South Jersey Soccer:
McClements Accepts Position of Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at SMU

Tuesday, July 4, 2000

By Gregg Williams
SJSports Staff Writer

Tim McClements, a graduate of Edgewood Regional High School, has accepted the position of Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, TX.

Tim's past collegiate coaching positions were: Head Coach of Eastern Illinois for the past 4 years, Head Coach of Baker University (KS) 1994-1995, and Assistant at Midwestern State University (TX) 1992-1993. He started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Northern Illinois in 1991.

Coach McClements took over a struggling Eastern Illinois Panthers soccer program. In his first year as head coach the team had a record of 8-11 and just missed making the Missouri Valley Conference by one win. The second year the team finished tied for fourth place, and made it to the Missouri Valley Conference post season for the first time in school history. Five players from coach McClements teams at Eastern Illinois have signed professional contracts in the USL Player Development: Matt Bobo, Mike Czarnecki, Kyle Mittendorf, Henry Ospina, and Eric Willson.

In two years at Baker, Coach McClements guided his teams to a 30-16 overall record. They won the Heart of America Athletic Conference championship with an undefeated record in 1994. In 1995, they won the league's post season tournament and were ranked as high as fifth in the nation. Coach McClements got Coach of the Year honors in 1995. Three players from Baker played professionally: Alex Vazques, New Orleans (USL), Rian Watts, Wichita (NPSL), and Keith Nelson, Kansas City (NPSL). During this time, he was Director of Coaching Player Development for the Kansas State Youth Soccer Association and Olympic Development Program.

McClements played professionally for the Chicago Power and Dayton Dynamo in the Nation Professional Soccer League and for the New Jersey Eagles for the American Professional Soccer League.

His collegiate playing career started as a member of the 1983 Indiana University National Championship team. In 1985-86, McClements finished his collegiate career at Wheaton College. He had two stellar years as he played in two NCAA III tournaments.

His High School years were played at Edgewood, where he was a member of the 1980-81 Olympic Conference Champions (the only Conference Championship for Edgewood in Boys' soccer). I had a chance to play with Tim. He knew the game of soccer. He played left wing, and I played striker. I knew that I didn't even have to look out on the wing to make a pass, because he would be there. Tim brought the finesse game of soccer to our power game of set plays. He knew when to slow the game down and when to move the ball. It was and still is an honor to know Tim and having played with him.

Congratulations and good luck to the McClements Family, which includes Tim's wife, Karen, daughter, Paige, and son, Ian.