Ian Stone

				Position: Head Coach Experience: 18th Season Alma Mater: West London '90

Already the winningest coach in St. John's women's soccer history, the 2011 season marks Ian Stone's 18th year at the helm of the program. A staple among women's soccer coaches in the BIG EAST, Stone, the third-longest tenured head coach at St. John's, continues Red Storm to unprecedented success both on and off the soccer field.

Stone enters his 18th season with many impressive accolades as he has led St. John's to 12 postseason tournament appearances, a 2009 NCAA Tournament berth, 1994 BIG EAST Championship and 2002 ECAC Championship titles, 2006 BIG EAST Coach of the Year honors and 2009 NSCAA Northeast Region Coach of the Year accolades. Stone is also a two-time winner of the St. John's Herbert Hess Coach of the Year award, winning in 1998 and 2008.

A coach that values his team's classroom and character development, he has coached eight-straight squads that have earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Award (2003-2010).

In 2010, the off-the-field success of his individual players include a Lowes Senior CLASS Award finalist and CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American in Nicole Pasciolla, three NSCAA Scholar All-Region honorees in Pasciolla, Jen Leaverton and Raelynne Lee and two student-athletes were inducted into the prestigious St. John's President's Society with Leaverton and Lindsey Hall. The squad also received St. John's Community Service Award for the third time after volunteering more than 300 hours of community service. Pasciolla was honored by the St. John's athletic department as she won the Rickard F. McSwiney Award, recognizing her athletic contribution and exceptional character.

While on the field in 2010, Pasciolla and Kristin Russell were named to the All-BIG EAST squads. Stone tallied his 150th win as head coach with a 1-0 victory over James Madison at the JMU/Comfort Inn Harrisonburg Invitational on Aug. 27.

Also in 2010, Stone's coaching tree expanded as long-time assistant Michele Canning was named head coach at New York University and former players Courtney Curby (St. John's), Nicole Pasciolla (NYU) and Rebecca Capinera (UMass) were all hired as assistant coaches.

The highlight of Stone's career at St. John's was the 2009 season as the Red Storm earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth, compiled a 13-6-2 record and posted the second-most wins in program history, one victory short from tying the record set in 1994. The Red Storm also tied school records set in 2007 for BIG EAST wins (six) and home victories (eight). Stone's 2009 squad also recorded 10 shutouts, tying the record set the year before.

Stone guided St. John's to its first-ever NSCAA Top 25 Poll appearance in 2009, eventually rising to No. 17 on Sept. 28. The program also received its highest ranking in history in the Soccer America Poll, when it was listed as No. 11 on Oct. 5. The Red Storm recorded three victories over Top 25 opponents, nabbing 2-1 victories over then-No. 12 USC on Aug. 30 and then-No. 12 Indiana on Sept. 13, and posting a 1-0 win over then-No. 16 UConn on Sept. 24. The Red Storm also advanced to the BIG EAST Championship semifinals, losing a closely-decided contest in overtime. For his efforts, Stone was named the BigAppleSoccer.com Coach of the Year and earned NSCAA Northeast Region Coach of the Year accolades.

Amanda Pasciolla, Nicole Doran, Nicole Pasciolla and Sarah McGrath earned All-BIG EAST accolades in 2009, while Amanda Pasciolla and Kelly McConnell were named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and Raelynne Lee was bestowed one of the highest honors on campus by being named to the prestigious President's Society. The squad won the BIG EAST Team Excellence Award for academic achievement.

Stone continued to build off each year's successes as his 2008 squad set new school records in shutouts (10) and goal against average (0.593) and made its third-straight BIG EAST Tournament appearance. 2007 was also a successful season as the Red Storm posted an 11-5-3 overall record and set new program records in BIG EAST wins (six) and home victories (eight). Stone's 2007 Red Storm opened up its first eight games of the season unbeaten, posting a 6-0-2 record. The 2007 team was ranked as high as third in the region in the Soccer Buzz and NSCAA polls, after being consistently ranked for 15 seasons. Another highlight of the 2007 campaign was the Red Storm's defeat of then-No. 18 UConn on Oct. 26. The victory was only the second in history for St. John's over the Huskies, with the first coming on Nov. 5, 1994, in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals. The 2006 campaign featured the Red Storm advancing to the BIG EAST quarterfinals and posting another successful season with a 10-5-4 record; while the 2005 season saw the Red Storm win six games, including the Columbia University tournament title, while senior Holly Ryder was named to the All-BIG EAST second team.

