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Doug Allison
Over the course of 27 seasons, Doug Allison has established himself as one of the most successful and respected head coaches in all of college soccer.
As Furman’s skipper, Allison has posted an overall winning percentage of .655 (323-156-59), which ranks in the top 25 nationally among active coaches in NCAA Division I entering the 2022 season.
Since Allison took over the Paladin soccer program in 1995, Furman has been one of the most successful programs in the nation, claiming 11 Southern Conference regular season titles and nine SoCon Tournament championships. Allison has produced 133 All-Southern Conference selections, 30 All-Americans, nine MLS Draft picks and three United States National Team standouts.
Allison was named NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year in 1999, 2011 and 2013. He has been named Southern Conference Coach of the Year nine times and was honored in 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2011 as the recipient of the Furman University J. Lyles Alley Coach of the Year award.
In October of 2007, Allison recorded his 171st victory as Paladin head coach with a 2-1 triumph at UNC Greensboro to pass Davidson’s Charlie Slagle as the winningest coach in Southern Conference history. Allison reached the 300-win plateau in the Paladins' 3-0 victory at Winthrop on September 8, 2019
Allison’s tenure at Furman has included many memorable moments and record-breaking performances as Paladin soccer has reached new heights.
Allison was named the SoCon Coach of the Year after leading Furman to its league-best 21st SoCon regular season championship after going 7-2-1 and an unbeaten 5-0-1 in the league in the spring of 2021. The Paladins swept the league postseason awards with Ben Hale being named the SoCon Player of the Year, and Goalkeeper of the Year, and Jake Raine the Co-Freshman of the Year. Furman had nine players recognized on SoCon all-conference teams or All-Freshman squad, highlighted by six on the first team.
In 2019, the Paladins posted a 5-1-0 league mark to capture their record 20th SoCon regular season title and 10th under the leadership of Allison. Rocky Guerra, Cole McLagan and Jack Shiels earned first team all-league honors as Furman finished with an 11-7-1 overall record that included key victories versus UNCG and at Wofford down the stretch to claim the title.
In 2018, Furman downed UNCG, 3-0, to claim its third SoCon Tournament title in five years and its 14th overall. The Paladins, 13-7-2 overall and 4-2-0 in the league, advanced past UNCW in a penalty shootout in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before falling at nationally-ranked Virginia in the round of 32. Midfielder Laurence Wyke, the SoCon Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, and goalkeeper Ben Hale captured first team All-SoCon honors, while Hale was tabbed as the league's goalkeeper of the year.
Allison's 2017 squad reeled off six straight wins to start the season, including a victory at No. 4-ranked Denver. The Paladins posted a 12-5-3 overall record and 5-2-3 SoCon mark. Junior Laurence Wyke netted nine goals and added four assists en route to earning SoCon Player of the Year honors and United Soccer Coaches All-South Region accolades.
During the 2015 season, the Paladins claimed their second consecutive Southern Conference Tournament title and reached the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. Allison earned SoCon Coach of the Year honors and helped the Paladins to a 1-0 victory over ETSU in the SoCon Championship Match in Johnson City, Tenn.
In 2014, Allison guided Furman to its seventh Southern Conference Tournament title, a national ranking and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament as the Paladins posted a 12-5-5 record. All-SoCon goalkeeper Sven Lissek and defender Kevin Edlemann earned NSCAA All-Region honors. Lissek's save in a penalty shootout pushed the Paladins past UAB in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before nationally-ranked Washington advanced past Furman in a shootout in second round play.
The 2013 Paladins notched victories over nationally-ranked Xavier, Clemson and Elon squads en route to an 11-5-2 record. Forward Bobby Edet garnered SoCon Freshman of the Year honors and Soccer America All-Freshman accolades. Edet and Lissek were named to the NSCAA All-South Region Team.
In 2012, Allison’s squad compiled a 12-4-3 overall record, including victories over Pac-12 member Stanford and ACC foe Clemson, and placed second in the SoCon with a 4-2-1 league mark. Three Paladins garnered All-SoCon accolades while sophomore defender Walker Zimmerman earned NSCAA All-South and All-America honors before being selected as the seventh overall pick in January’s MLS SuperDraft.
Furman posted a 14-4-4 overall record and 4-1-2 SoCon mark while earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2011. Under Allison’s guidance, Coleton Henning garnered SoCon Player of the Year honors, goalkeeper Alec Kann received NSCAA Scholar All-America accolades and Zimmerman captured SoCon Freshman of the Year and freshman All-American honors.
