Welcome to the party, pal.
NC State announced Saturday that it has hired Marc Hubbard to be its new men’s soccer coach. Hubbard comes from New Hampshire, where he spent the last decade posting a .700 winning percentage, which is rather difficult to do in soccer. Including the doing it in New Hampshire part.
Hubbard’s New Hampshire teams have made the NCAAs seven years running, and this season beat Syracuse to advance to the Elite Eight. NC State’s 2023 season ended with a 5-0 loss to the Orange in the ACC tournament.
Hubbard, who is a native of Durham [the New Hampshire one], won the Division II national championship as head coach of Southern New Hampshire University in 2013 as he was named the National Coach of the Year. He graduated from Colgate University in 2003 with a degree in Political Science before obtaining his master’s degree in Kinesiology: Sports Studies at UNH in 2006. Hubbard is a 1999 graduate of Oyster River High School as he was a member of two teams that won the New Hampshire Class I championship.
It’s going to be interesting to see what this guy can do outside of his comfort zone, but among the enduring legacies of Debbie Yow, and a necessary approach to the job here, is the question “who does more with less?” Hubbard fits that category for sure.
From State’s release on the hire:
“One thing that is non-negotiable for me when building our culture is that I will personally exemplify, instill and breed a collective and caring effort along with a strong commitment to working hard for one another every day. We will understand that good habits will not only shape us into the best soccer players but more importantly the best version of ourselves and ambassadors of the Wolfpack. The team’s success will be a byproduct of this dedication. Our locker room will be based on the values of teamwork, sacrifice and the commitment that all of my past teams have displayed on and off the field and I couldn’t be more excited to start working with the team and moving my family down to Raleigh.”
Welcome to the party, Marc. Let’s go do some soccer better.