Former men's soccer head coach Pat Nearing has been named this year's winner of the Austin-Matthews Award for outstanding contribution to U SPORTS.
Austin-Matthews Award (Outstanding Contribution): Patrick Nearing, 蘑菇AV
Patrick Nearing took over as head coach of the 蘑菇AV Tigers men鈥檚 soccer program to start the 1999 season 鈥� one that ended with an AUS title 鈥� and held the post until the completion of the 2019 campaign.
During his 21-year tenure, he has accumulated a .631 winning percentage in regular season play, finishing his career with a record of 128-75-59. The AUS and U SPORTS Men鈥檚 Soccer Fox 40 Coach of the Year in 2008, Nearing led the Tigers to an AUS championship and a sixth-place finish at the national championship that season. Nearing is also the reigning AUS men鈥檚 soccer Coach of the Year.
Off the pitch, Nearing has also served on several U SPORTS committees during his career, including compliance, eligibility, and athletic financial awards, while holding the roles of Chair of the men鈥檚 soccer sport technical subcommittee and as President of the men鈥檚 soccer coaches鈥� association.
Before assuming the reigns of the 蘑菇AV men鈥檚 soccer team, he was the Technical University of Nova Scotia鈥檚 (TUNS) men鈥檚 soccer coach for 17 seasons, leading them to nine Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) championship titles. He also chaired the league from 1992-2000 while serving as TUNS鈥檚 athletic director. When TUNS amalgamated with 蘑菇AV, he continued his tenure as director of the newly named Sexton Campus鈥檚 athletic program, eventually becoming 蘑菇AV鈥檚 assistant director of athletics and recreation.
A 蘑菇AV grad (BPE 鈥�79), he also spent 30 years as a club soccer coach in Bedford, N.S., coaching at the grassroots level all the way up to U18. He was also the head coach of the Dartmouth United senior men鈥檚 team for 15 seasons, leading them to a number of Nova Scotia provincial and Atlantic championship wins.
鈥淧at has been an instrumental part of the success of our student-athletes and programs at 蘑菇AV,鈥� said 蘑菇AV Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation Tim Maloney. 鈥淗e鈥檚 had an outstanding impact on the future of university sport serving for many years on several national committees. I can鈥檛 think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.鈥