Truman State men’s soccer head coach Duke Cochran has officially become the winningest soccer coach throughout Truman history.
Cochran has been the head coach of the Bulldogs for 11 seasons and has collected 99 total wins, with three games remaining during the 2015 regular season.
Cochran reached his 99-win milestone Sept. 29 against Lindenwood University, a team he never had defeated before.
Cochran has been involved with soccer for most of his life, and played for the Bulldogs before his appointment as head coach. During his collegiate career, Cochran played during 51 games including 36 starts, and recorded two goals and eight assists. During 1994, his senior year, he received second-team All-MIAA honors as a midfielder. Cochran also won the team’s Bulldog Award that season for his commitment to excellence on and off the field. Cochran’s best season at Truman was during 1993, when the ‘Dogs went 13-4-1 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
After his collegiate career ended, Cochran was an assistant coach at Truman from 1995-97. During 1997, he took an assistant coaching position at Central College in Pella, Iowa. Cochran rejoined Truman soccer during 2005.
Cochran is the program’s eighth head coach. He has led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament twice,during 2005 and 2010. He also has led the Bulldogs to the MIAA Conference Tournament during 2012.
Cochran is on track to be the first men’s soccer coach to reach 100 career wins. Despite this accomplishment, Cochran said he does not like to focus on individual milestones.
He said the team is bigger than individual records.
“Teams are only as good as the last game they play,” Cochran said.
“To me, individual milestones don’t mean anything if the team isn’t above water or at a .500 record. The greatest teams come from within the core. Everyone has to sacrifice a little and buy in as a team to become great.”
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