Former head men’s soccer coach and W&M alumnus Al Albert ’69, M.Ed. ’71, was among four individuals elected as the newest members of the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame, the organization announced recently.
Albert will join Thomas Fleck, one of the nation’s leading coaching educators for over 40 years; Roy Gordon, celebrated men’s coach at the University of Mary Washington; and Hank Steinbrecher, legendary servant to the game of soccer, in being inducted as members of the Class of 2023 during the 83rd Annual United Soccer Coaches Convention Jan. 11-15, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The organization’s annual awards banquet is set for Jan. 13.
The United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame was established in 1991 to honor achievement by coaches with an emphasis on success and a lifetime devotion to the association and the game. The four individuals will become the 75th, 76th, 77th and 78th inductees into the Hall of Fame.
Albert, who currently serves as W&M’s associate director of athletics advancement, was the university’s head men’s soccer coach for 33 years (1971-2003). He amassed a career record of 401-187-64 (.664). He had 29 consecutive winning seasons including 26 straight campaigns of 10 wins or more during his tenure. In his time as head coach, Albert led the Tribe to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances including two quarterfinals, in addition to being named a four-time Colonial Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and three-time United Soccer Coaches Region Coach of the Year. Beyond the collegiate game, he served as the United States Men’s Coach at the 1981 and 1985 Maccabiah Games in Israel.
Albert served for many years on the United Soccer Coaches (formerly NSCAA) Board of Directors, culminating with his term as president in 2008. He received the association’s prestigious Honor Award in 2011 and was the recipient of the Bill Jeffrey Award for long-time service to college soccer in 2003. One of the leaders in the establishment and growth of the United Soccer Coaches Foundation, he was the fourth recipient of the William Holleman Award for meritorious service to the foundation in 2022.