News Release

Noble Named Millikin Head Men�s Soccer Coach

William �B.J.� Noble, Jr. will join the Millikin University Athletic Department this spring after accepting the position of head men�s soccer coach. Noble joins the Big Blue coaching staff after gaining valuable experience at the collegiate, high school and club levels for the last 10 years.

"We are thrilled to welcome B.J. Noble to the Millikin University community and to Big Blue Soccer. Coach Noble brings a new level of enthusiasm and elevated expectations to our men's soccer program,� Athletic Director Lori Kerans said. �The work ethic and passion he will exemplify in preparing his current team and recruiting his future teams will provide the Big Blue an opportunity to be successful in the CCIW, one of the most prestigious conferences in the country."

�I feel very fortunate to be the next head coach at Millikin,� Noble said. �I�m looking forward, most importantly, to working with the current players but I�m also excited about the opportunity to start recruiting and building lifelong relationships with the guys. I look forward to the challenges that await me in a new program, but I am excited about the opportunity to be a positive impact on campus and in the Decatur community.�

Noble�s most recent coaching experience was as the head coach of the boys and girls U-17 teams of the Neusport FC club in Las Vegas. His teams found considerable successes that included 2006 State Cup and Wolfpack Invitational championships for the boys and a 2006 Hotspurs Labor Day title for the girls.

After earning his bachelor�s degree from Northern State University (S.D.), Noble continued his education at the University of Redlands (Calif.) while also serving as Redlands assistant men�s soccer coach from 2004-06. At Redlands, Noble was a part of two Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championships, two NCAA Division III second-round playoff appearances (both in 2004 and 2005) and was an instrumental part of the coaching staff that put together a 32-6-5 record during those two seasons, including a shutout of conference opponents in 2005.

Between 1999 and 2004 he also coached club teams in Sandy, Utah. In the Men�s Premier Soccer League�s inaugural season in 2003, Noble and his Utah Salt Ratz were the league�s regular season champions. He also coached the Northern United Soccer Club in Sandy and watched his U-19 team win the USASA U-23 National Championship in 2001.

Noble�s other coaching experiences came from Sandy�s Jordan High School (1998-99), Northern State University (1997) and Sandy�s Sparta United Soccer Club (1990-00). He has also been involved in multiple soccer camps throughout his career and holds a NSCAA National diploma, a NSCAA Goalkeeping license and a USSF �C� license.

Noble inherits a men�s soccer program which won a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship in 2001, but the Big Blue has gone just 30-47-10 in the last five years. The Big Blue men�s soccer program will begin its 21st year of competition when Noble puts his first team on the field in 2007.


Submitted 2007-06-19 20:06:02 by D3Kicks.com Sports Information Department