Feb. 21, 2012

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy men's soccer head coach Dave Brandt was inducted into the Messiah College Athletics' Hall of Honor in an award presentation and banquet last weekend in Grantham, Pa. The celebration, held at the West Shore Country Club in nearby Camp Hill, included over 110 guests on hand to see the official induction Messiah Hall of Honor Class of 2012.

Brandt, who just completed his third year in charge of the Navy soccer program in 2011, was a former standout for the Messiah soccer team and is arguably one of the most-accomplished coaches of any sport in NCAA history. Brandt took the reigns of the Messiah men's soccer team in 1996, beginning a 12-year journey that would include six NCAA Division III National Championships ('00, '02, '04, '05, '06, '08), eight appearances in the Final Four ('01 and '07 in addition to Championships) and eight Commonwealth Conference Championships ('97, '00, '01, '02, '03, '05, '07, '08). Over his 12 years leading the Falcons, Brandt collected an overall record of 246-25-14 -- a winning percentage of .888 that was first in NCAA Division I, II, or III men's soccer history.

During his coaching career, Brandt coached five National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) National Players of the Year, 17 NSCAA All-Americans, 40 NSCAA All-Region athletes, 81 All-Conference athletes and 12 Conference Players of the Year. Brandt was a six-time Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year and is a four-time NSCAA National Coach of the Year ('00, '02, '04, '08.). He is the quickest coach in NCAA history to reach 200 career wins.

His six national titles are the second most in NCAA history (any level) behind Bob Guelker (Saint Louis, SIU-Edwardsville), his four NSCAA Coach of the Year Awards are the second most in NCAA history behind Indiana legend Jerry Yeagley and he is one of two coaches in NCAA history to win three straight NCAA titles, joining UNC Greensboro's Michael Parker and Virginia's Bruce Arena as the only coaches to accomplish that feat. Lastly, his 2005 Messiah squad went 24-0-0, being one of only 10 programs in NCAA history to go unbeaten and untied for an entire season. One of the other programs to do so was the 1964 NCAA Champion Navy soccer squad.

On the playing field at Messiah, Brandt set the program record for career assists with 35 -- a record that stood until it was tied by Geoff Pezon in 2009. Brandt was also a four-time NSCAA All-Region player in his time on the soccer pitch for the Falcons. Also an All-Conference player in 1983 and 1984, Brandt was a member of the 1981 men's soccer team that won the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Championship.

Brandt has turned around the Navy soccer program over the last three years, compiling a 22-23-9 record in Annapolis. Brandt will welcome back nine starters and 17 letterwinners from last year's team that went 7-7-5 overall and reached the Patriot League Tournament for the first time in 10 years (since 2001). Navy finished 2011 with a 3-0-2 record in its last five games and with a final NCAA RPI of 117, the highest for the program since 2001.

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