From the New Jersey Athletic Conference:
PITMAN, NJ --- Former Stockton head men's soccer coach Jeff Haines was honored by the NJAC Board of Athletic Administrators, as the board voted to name the NJAC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year award after the national championship-winning mentor at its recent December meeting.
Haines spent 17 years as Stockton's head men's soccer coach before transitioning in January 2015 to his current role as the Associate Director of Athletics & Recreation. During his tenure on the pitch, he amassed a 262-99-34 record (.706 winning percentage). Haines propelled Stockton to its greatest heights and won at least 11 games every year.
He helmed the Ospreys to an NCAA championship, two NCAA Final Fours, an Elite Eight, two Sweet 16s, four NJAC titles, seven total NCAA Tournament berths and three ECAC Metro crowns, the most recent of which came in 2013.
"What a wonderful honor for Jeff and well-deserved recognition for an outstanding career," said Tony Berich, Stockton University Director of Athletics. "Jeff's record as a coach speaks for itself. However, his impact as a coach was far greater than just his accomplishments on the field. Off the field, he was a strong leader of young men who taught valuable lessons and instilled in them principles that have served them well into their personal and professional lives. He embodied what a coach should be and this award is a testament to his lasting legacy."
"I want to thank our Athletic Director, Tony Berich, for the nomination to the NJAC for this award. I also want to thank President Kesselman and Stockton University for giving me this opportunity to coach and be an administrator at Stockton University for over 25 years," Haines said. "Finally, I want to thank NJAC Commissioner, Terry Small, and all the New Jersey Athletic Conference Athletic Directors and Administrators for this recognition. I'm humbled, grateful, and very appreciative of this great honor from one of the best Division III conferences in the nation."
Haines brought Stockton to the pinnacle of national success in 2001 as the Ospreys marched to the NCAA Division III championship and set an NCAA all-division record with 25 victories. They reeled off 20 consecutive wins and went unbeaten in their final 22 games. Stockton also won its second NJAC title in three years en route to a 25-1-1 final mark. Haines was rewarded with NSCAA National Coach of the Year, NSCAA Metro Region Coach of the Year and NJAC Coach of the Year honors.
Haines began his head coaching career by succeeding his mentor Tim Lenahan as Stockton's head coach in 1998 after three seasons as an assistant with the program. He promptly led the Ospreys a school-record-tying 17 victories in his first year.
The seeds of Stockton's 2001 NCAA championship were sown in 1999 when Haines took a young squad on a dramatic Final Four run. The campaign produced Haines' first NJAC title and an upset of #2 Williams in the NCAA quarterfinals. He was named NSCAA Metro Region Coach of the Year and NJAC Coach of the Year for his efforts.
In 2002, Haines steered the defending NCAA champs to their second straight NJAC title and third in four seasons. Stockton again earned an NCAA bid and finished the year at 18-5. Haines achieved a milestone with his 100th victory, a 4-0 win over Savannah Art & Design on September 13, 2003. He led Stockton to its fourth NJAC crown in six years a season later in 2004 when he guided a talented but inexperienced team to the NCAA quarterfinals and an 18-4-3 mark.
After 39 wins and one ECAC championship from 2005-07, Haines coached the 2008 Stockton team to its first NCAA Tournament berth in four years and a 16-6-1 record. After a one-year absence, he brought the Ospreys back to the NCAA Tournament in 2010 and 2011.
The 2010 slate featured an upset victory over #1 Swarthmore and Haines' 200th career win, a 2-1 triumph over Roanoke on September 11, 2010. Stockton's streak of postseason appearances reached 20 seasons with an ECAC tournament berth in 2012.
A native of Pitman, Haines is a member of the South Jersey Soccer Hall of Fame and Pitman High School Sports Hall of Fame. He was four-year letter winner and 1990 graduate of Lock Haven University, and his background also includes assistant coach stints at Lock Haven, The College of New Jersey, and Gloucester County College.
