COLLEGE SOCCER: "Just Wait Until The Fall" - The New Tuskegee University Men's Soccer Coach Interview
- Staff Writer
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
Written By: Ahmad Smith
“I would encourage them all to “ride the wave” this year during the World Cup. It's the most diverse and fastest growing sport in the United States and we know that the game of soccer is going to peak a lot of interest for young people looking to play the game at the college level especially during this Summer when the World Cup matches actually start here in the United States.”
These were some of the comments made by the 1st Head Men's Soccer Coach in the history of Tuskegee University Athletics when asked if there was an opportunity for similar HBCUs or schools like Tuskegee University interested in adding the sport of soccer to their athletic departments.
“It also doesn't cost too much to get started for a program. We are able to share facilities with football on campus while our AD implements plans to build a soccer specific facility on campus.”
Relatively low start-up costs, partnering with Nike to outfit players with multiple training tops, hoodies, cleats, travel gear, and uniforms while attracting students of high academic achievement and character will characterize the success of the New Tuskegee University Men's and Women's Soccer programs. Coach Tarpley mentioned that he, New Women's Soccer Head Coach, Coach Stephens, his new staff of 4, 2 assistants and 2 managers, are all working hard together to make sure this first season will start successfully.
“We are recruiting a lot of JUCO players as we are playing in NCAA Division 2. It could present challenges depending solely on Freshmen to get the job done,” says Coach Tarpley, when asked about what it will take to be successful in his first year.
When asked about what the biggest challenges to being successful were in his first year, his response was a breath of fresh air! He mentions that he has been heavily recruiting 3 new players to transfer only to find out that they will not be accepted to the college due to the high academic standards at Tuskegee University. The transfer GPA to be accepted at Tuskegee is set at a minimum of a 3.0. “They take Academics seriously at Tuskegee which is impressive,” says Coach Tarpley.
Coach Tarpley also mentions that another challenge is starting from zero. “We just don't have anything yet. No goals, balls, practice equipment...those soccer specific things we need to run our program effectively and we start in July which is a quick turnaround. Our slogan has become “Just wait until the Fall” around here.”
I finally asked Coach Tarpley what message did he have for Black, Latin, or any youth or young adults living in urban areas that play soccer and have been told “to do something different” or that “Soccer doesn't lead to any real opportunities after high school for them.” His response: “First and foremost, keep grinding. What you do in the classroom will immediately impact the opportunities you have after high school. Secondly, there are plenty of college soccer programs out there. If you are a hard worker and excel academically, there will be a spot for you. Lastly, when it comes to setting the standard academically, Tuskegee has been a front-runner since 1881. If you are a hard-worker and can succeed academically, I would love to speak with you about Tuskegee.”
Tuskegee University Men's Soccer plans to host open tryouts in April 2026. They are slated to play their fiest ever match in August 2026.. For more information on Tuskegee Men's Soccer, please contact Coach Tarpley at mtarpley@tuskegee.edu or reach out to him by phone at 404.966.7066.
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