Brown Mourns Loss of Coaching Pioneer Cliff Stevenson
2/9/2021 10:14:00 AM | General, Men's Lacrosse, Men's Soccer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Brown University athletics is saddened to learn of the passing of coaching pioneer and longtime men's soccer and lacrosse coach Cliff Stevenson, who passed away on February 8, 2021.Â
A native of Rhode Island, Stevenson grew up in Pawtucket and later attended Springfield College where he played soccer and lacrosse following his service in the Navy in World War II. After his graduation in 1952, he became varsity soccer and lacrosse coach and director of physical education at Oberlin College. From the first day on the practice field, Stevenson knew nothing but success. In eight years at Oberlin his soccer teams were 48-16-7 with three undefeated seasons and four Midwestern championships. In lacrosse, the beat was the same: a 56-12-4 record with three undefeated seasons and four Midwestern titles. While in the area, he earned his master's in physical education with honors at Ohio State.
Stevenson came to Brown in 1960 as the University's first full-time men's soccer coach. He experienced his only losing season, winning but one of 10 games in his first year. After that lone season, Stevenson and his teams excelled. His record through 1978 was 183-71-18 with 10 Ivy titles, 13 post-season bids, and an undefeated team (13-0-1) in 1967. In lacrosse the stats were comparable: 168-81 with two Ivy titles. In soccer, Stevenson stressed conditioning, the short passing game, and a solid defense. Between 1963-67, Brown had a 52-5-5 record (all five defeats were by one goal) and outscored the opposition 211-53. There was also a string of 25 straight victories in 1966-67 as Brown dominated the Ivy League and New England opposition.Â
Stevenson popularized soccer throughout the state with the formation of Pee Wee leagues. He also took a patch of land in a corner of Aldrich-Dexter Field and turned it into one of the finest soccer fields in New England. Brown dedicated its soccer/lacrosse facility as Stevenson Field in 1979 and renamed the facility Stevenson-Pincince Field in 2015. Today the field is the cornerstone of the new state-of-the-art Center for Lacrosse and Soccer facility which opened in February of 2020. Â
Stevenson, who retired as the Brown men's soccer coach in 1990, finished with a career record of 251-160-36 and 15 Ivy League titles in 31 years at Brown. He was also the Brown lacrosse coach for 22 years (1961-82) and had a career record of 170-95.
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Stevenson's influence extended beyond the college game. Known as a pioneer, teacher, disciplinarian, legislator, evangelist and grounds keeper, his summer camps at Brown were among the first soccer camps in the country. When he retired, every high school in Rhode Island offered soccer as a varsity sport.
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A native of Rhode Island, Stevenson grew up in Pawtucket and later attended Springfield College where he played soccer and lacrosse following his service in the Navy in World War II. After his graduation in 1952, he became varsity soccer and lacrosse coach and director of physical education at Oberlin College. From the first day on the practice field, Stevenson knew nothing but success. In eight years at Oberlin his soccer teams were 48-16-7 with three undefeated seasons and four Midwestern championships. In lacrosse, the beat was the same: a 56-12-4 record with three undefeated seasons and four Midwestern titles. While in the area, he earned his master's in physical education with honors at Ohio State.
Stevenson came to Brown in 1960 as the University's first full-time men's soccer coach. He experienced his only losing season, winning but one of 10 games in his first year. After that lone season, Stevenson and his teams excelled. His record through 1978 was 183-71-18 with 10 Ivy titles, 13 post-season bids, and an undefeated team (13-0-1) in 1967. In lacrosse the stats were comparable: 168-81 with two Ivy titles. In soccer, Stevenson stressed conditioning, the short passing game, and a solid defense. Between 1963-67, Brown had a 52-5-5 record (all five defeats were by one goal) and outscored the opposition 211-53. There was also a string of 25 straight victories in 1966-67 as Brown dominated the Ivy League and New England opposition.Â
Stevenson popularized soccer throughout the state with the formation of Pee Wee leagues. He also took a patch of land in a corner of Aldrich-Dexter Field and turned it into one of the finest soccer fields in New England. Brown dedicated its soccer/lacrosse facility as Stevenson Field in 1979 and renamed the facility Stevenson-Pincince Field in 2015. Today the field is the cornerstone of the new state-of-the-art Center for Lacrosse and Soccer facility which opened in February of 2020. Â
Stevenson, who retired as the Brown men's soccer coach in 1990, finished with a career record of 251-160-36 and 15 Ivy League titles in 31 years at Brown. He was also the Brown lacrosse coach for 22 years (1961-82) and had a career record of 170-95.
Â
Stevenson's influence extended beyond the college game. Known as a pioneer, teacher, disciplinarian, legislator, evangelist and grounds keeper, his summer camps at Brown were among the first soccer camps in the country. When he retired, every high school in Rhode Island offered soccer as a varsity sport.
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