DII men’s soccer teams with the most NCAA DII national championships
The 2023 season concluded with Franklin Pierce becoming the first repeat champions of the new millennium. Not since Southern Connecticut State went back-to-back in 1998 and 1999 has a program repeated. Despite the rarity of the repeat there are 12 programs that have won multiple titles since SIU Edwardsville defeated Oneonta State in the inaugural 1972 DII men’s soccer championship.
2023 TOURNAMENT RECAP: Franklin Pierce goes back-to-back
Much like the current landscape of new winners each season, the championship history started out with a first-time champion in each of its first seven seasons. Alabama A&M was the first to win multiple championships, claiming the 1977 and ’79 title, but it wasn’t until 1985 that DII men’s soccer saw a back-to-back champion. Seattle Pacific had the honor, winning in 1985 and 1986. There has been only one other repeat champion, Southern Connecticut State, since.
Let’s take a look at the schools that have racked up the most DII men’s soccer championships.
Southern Connecticut State, 6 (1987, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1998-99)
Head coach Bob Dikranian led the Owls to their first national championship in 1987. Over the next 13 seasons, Southern Connecticut went to seven title matches, winning six of them. Its lone loss was to the other DII men’s soccer powerhouse Seattle Pacific in 1993. Three different head coaches led the Owls to glory as Ray Reid and Tom Lang joined Dikranian in the Owls soccer lore.
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Seattle Pacific, 5 (1978, 1983, 1985-86, 1993)
It took the Falcons a little while to get in the win column. Seattle Pacific lost the title game in 1974, 1975 and 1977 before finally breaking through in 1978. Head coach Cliff McCrath then led the Falcons to four-straight championship matches, winning first in 1983 and then becoming the first repeat champions in history in 1985 and 1986. They lost to an FIU team in overtime in 1984. Seattle Pacific hasn’t been to a title match since 1993, but its 10 overall appearances are still best in the division.
Tampa, 3 (1981, 1994, 2001)
The Spartans national championships range across three different decades, taking one home in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and 2000s. Tampa’s last title in 2001 was perhaps its most impressive. The Spartans went 19-0-2 as Keith Fulk picked up NCAA DII Coach of the Year honors and Roy Fink earned the National Player of the Year Award.
Fort Lewis, 3 (2005, 2009, 2011)
The Skyhawks were frequent visitors to the national title match in the early 2000s. Fort Lewis appeared in four national championships in seven years, its lone loss coming at the hands of Dowling in 2006. The Skyhawks championship seasons have been nothing short of impressive, combing to go 70-2-1 in their three national title campaigns.
Franklin Pierce, 3 (2007, 2022, 2023)
Franklin Pierce is the current program to beat in DII men’s soccer. The Ravens have won consecutive titles, both over CSU Pueblo, but there’s more. They haven’t lost a match over that span, nor have they allowed a goal in either championship match. Franklin Pierce won its first title in 2007, two years after finishing as national runners-up in its championship match debut.
Lynn, 3 (2003, 2012, 2014)
Head coach John Rootes has transformed Lynn into a modern-day powerhouse. The Fighting Knights have been to five national championships since 2003. The 2017 national runners-up took it all the way to the wire, falling in penalty kicks to Charleston. The Knights other loss in the championship was also in overtime fashion. Simply put, Lynn is a few inches away from being five-time winners.
Six programs now have a pair of national championships. Charleston (WV) joins Alabama A&M, FIU, Florida Tech, Southern New Hampshire, and Cal State Dominguez Hills as two-time champs with their 2019 championship. Here is the complete list of DII men’s national champions.
