MR. HUMBLE -- a profile of Mike Russo

Mike Russo entered his 34th season at Williams in 2012 having posted 29 consecutive winning seasons. In 27 of those 33 campaigns Russo's booters have won at least 10 games in a regular season that contains but 14 contests.

Russo is the first collegiate coach on any level to win back-to-back National Coach of the Year honors accomplishing the feat in 1987 and 1988, before his Ephs were allowed to participate in NCAA post season tournaments. Russo has been named the national Div. III Coach of the Year four times, garnering the honor again in 1993 and 1995.

In the fall of 1993 NESCAC allowed NCAA team tournament play and Russo guided his Ephs to the championship contest where they lost to UC San Diego in the title match played on Cole Field.

Russo's 1995 Ephs won the NCAA title when they defeated previously undefeated Methodist College 2-1 on Cole Field. Under Russo the Ephs have advanced to five NCAA Final Fours: 1993, 1995, 1998, 2009 & 2012.

Four of Russo's Ephs have been selected to their national team and have earned international caps – Mike Masters '89 and Dan Calichman '90 with the U.S., Peter Lyn '91 with Puerto Rico and Khari Stephenson '04 with Jamaica.

Four of Russo's players have been named the national Div. III Player of the Year: Terry Kaufmann (1995), Brad Murray (1996), Alex Blake (2001) and Dana Leary (2006).

Forty-seven Ephs coached by Russo have been named to All-America teams and 66 have earned All-New England honors through 2011.

In the first seven years that NESCAC selected a conference Player of the Year every one was an Eph:

            Alex Blake '03 -- (2000 & 2001)
            Khari Stephenson '04 -- (2002 & 2003)
            Josh Bolton '06 -- (2004 & 2005)
            Patrick Huffer '07 -- (2006)

In 2006 senior captain Patrick Huffer, an All-American midfielder and an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, was the first Eph to be named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Scholar-Athlete (for all divisions).

Mike and his wife Angela live in Williamstown.

        415*-103-58  (.771)

        Vs. Div I: 8-11-0 = (.421)     

        Vs. Div II: 11-3-2 = (.750)

        Vs. Div III: 396-89-56= (.784)

*First NESCAC coach to win 400 games
    National Div. III Coach of the Year:

    1987, 1988*, 1993, 1995

        *First Coach in any division to win back-to-back awards
   
    New England Coach of the Year:

    1984, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1995

    NESCAC Coach of the Year:
 
    2000, 2002, 2003, 2006 & 2012

    NCAA Div III Tournament Record:  32-14-9  (.676) -- 17 Appearances

    1995 -- NCAA Champions
    1993 –  2nd Place
    1998 –  3rd Place
    2009 -- 3rd Place
    2012 -- 3rd Place

Tom Demeo joined the Williams staff in 1993 and is entering his 16th season as an assistant under Mike Russo.

After graduating from North Adams State in 1988 with a BA in history, Demeo joined the staff at UMass-Amherst and earned a Master's degree in instructional leadership before returning to North Adams State to serve as an assistant during the 1991 and 1992 seasons.

In Demeo's first season at Williams the Ephs advanced to the 1993 NCAA Championship game losing to UC San Diego. Two years later the Ephs won the NCAA title on Cole Field with a 2-1 win over previously undefeated Methodist College.

Technically and tactically proficient, Demeo's commitment to the Ephs training regimen and training sessions is highly valued by the entire Eph family.

Tom teaches at the Adams (MA) Middle School.

Tom and his wife Kristen and their two sons Dominick and Patrick reside in Adams.