Allen Vital Position: Head Coach Experience: 10th Year

Allen Vital, the 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005 South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year and 2003 Southeast Region Coach of the Year, is entering his tenth season as head coach of the Carson-Newman College men's soccer program. During those nine years, Carson-Newman has established itself as one of the premier soccer programs in the nation.

The 2006 squad reached the SAC Tournament final and earned a trip to the NCAA Division II Appalachian Regional tournament to conclude their season at 15-2-2. Senior forward Dario Carrasco was named the SAC's Co-Player of the Year while goalkeeper Tyler Baldock, midfielder Carlos Maqueda, and defender Thomas Ostvold earned first team All-SAC honors. Freshman Omar Cooke earned All-SAC second team honors as well as the conference's Freshman of the Year award while teammates Everardo Flores and David Carrasco joined him on the All-SAC second team. Baldock, Dario Carrasco, Cooke and Ostvold also earned All-Appalachian Region honors from Daktronics while Baldock, Maqueda, and Ostvold earned All-Region honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Vital led the Eagles to the most successful season in school history in 2003. The Eagles went 14-6-3 and 6-1 in conference play to win their second SAC title in four years. The Eagles advanced to the NCAA Tournament where they beat two Top 10 teams in UNC-Pembroke and USC-Spartanburg and advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. C-N lost a hard-fought match to eventual national champion Lynn. The Eagles were ranked 12th in the final D-II poll in 2003.

He followed that season up with yet another successful campaign in 2004. The Eagles won the SAC title again and was ranked as high as number one during the season. Coach Vital was named SAC Coach of the Year and Tyler Baldock was selected the SAC Player of the Year.

The 2005 season was another special one as the Eagles won their third consecutive SAC title, the first time that feat had been accomplished in 14 years. Coach Vital was named SAC Coach of the Year for the third straight time, a SAC first, and Tyler Baldock was once again tabbed as the SAC Player of the Year. Baldock was also an All-American selection for the second consecutive season.

Coach Vital led the Eagles to the school's first-ever regular season South Atlantic Conference title in 2000. The Eagles finished the season 12-7 overall and 7-2 in the conference and coach Vital was named the SAC Coach of the Year. A 1992 graduate of Tusculum College, Vital spent three years as the Coordinator of Special Student Activities and Soccer Coach at Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tennessee. He holds an Advance National Coaching license, which is the highest license offered by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Vital also has several years of coaching experience with the East Tennessee Soccer Federation.

As a player, Vital garnered All-Conference honors as a freshman and sophomore at Lees-McRae. Following a transfer to Tusculum, where he graduated, he was chosen to the All-District team in his junior and senior seasons. Vital not only has an outstanding soccer resume, he is also a scholar. Along with a Business Administration degree, he minored in French and Art. Vital is trilingual, speaking English, French and Haitian Creole.

Vital and his wife, Christina currently reside in Morristown, Tennessee. They are the proud parents of twin boys, Devon Alian and Jean-Pierre.