(Story courtesy of Hendrix Website)
CONWAY, Ark. - When the Hendrix College men’s soccer team took the field at LeTourneau, it marked 1,125th career game as a head coach for the Warriors’ Doug Mello, more than any other coach in collegiate history.
Beginning his 34th season of coaching, Mello has racked up a
combined men’s and women’s record of 690-365-69
for a winning percentage of .645. The only other coach that has
more than 1,000 games of experience is NSCAA Hall of Famer Anson
Dorrance, the head women’s coach at North Carolina, with
1,039. Mello is one of five coaches to reach 200 wins in both
men’s and women’s competition.
Mello’s 408 men’s victories ranks 26th all-time in all
divisions of NCAA and 10th among Division III coaches. His 282
women’s victories ranks 29th in all divisions and 13th in
Division III.
Prior to joining the Hendrix staff before the 2008 season, Mello
had stops at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich., Siena Heights
University in Adrian, Mich., University of the Southwest in Hobbs,
New Mexico and Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
In 18 seasons at the helm at Luther, Mello guided the men to six
conference titles and five NCAA Division III National Appearances,
including two Elite Eights. During his collegiate career, Mello has
been named District Coach of the Year nine times and Regional Coach
of the Year on four occasions. He was recently inducted into the
Siena Heights Hall of Fame.
In three years as the coach at Hendrix, Mello has compiled 22
victories, and in 2009, ended a streak of 15 consecutive losing
seasons.
