Tuesday, October 9, 2007

SMU soccer coach Hyndman to be inducted into Pizza Hut Park Walk of Fame

By Pegasus News wire

SMU men's soccer head coach Schellas Hyndman will be inducted Oct. 20 into the Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, home of FC Dallas.

The Walk of Fame is the facility's largest landmark and is the vision of SMU alumnus and soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt, who established the concept to recognize those who have made significant contributions to soccer in Texas.

Now in his 24th season at SMU, Hyndman has a record of 360-89-35 at SMU, and 458-119-49 overall, including seven seasons at his alma mater, Eastern Illinois University. His 458 career victories are the second-highest total in the country among active coaches, and are the most in SMU history for any coach in any sport.

Hyndman's teams have reached the NCAA Tournament 28 times in his 30 seasons as a head coach, reaching the tournament's semifinal round four times and the championship game once (EIU in 1979). He has coached 20 players who have earned All-America honors, and has had two players earn national player of the year accolades: Daniel Hernandez (NSCAA Player of the Year in 1997) and Luis "Luchi" Gonzalez (Hermann Trophy, Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year and Soccer America Collegiate Player of the year in 2001).

He has been named Coach of the Year eight times in the three conferences in which SMU has competed (three times in the Western Athletic Conference, four times in the Missouri Valley Conference and in 2006 in Conference USA. He also has been named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Midwest Region Coach of the Year eight times, including five of the last six years, and received the Dallas All-Sports Association's "College Coach of the Year" award in 1986, and is a past president of the NSCAA.

Hyndman will be part of the third class to be enshrined. The inaugural 2005 class included Hunt, Tatu, Kyle Rote, Jr., Gordon Jago, Bill Kinder and Carla Overbeck. The 2006 class included Ron Newman and Jeff Agoos.

Source: SMU

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