Swanbeck said. "My main goal has always been to coach at the Division I level and to have that opportunity at the Military Academy is outstanding.

"I am looking forward to the challenge of building the Army program into a consistent winner," he added. "I have a great deal of confidence in our ability to accomplish that with the elements that are in place."

Swanbeck, 42, is married to the former Lynne Khoury of Auburn, Mass. The couple has one son, Tyler Kurt Khoury Swanbeck, 2.