Few coaches in the history of college athletics can boast a more impressive record than Rockhurst men’s soccer coach Tony Tocco. His 739 career victories ranks second on the all-time list among intercollegiate men's soccer coaches.
Tocco has spent his entire 54 years in coaching at Rockhurst while compiling an overall record of 739-244-90 record. The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inducted Tocco into its 2020 Class in Kansas City.
The Hawks were a perennial power in the NAIA from 1973-1997 under Tocco. Rockhurst played in 17 national tournaments, advancing to the Final Four 10 times and finishing national runner-up four times in 1973, 1976, 1979 and 1997.
Tocco, who was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2007, was the winningest coach in the NAIA with 437 victories prior to the 2008 season. He was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year three times (1976, 1979 and 1986). His teams won 20 or more games eight times, including his last four teams that competed in the NAIA.
Since joining the NCAA in 1998, the Hawks have posted a 296-139-60 record and advanced to the national tournament 10 times (2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017). The Hawks finished the 2017 season ranked third in the nation for the third year in a row. The Hawks were ranked fourth in the nation in 2008, 2011 and 2012.
Rockhurst has been the No. 1 seeded team in the NCAA Midwest Regional five times. The Hawks won the NCAA Midwest Regional title in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017, and reached the national semifinals in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) named Tocco the NCAA Division II Central Region Coach of the Year in 2002 and the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2011. He was also named National Coach of the Year for senior colleges in 1986 by the NSCCA and was a three-time NSCAA NAIA Midwest Region Coach of the Year. He has been selected as the GLVC Coach of the Year in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017 while leading the Hawks to six GLVC regular season titles and six GLVC Tournament crowns.
In addition to his coaching duties, Tocco is a full-time professor and head of the accounting department at Rockhurst University.
A 1967 graduate of St. Louis University, Tocco played on the only undefeated and untied soccer team in SLU history in 1964 and pitched in the College Baseball World Series in 1965. He also received his master’s degree and Ph.D from SLU.
Tocco and his wife Phyllis live in Fairway, Kan. They have four children: Amy, Natalie, Leonard and Charlie.
Winningest Active Intercollegiate Coaches
By Victories
1. Jay Martin (Ohio Wesleyan) 774-169-84
2. Tony Tocco (Rockhurst) 739-243-90
3. Paul McGinlay (Trinity) 571-96-47
4. John Rootes (Lynn) 498-150-55
5. Frank Kohlenstein (Central Arkansas) 465-224-74
Winningest All-Time Intercollegiate Coaches
By Victories
1. Jay Martin (Ohio Wesleyan) 774-169-84
2. Tony Tocco (Rockhurst) 739-243-90
3. Joe Bean (Quinnipiac, Bridgeport, Wheaton) 607-185-61
4. C. Clifford McCrath (Wheaton, Gordon, Spring Arbor, Seattle Pacific) 597-233-95
5. Ron Butcher (Keene State, N.H.) 596-263-72
