Soccer coach hired to launch inaugural program at PJC

Published or Revised June 28, 2012

Lance Noble will start July 5 as Paris Junior College's new men's and women's soccer coach. He currently is an adjunct faculty member at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio, Texas, where he has taught kinesiology since 2008. Recently, he has also been the director of coaching and player development for the Alamo City Youth Soccer Organization, which has over 1,500 players and 28 travel/competitive teams. He has served with the Olympic Development Program and taught the state coaching education license for the South Texas Youth Soccer Association since 1996. "We had an outstanding pool of applicants to start our soccer program, and Coach Noble was selected as the most qualified candidate," said PJC President Dr. Pam Anglin. "I believe he will bring a level of expertise that will help our program get off to a great start." Noble was the head coach and general manager for a minor league indoor team, Alamo SC. The team played in the Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL), a national league consisting of more than 70 teams. In 2008-2009 Alamo SC finished the regular season ranked first in the nation and in 2009-2010 they finished with a national ranking of fourth. "We're excited about the start of a new program and the experience Coach Noble will bring to Paris Junior College," said PJC Athletic Director Sean LeBeauf. "With his passion and intensity for the sport we're looking to make an immediate impact." "I am very excited and thankful for the opportunity that Paris Junior College has afforded me," Noble said. "The new programs have so much potential to be competitive quickly, and the college has put their resources in place for this to happen. I would especially like to thank Dr. Anglin and Coach LeBeauf for their confidence in me and I look forward to building both programs from the ground up and to an exciting fall season and getting the community involved in our program, and our players involved in the community." Prior to serving at Northwest, Noble was head men's soccer coach at Northwood University from 2006-2008. From 2001-2003, he was head men's soccer coach at Texas A&M International University, achieving a 17-5-0 record in the second year of the program. The team was Red River Athletic Conference Champions and regional semi-finalists. Noble also was named Coach of the Year 2002-03. Noble was head women's soccer coach at Stephen F. Austin University from 1999-2001, earning a post-season appearance in 2001 and leading the women's program to be named Division I's ninth most improved program that year. At St. Mary's University from 1996-1999, he served as men's and women's soccer coach and achieved an overall record of 104-38-10, with four All-Americans, an excellent student graduation rate, three conference Freshmen of the Year players, and was named 1997 Men's and Women's Coach of the Year. From 1993-1996 Noble was head men's and women's coach at the University of Dallas. Noble served as the Head Coach/General Manager for the Laredo Heat (United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League) in 2004, and in 1996 was the San Antonio Pumas interim head coach (United States International Soccer League Division 2 Professional). From 2008-2011 Noble was director of coaching and player development at the Dragon's Soccer Club, San Antonio, overseeing 27 teams. He also served as an evaluator in 1995 for FC Dallas, a professional soccer club competing in Major League Soccer. He was a regional technical director for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America from 1999-2000, and Red River Athletics Conference chair in 1998, 1999, 2002 and 2003. Noble has a Master of Sports Science from the U.S. Sports Academy, a Bachelor's of Business Administration in Management from Northwood University University and an A.A.S. in Liberal Arts from Brookhaven College. He holds the following licenses: U.S. Soccer Federation A, National Soccer Coaches Association of America Premier, Irish International License, KNVB (Royal Dutch Soccer Foundation) Coaching Badge, NSCAA National GK License (level 3), and U.S. Youth Soccer Association National Youth License. Open tryouts for the men's and women's soccer teams are planned for July 14 and July 28. Check the PJC website for updates at www.parisjc.edu.