YEAR | CHAMPION (RECORD) | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | HOST OR SITE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Franklin Pierce (21-0-2) | Travis Brent | 4-0 | CSU Pueblo | Matthews, NC |
2022 | Franklin Pierce (26-0-1) | Ruben Resendes | 2-0 | CSU Pueblo | Seattle, Wash. |
2021 | Cal State LA (18-2-3) | Chris Chamides | 1-0 | Charleston (WV) | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
2019 | Charleston (WV) (22-2-1) | Dan Stratford | 2-0 | Cal State LA | Pittsburgh, Pa. |
2018 | Barry (16-4-3) | Steve McCrath | 2-1 | West Chester | Pittsburgh, Pa. |
2017 | Charleston (W. Va.) (21-1-2) | Dan Stratford | 0-0 (3-1 PKs) | Lynn | Kansas City, Mo. |
2016 | Wingate (19-1-0) | Gary Hamill | 2-0 | Charleston (W.Va.) | Kansas City, Mo. |
2015 | Pfeiffer (25-0-0) | Bob Reasso | 4-0 | Cal Poly Pomona | Pensacola, Fla. |
2014 | Lynn (19-1-1) | John Rootes | 3-2 | Charleston (W.Va.) | Louisville, Ky. |
2013 | So. New Hampshire (22-1-1) | Marc Hubbard | 2-1 | Carson-Newman | Evans, Ga. |
2012 | Lynn (20-2-1) | John Rootes | 3-2 | Saginaw Valley State | Evans, Ga. |
2011 | Fort Lewis (24-1-0) | Oige Kennedy | 3-2 (OT) | Lynn | Pensacola, Fla. |
2010 | Northern Kentucky (20-2-3) | John Basalyga | 3-2 | Rollins | Louisville, Ky. |
2009 | Fort Lewis (24-1) | Oige Kennedy | 1-0 | Lees-McRae | Tampa |
2008 | Cal State Dominguez Hills (21-2-4) | Joe Flanagan | 3-0 | Dowling | Tampa |
2007 | Franklin Pierce (17-2-4) | Marco Koolman | 1-0 | Lincoln Memorial | Orange Beach, Ala. |
2006 | Dowling (22-0-2) | John DiRico | 1-0 | Fort Lewis | Pensacola, Fla. |
2005 | Fort Lewis (22-0-1) | Jeremy Gunn | 3-1 | Franklin Pierce | Wichita Falls, Texas |
2004 | Seattle (22-0-1) | Peter Fewing | 2-1 | SIU Edwardsville | Wichita Falls, Texas |
2003 | Lynn (22-0-1) | Shaun Pendleton | 2-1 | Chico State | Virginia Beach |
2002 | Sonoma State (20-3-1) | Marcus Ziemer | 4-3 | Southern New Hampshire | Virginia Beach |
2001 | Tampa (19-0-2) | Keith Fulk | 2-1 | Cal State Dominguez Hills | Tampa |
2000 | Cal State Dominguez Hills (23-1-1) | Joe Flanagan | 2-1 (4OT) | Barry | Barry |
1999 | Southern Connecticut State (20-0) | Tom Lang | 2-1 (2OT) | Fort Lewis | Barry |
1998 | Southern Connecticut State (20-2-1) | Tom Lang | 1-0 | South Carolina Upstate | South Carolina Upstate |
1997 | Cal State Bakersfield (20-4) | Simon Tobin | 1-0 | Lynn | Lynn |
1996 | Grand Canyon (12-4-5) | Peter Duah, Petar Draskin | 3-1 | Oakland | Grand Canyon |
1995 | Southern Connecticut State (21-1-1) | Ray Reid | 2-0 | South Carolina Upstate | South Carolina Upstate |
1994 | Tampa (15-2-1) | Tom Fitzgerald | 3-0 (2OT) | Oakland | Tampa |
1993 | Seattle Pacific (18-2-1) | Cliff McCrath | 1-0 | Southern Connecticut State | Florida Tech |
1992 | Southern Connecticut State (21-2-1) | Ray Reid | 1-0 | Tampa | Tampa |
1991 | Florida Tech (19-2-1) | Rick Stottler | 5-1 | Sonoma State | Florida Tech |
1990 | Southern Connecticut State (22-0-1) | Ray Reid | 1-0 (4OT) | Seattle Pacific | Florida Tech |
1989 | Southern New Hampshire (22-1-2) | John Rootes | 3-1 | UNC Greensboro | UNC Greensboro |
1988 | Florida Tech (15-6) | Rick Stottler | 3-2 | Cal State Northridge | Cal State Northridge |
1987 | Southern Connecticut State (17-1-3) | Bob Dikranian | 2-0 | Cal State Northridge | Tampa |
1986 | Seattle Pacific (17-4-2) | Cliff McCrath | 4-1 | Oakland | Seattle Pacific |
1985 | Seattle Pacific (20-3) | Cliff McCrath | 3-2 | FIU | FIU |
1984 | FIU (14-4-3) | Karl Kremser | 1-0 (OT) | Seattle Pacific | Seattle Pacific |
1983 | Seattle Pacific (16-4-1) | Cliff McCrath | 1-0 | Tampa | Tampa |
1982 | FIU (16-3-1) | Karl Kremser | 2-1 | Southern Connecticut State | FIU |
1981 | Tampa (15-0-3) | Jay Miller | 1-0 (OT) | Cal State Los Angeles | Southern Connecticut State |
1980 | Lock Haven (21-0-0) | Michael Parker | 1-0 (OT) | FIU | FIU |
1979 | Alabama A&M (22-1) | Salah Yousif | 2-0 | Eastern Illinois | FIU |
1978 | Seattle Pacific (18-5-4) | Cliff McCrath | 1-0 (3OT) | Alabama A&M | FIU |
1977 | Alabama A&M (16-1) | Salah Yousif | 2-1 | Seattle Pacific | FIU |
1976 | Loyola Maryland (21-1) | Jim Bullington | 2-0 | New Haven | Seattle Pacific |
1975 | Baltimore (16-2-1) | Dick Edell | 3-1 | Seattle Pacific | Seattle Pacific |
1974 | Adelphi (16-1-1) | Menahem Less | 3-2 | Seattle Pacific | Missouri-St. Louis |
1973 | Missouri-St. Louis (11-0-3) | Don Dallas | 3-0 | Cal State Fullerton | Springfield |
1972 | SIU Edwardsville (11-0-3) | Bob Guelker | 1-0 | Oneonta State | SIU Edwardsville |