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Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Soccer Names Mark Dougherty Assistant Coach
March 05, 2002 | Men's Soccer
March 5, 2002
Bowling Green, Ohio - Bowling Green State University men's soccer coach Mel Mahler announced today the hiring of Mark Dougherty as assistant coach for the Falcons.
Dougherty comes to Bowling Green from the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer where he was the goaltender since 1998. Prior to his stint with the Crew, Dougherty played for the Tampa Bay Mutiny of the MLS from 1996-98.
"We are very excited about the Dougherty family joining the Falcon Soccer family," said Mahler. "Mark has all the tools to be a very successful collegiate coach. He brings a wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm and an outstanding professional work ethic to the program."
Dougherty was drafted in the first round of the 1996 MLS draft by Tampa Bay (team's inaugural selection) and was the seventh overall selection. He ranks second all-time for wins in MLS history with 65, one behind Zach Thornton, and is third all-time in saves with 505 in his six-year career. He also registered 16 shutouts in 122 career games, good enough to tie him for seventh all-time in the MLS ranks. In 1999, he was named the Honda Most Valuable Player, the Bic Defensive Player of the Year, the Huntington Bank Man of the Year and led the MLS in wins (18).
He was called to duty on the U.S. National Team in August of 1996 for a game vs. El Salvador in Los Angeles, but did not see action in a 3-1 victory.
Prior to his MLS playing career, Dougherty spent two seasons as a player/coach with the Hawaii Tsunami (Wikiki, Oahu) and North Bay Breakers (Santa Rosa, Calif.). He also played for the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks of the American Professional Soccer League from 1989-1993. His coaching experience on the collegiate level includes being the head women's coach at Santa Rosa Junior College (1995), assistant men's coach at Sonoma State (1993-94), head men's coach at Mission College (1991-92) and head women's coach at Fresno State University (1990).
While at Santa Rosa Jr. College, he was named the 1995 Bay Valley Conference Coach of the Year.
The San Jose, Calif., native was a four-year starter at Fresno State from 1986-1990 and captained the Bulldogs his junior and senior years. As a freshman, Dougherty helped lead Fresno State to the NCAA Final Four and holds numerous career records with the Bulldogs.
"We are fortunate to have someone of his character to be a part of the university and the local communities," said Mahler.
Dougherty holds a United States Soccer Federation "B" license and has been a member of the National Soccer Coach's Athletic Association since 1994. He was a member of the U.S. National Team in 1989, 1996 and 1999.
Dougherty and his wife, Toni, are the parents of a son, Andrew, and daughter, Riley.