On Oct. 15, 2004, Stone tallied a marquee personal and program achievement as the Red Storm topped BIG EAST rival Pittsburgh and, in front of his home crowd at Belson Stadium, he reached the 100-win plateau.

Stone's squad concluded the 2004 season with a record-setting fourth-consecutive appearance at the BIG EAST Tournament, after beginning the season with a program-best six-straight wins. In addition, the Red Storm took home two tournament titles with wins at the BAE Systems Army Classic and the St. John's NYC Nike Classic, the first-ever tournament hosted by the Red Storm women's soccer program. That year marked the second-straight season that Stone's team topped a nationally ranked opponent, as St. John's shut out the then-No. 18 Villanova Wildcats.

Following the 2004 season, Natasha Lee was recognized with several postseason awards, including being named to the All-BIG EAST second team, the NSCAA/adidas All-Northeast Regional third team and the SoccerBuzz Northeast Region second team. Kaitlin Schmidt received the Dr. Peter Vitulli Award, given to the St. John's student-athlete who demonstrated the most courage, perseverance, dedication and spirit of self-sacrifice in seeking to attain the highest ideals of sportsmanship.

The 2003 season marked Stone's 10th at the helm of the St. John's women's soccer program, as the team finished 9-9-1 overall and qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament for the third-straight season. On Oct. 12, the team knocked off nationally-ranked Boston College in a 1-0 win at Belson Stadium. Two players, Courtney Rett and Schmidt, were named to the 2003 All-BIG EAST second team and the SoccerBuzz Northeast Region third team.

In 2002, Stone led his squad to its most successful season since 1994. The Red Storm, with an 11-6-4 record, captured its first-ever ECAC Championship after making its second-consecutive appearance in the BIG EAST Tournament. Playing one of its toughest schedules in program history, St. John's posted a 3-1-3 record against NCAA Tournament teams from the previous year. During the season, Stone's strong defensive line registered back-to-back shutouts against Rutgers and Seton Hall followed by a tie at then-No. 14 Villanova. The Red Storm appeared in the Northeast regional rankings throughout the year, reaching as high as No. 3.

Stone's student-athletes received individual honors as Kaitlin Schmidt was named 2002 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, becoming the first St. John's player to earn a major conference award. Schmidt was also honored by the NSCAA and SoccerBuzz. Courtney Rett was named to the NSCAA/adidas All-Northeast Region First Team and Dominica Reina was named to the Verizon All-Academic District I first team and represented St. John's on the Academic All-America ballot. Goalkeeper Tina Fogg received the ECAC Most Valuable Player trophy, while classmate Jen Taylor was a Verizon All-Academic District I third team honoree.

The 2002 season marked the opening of the Red Storm's new home, Belson Stadium, a state-of-the-art stadium featuring a FieldTurf playing surface situated on a raised platform with parking underneath. In its Belson Stadium debut on Sept. 25, 2002, the Red Storm battled BIG EAST rival Connecticut. Stone earned his first victory at Belson on Oct. 15, 2002, with a 1-0 shutout victory over league and regional rival Rutgers.

The 2001 Red Storm posted a 6-11-0 overall record, while going 3-3 in BIG EAST Northeast Division conference play. For the second time in the program's history, the St. John's women's soccer team qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament. The Red Storm fell to nationally-ranked and eventual BIG EAST Champion, Notre Dame, 2-0, in a hard-fought quarterfinal match.

In 2000, St. John's posted a 12-9-0 record and, for the second-consecutive year, advanced to the finals of the ECAC Tournament. Courtney Rett was selected to the BIG EAST All-Rookie team and was named All-Northeast Region by SoccerBuzz Magazine.

In 1999, the squad finished with a 10-6-3 record as SoccerBuzz named the squad the fifth-most improved Division I program in the nation and chose Stone as the runner-up for Northeast Region Coach of the Year. Stone guided the Red Storm to the University of Maine Black Bear Invitational title with victories over New Hampshire and Maine. The team also reached the ECAC Tournament final, falling 1-0 to Villanova.

In 1994, Stone had an unbelievable inaugural season at the helm of the Red Storm. He converted an roster that went 4-10-1 the previous season into a BIG EAST Tournament Championship Title squad at 14-4-1. The BIG EAST Championship title was a program-first, beating Connecticut, then-nationally ranked at No. 3, in the semifinals, en route to a victory over Boston College in the final.