In 2007, Allison guided Furman to its 18th SoCon regular season title and 11th SoCon Tournament crown with a 19-4-0 mark. Furman, led by All-Americans Jon Leathers and Shea Salinas, notched a perfect 7-0 SoCon record, garnered an NCAA Tournament berth and advanced to the second round with a 2-0 victory over Campbell at Stone Stadium.
In 2002, Furman broke two long standing NCAA Division I records. The Paladins extended their Southern Conference unbeaten streak to 43 matches, eclipsing the old NCAA mark of 42 straight conference matches without a loss. Remarkably, Furman also put together an 11-match shutout streak, not allowing a goal from October 9 through November 27. The 2002 campaign ended with a 2-1 double-overtime loss to eventual national runner-up, Stanford, in the third round of the NCAA Tournament and a 19-3-1 overall record.
In 2003, Allison’s squad stretched its NCAA record Southern Conference unbeaten streak to 46 matches and Paladin midfielder Clint Dempsey became the second Furman standout in as many years to be selected in the first round of the Major League Soccer Draft when the New England Revolution tabbed him the eighth overall pick.
Allison and the Paladins also found the national spotlight in 1999 as Furman posted a 21-2-1 record, won the Southern Conference regular-season and tournament titles, advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, and finished the season ranked third in the nation. Furman followed up the 1999 campaign with successful seasons in 2000 and 2001, winning the SoCon regular-season and tournament crowns in each season and earning two more berths in the NCAA Tournament.
During his time at Furman, Allison has developed numerous players that have gone on to make their mark in the professional ranks, including United States National Team standouts Clint Dempsey, Ricardo Clark and Walker Zimmerman. Dempsey earned a place on the United States’ 2006 World Cup squad and was the USA’s only goal scorer in Germany. He earned the Bronze Boot after guiding the U.S. to the Confederations Cup final in South Africa in 2009 before leading the Americans at the 2010 World Cup. In 2014, Dempsey captained a U.S. squad that made it out of the group stage in Brazil.
Clark made his first appearance with the squad in late 2005 and became a regular in the midfield appearing alongside Dempsey in the 2010 World Cup. Zimmerman, a member of the U.S. squad for the past three seasons, helped the United States to the finals of the 2019 Gold Cup and earned a spot in the MLS All-Star Game starting XI as a member of LAFC. He is a two-time MLS Defender of the Year and recently helped the United States qualify for the World Cup in Qatar. Former Paladin All-American John Barry Nusum also garnered attention on the international level, ranking second in scoring during CONCACAF while playing for Bermuda.
Allison’s arrival at Furman followed a four-year stint as an assistant coach under Mark Berson at the University of South Carolina, his alma mater. During that span, the Gamecocks posted a 59-18-7 record and made three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a national runner-up finish in 1993.
His latest tenure at South Carolina was his second, and followed a two-year stint at the University of North Carolina in 1989-90. During his time as an assistant coach for North Carolina, the Tar Heels advanced to the NCAA Final 16 in 1990. While at UNC, Allison also earned a master’s degree in physical education, recreation and sports science, and was honored as National Outstanding Physical Education Teacher of the Year in 1991.
A native of Bath, England, Allison came to the University of South Carolina in 1984, and in four years fashioned one of the finest careers of any player in Gamecock soccer history. Allison lead USC to four consecutive winning campaigns and a berth in the NCAA Tournament each of his last three years. He led the Gamecocks in scoring each of his four seasons and still remains South Carolina’s all-time leading scorer with 63 goals and 32 assists (158 points). As a sophomore, Allison scored 17 goals and played a key role in leading USC to a school-best 20-3-1 record and a NCAA quarterfinal finish. During his time as a player, the Gamecocks posted a 67-14-6 record against some of the nation’s top competition. Allison was inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.
Winner of numerous honors while at South Carolina, Allison was a three-time NSCAA All-South pick, as well as an All-America first-team selection in 1987. A co-captain of the 1987 squad, Allison also earned GTE Academic All-America accolades his junior and senior seasons. In his final season, Allison was named the team’s most valuable player and participated in the ISAA Senior Bowl. He was also named to the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society prior to graduating summa cum laude with a degree in physical education and minor in biology in 1989.
Allison, who played professionally one year in Ireland following his tenure at USC, earned his NSCAA Advanced Coaching License in 1992, and later added his USSF “A” License in 1994. Over the last few years he has been actively involved with youth soccer in South Carolina, including the position of staff coach with the Olympic Development Program of the South Carolina Youth Soccer Association and as a Region III staff coach.
Allison is married to the former Jody Jensen of Columbia, S.C., and is the father of two sons, Callum and Keegan, and three step children, Branham, Charlie and Jensen.
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