Renowned soccer coach Dick Mosher retires after 24 seasons at UBC

VANCOUVER - Legendary UBC soccer coach Dick Mosher, who spent the last 24 seasons at the helm of each, and sometimes both, the men's and women's soccer programs, has announced his retirement from the Thunderbirds coaching ranks.

More than just a coach, Mosher also served as UBC’s interim athletic director for a year, is the academic coordinator for the Department of Athletics, and is a professor and graduate advisor in the school's world renowned Department of Human Kinetics. Although he will no longer be stalking the sidelines for the T-Birds, Mosher is going to continue his work with the Department of Human Kinetics and will remain the T-Birds academic coordinator.

"It is the end of an era for UBC. Dick will go down as one of Canada's best university soccer coaches of all time," said Bob Philip, UBC's Director of Athletics and Recreation. "I am sure there is no other university coach in this country that has had so much success in both men's and women's soccer as Dick. UBC has been fortunate and privileged to have Dick at the helm of our soccer programs for 25 years."

A quick snapshot of Mosher's illustrious career as a head coach with the T-Birds, which began in 1986 with the men’s team before shifting to the women’s program in 1994, produces some very impressive results.

During his 24 seasons, his T-Bird teams claimed 12 Canada West Championships and nine CIS National Championships. Individually Mosher was recognized as the CW Coach of the Year seven times and took home the CIS honour on three occasions. His all-time regular season record is a sparkling 202-38-48 and perhaps an even more spectacular track record is Mosher's mark of 26-4-2 at CIS national championships with his UBC squads.

The ability to prepare his T-Birds for the grand stage is the reason why Mosher retires with a perfect 14-for-14 record in podium finishes (nine gold, two silver, and three bronze) at CIS national tournaments.

But a career such as the one produced by Dick Mosher cannot be captured in merely a snapshot.

Mosher began his relationship with UBC in 1963 when he spent three years as a centre-forward with the T-Birds before moving on to the University of Oregon and later to Michigan State to pursue his PhD in human growth and motor development.

He returned to UBC in 1975 as a professor in the School of Physical Education. Mosher coached local Vancouver metro soccer teams for a decade before taking the post as head coach of the T-Bird men's squad in 1986. His career, as academic since 1975 and coach since 1986, is nearly unparalleled in its contributions to both the soccer programs and the Athletics Department at UBC.

Taking over a powerhouse program from Joe Johnson, Mosher carried on UBC's tradition as one of the best in Canada, winning Canada West and CIS titles in his first season on the Point Grey Campus.

His real mark with the men's program, however, was yet to come.

Following two seasons (1987-88) without any hardware, Mosher led the Thunderbirds on an amazing run that saw them capture six straight Canada West titles (1989-1994). During this streak, UBC took home the CIS national banner title five times, missing out only in 1993 as they lost 2-1 to Sherbrooke in the final.

It was also during this time that Mosher served one year (1991-92) as the Interim Director of Athletics while UBC searched for a replacement following the retirement of Bob Hindmarch. The additional responsibilities clearly did not affect his ability to lead the T-Birds.

During Mosher's nine-year career at the helm of the men's team, his side dropped only seven games as he went an unbelievable 86-7-13 during his first "tenure" as a head coach with the T-Birds.

In 1994, when the women's team was in need of a new head coach, Mosher took on that challenge with the same gusto he had with the men's squad. Serving as the head coach of both men's and women's programs during the '94 season, Mosher began his time with the women's squad by leading them to a Canada West banner and CIS silver medal, dropping the final 3-2 in penalty kicks to Dalhousie.

Mosher's ability to lead two teams to the CIS Championship final in the same season (the men won gold) is one of the finest soccer feats of his career and was enough to earn him Canada West and CIS Coach of the Year honours with the women.

Despite his immediate success with the women's team, Mosher led UBC to another CW banner and a CIS bronze in 1995, it wasn't until 2002 that he took that program to CIS gold.

Following a 12-1-1 regular season, the T-Birds were almost upset in the 2002 CW semi-final, escaping with a 2-1 OT win over Trinity Western. UBC rebounded with a solid performance in the CW final to earn their first conference title since 1995.

The T-Birds then advanced to the CIS Championship final with two straight wins to open the national championship but it was another OT win that provided them with their first national banner. Mosher's ability to guide his T-Birds with a steady hand in the most strenuous of situations paid big dividends that season.

UBC added their second women's national title under Mosher the following season, this time in convincing fashion with a 5-0 romp in the CIS championship final. Mosher's ninth and final CIS title came in 2006 with a 3-1 UBC win over Queen's.

Mosher's impact over the last 35 years was not only felt within the soccer programs but also by a number of other coaches on the UBC staff. He served as an advisor to many UBC coaches that went on to complete post graduate degrees. It should come as no surprise that two of these coaches are among the T-Birds most successful - Kevin Hanson (men's basketball) and Hash Kanjee (women's field hockey).

Countless current and former T-Birds have also benefited from Mosher’s tireless efforts as the department academic coordinator, as he developed practices for getting these prospective student-athletes prepared for the rigors of a university education.

Despite the fact that in the fall of 2010, for the first time in 25 years, the T-Birds will be without Dick Mosher on the sidelines, his family name will still be very well represented within the department's coaching ranks.

Mosher's son, Mike, has been the head coach of the T-Birds men's team since taking over from his father in the mid-1990s. The younger Mosher, much like his predecessor, has had a great deal of success, taking UBC to three national titles and two CW banners since 1994.

Dick Mosher coaching career at UBC - By the Numbers

Women’s program (since 1994)
Canada West Championships: 1994, ‘95, ‘02, ‘03, ‘07
CIS Championships: 2002, ‘03, ‘06
Canada West Coach of the Year: 1994, ‘99, ‘02, ‘04
CIS Coach of the Year: 1994, ‘99

Men's program (1986-1994)
Canada West Championships: 1986, '89, '90, '91, '92, '93, '94
CIS Championships: 1986, '89, '90, '91, '92, '94
Canada West Coach of the Year: 1986, '87, '89
CIS Coach of the Year: 1989


Dick Mosher's All-Time Coaching Record

Team Reg. season Playoffs Nationals Total
Men 73-6-11 2-0-0* 11-1-2 86-7-13
Women 129-32-37 14-12-0 15-3-0 158-47-37
Comb. 202-38-48 16-12-0 26-4-2 244-54-50

*prior to 1995, the top finisher in the regular-season would advance to nationals without a playoff

Source:

Ben Schach
UBC Sports Information Director