Roy Gordon teared up as he spoke in front of family, friends, former and current players, and fans Sunday afternoon in Fredericksburg.
“Mary Washington has been an incredible place for me to have worked,” Gordon said.
The first head coach of the University of Mary Washington men’s soccer program and longest tenured head coach in program history, Gordon won 432 games during his 34 seasons at the helm for the Eagles.
That included a number of conference titles, NCAA tournament appearances and miscellaneous coaching awards for him as he looked to bring a national championship to the school.
His teams got as far as the national semifinals in 1997, putting together a 21-3-1 record in the process, but through his decades of coaching, Sunday was perhaps his biggest accomplishment as UMW’s athletics department renamed their soccer field in his honor.
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“Coach Gordon is one of the most important figures in Mary Washington Athletics history,” UMW Sports Information Director Clint Often said during Sunday’s ceremony.
Not only was Gordon an impactful figure on the field, but also on the court, serving as the first men’s tennis head coach in UMW history.
Additionally, he served as the associate athletic director for the Eagles, helping to expand the reach of the athletics department on a regional and national scale. From seven varsity sports, UMW now offers more than 20, competing amongst the best of the best at the Division III level.
Longtime Mary Washington men’s soccer head coach Roy Gordon, right, won 386 games over his 34-year coaching career with the Eagles.
COURTESY OF UMW ATHLETICS
“For 34 years, my goal was to provide a quality experience for my student–athletes,” Gordon said.
The Eagles have continued a tradition of excellence in men’s soccer as current head coach Jason Kilby has led the team to three straight Sweet 16 appearances in the NCAA tournament and a second national semifinal appearance in 2022.
UMW is expected to be a ranked team year in and year out, oftentimes ranked in the top-10 as they were for the entirety of last season.
Gordon set the foundation and built the house for which the program now thrives, a program chomping at the bit to bring home its first-ever national title.
“Most of all, it comes down to the players,” Gordon said. “… I’m proud of the program that we all created and the success that the program continues to have. I’m very proud to forever be associated with the University of Mary Washington.”
Mary Washington men’s soccer advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament on Sunday with a 1-0 win over Ohio Wesleyan. Midfielder Jordy Santana scored the game-winner for the Eagles in the 88th minute and he spoke with The Free Lance-Star after the win.