Stone's dedication to St. John's Vincentian Mission has been evident throughout his tenure. In 2004, 2008 and 2010 the women's soccer team received the Athletics Department's Community Service Award, which is given to the team that exemplifies the qualities of the Vincentian mission by taking part in activities that extend it beyond its academic and athletic arenas. His teams have participated in countless community service projects over the past 16 seasons, including breast cancer walks and several other service activities.

More than half of the student-athletes Stone has coached at St. John's have been named BIG EAST Academic All-Stars and have appeared on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll. In 2002, Theresa Bulman was the first of Stone's student-athletes to be inducted into the President's Society, the most prestigious honor awarded to a St. John's student. Since then Erin Henderson achieved that honor in 2004, while Kelly McConnell, Raelynee Lee, Jen Leaverton and Lindsey Hall were inducted in 2009-2011. From 2000-2002, a women's soccer player was awarded the Elizabeth Lapchick Award, presented annually by St. John's University to the male and female student-athletes who improved the most academically during their years. In addition, the Rickard F. McSwiney Award, given to the female student-athlete who `best typifies the St. John's woman,' was presented to women's soccer players following the 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2010 seasons.

Stone comes to St, John's by way of the city of Bristol, in the county of Avon, England. He reached a high level of success in the youth ranks, playing for the nationally renowned Bristol Boys team, which produced many professional English Premier League players. Stone went on to captain his county team and was identified as one of the top 60 schoolboy players in the country. He was affiliated with the local professional club, Bristol Rovers, as a youth player and reached the national semifinal with his team.

He graduated with honors from the West London Institute of Education (now called Brunel University) in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and English. During Stone's collegiate playing career, the team won the British Collegiate Championship three consecutive years, 1986-88. He captained the team his senior year and set the school record for goals scored in a season. While at West London, he also captained the National Collegiate team and played on the reserve team of the Premier League club, Chelsea.

Stone comes from an outstanding soccer background, having grown up in a family rich with soccer tradition. His father, Roger Stone, was associated with Bristol City as a young player. Stone's father also managed the Somerset County Women's Soccer Chairman and Boys' Youth Team.

His first soccer coaching experience in the United States came under the tutelage of Gary Book at the Noga Soccer Camps in Long Island. He began working full-time at Noga in 1991 and continued there for the next five years, until his position at St. John's was upgraded to a full-time appointment in 1996. At Noga, he gained top coaching licenses in the United States Soccer Federation "A" license and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Advanced National Diploma.

Stone also coached at Herricks High School in Long Island for two seasons. The team won the 1992 Nassau County Class A Championship and the1993 Nassau County Conference I title.

Outside of St. John's, Stone is an age group coach in the Eastern New York South Girls Olympic Development Program and the head coach of the Youth Soccer Olympic Development Region 1 East U-17 squad.

In summer 2010, he was elected head coach of the ODP Region 1 East team after serving five years as a member of the team's senior staff. His team will represent the U.S. in international play, most probably taking his team to Argentina for a tournament. He served as assistant coach for the Region 1 East U-17 squad from 2007-10, including their run as the 2007, 2008 and 2009 ODP Interregional champions.

In June 2005, he led the Eastern New York South Under-16 girls team to the 2005 U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championship.

In Mid-March 2005, the same team won the 2005 U.S. Youth Soccer ODP National Championship in the Under-15 Division, having won the Region I title the year before. At one point, the team won 14-straight games in ODP play in its respective age group. His ODP team also reached the National Final in 2002, before losing in overtime. Stone also coached the two-time Region I Champion HBC Magic from 1999-2002.

In the spring of 2009, Stone was selected to coach a U-19 team that represented the United States in an international tournament in Russia. He led his squad to the championship game, where it lost a close contest to the Chinese U-19 National Team in penalty kicks.

Stone also coached the New York City Open women's team from 2006-08 at the Empire State Games. He led that team to a bronze medal in 2006, marking the first time in the 30-year history of the Empire State Games that a NYC Open's women's team has medaled. He improved the team to a silver medal in 2007, but topped the feat in 2008 when his NYC Open squad won the gold.

Stone is currently pursuing a master's degree in school counseling from the St. John's School of Education.