Photo: Jeremy Fleming
Braden Dunham’s goal from nearly 40 yards out to seal Furman’s 1-0 win on the road against Portland last Friday secured the program’s first-ever visit to the NCAA Men’s College Cup. It was Head Coach Doug Allison’s 365th career win, putting him in stand-alone 10th among active Division I men’s soccer coaches.
Allison is in the midst of putting an emphatic crescendo at the end of an illustrious coaching career with this 2025 tournament run, which has led the Paladins to Cary, NC, to decide the National Championship.
Here are some of Allison’s career highlights and records as the Furman coach works to lead his squad to even greater glory in his coaching farewell tour:
Coached multiple USMNT players who have participated in World Cups
Ricardo Clark (2001-02) – played in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa
Clint Dempsey (2001-03) – played in three World Cups (2006, 2010, and 2014)
Walker Zimmerman (2011-12) – played in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
11 Southern Conference Tournament Titles
1996 Final – #1 Furman beat #3 Georgia Southern 4-2
1997 Final – #3 Furman beat #1 UNCG 3-1
1999 Final – #1 Furman beat #2 UNCG 3-2
2000 Final – #1 Furman beat #3 Appalachian State 4-1
2001 Final – #1 Furman beat #3 UNCG 2-1
2007 Final – #1 Furman beat #3 UNCG 1-0 (OT)
2014 Final – #3 Furman beat #1 Mercer 1-0
2015 Final – #2 Furman beat #4 ETSU 1-0
2018 Final – #3 Furman beat #5 UNCG 3-0
2024 Final – #4 Furman beat #2 ETSU 2-0
2025 Final – #1 Furman beat #3 UNCG 1-0
12 Southern Conference Regular Season Titles
1995 (W-L-D) – 5-1-0 (11-5-3 overall)
1996 – 6-0-0 (16-4-1)
1998 – 7-1-0 (16-4-2)
1999 – 8-0-0 (21-2-1)
2000 – 8-0-0 (17-4-2)
2001 – 8-0-0 (17-5-0)
2002 – 8-0-0 (19-3-1)
2007 – 7-0-0 (19-4-0)
2010 – 4-1-2 (10-7-4)
2019 – 5-1-0 (11-7-1)
2020-21 – 5-0-1 (7-2-1)
2025 – 4-0-1 (16-1-5)*
11 NCAA Tournament Appearances
1999 – First Round – Furman 2 UNC 1, Second Round – Furman 4 Wake Forest 0, Quarterfinals – UConn 3 Furman 2
2000 – First Round – Clemson 3 Furman 2
2001 – First Round – UAB 1 Furman 0 (OT)
2002 – First Round – Furman 2 Loyola (MD) 0, Second Round – Furman 0 VCU 0 (2OT; FUR 4-2 in PKs), Third Round – Stanford 2 Furman 1 (2OT)
2007 – First Round – Furman 2 Campbell 0, Second Round – #2 Wake Forest 1 Furman 0
2011 – First Round – Charlotte 3 Furman 1
2014 – First Round – Furman 1 UAB 1 (2OT; FUR 4-3 in PKs), Second Round – Washington 0 Furman 0 (2OT; UW 6-5 in PKs)
2015 – South Carolina 1 Furman 1 (2OT; USC 2-1 in PKs)
2018 – First Round Furman 0 UNCW 0 (2OT; FUR 5-3 in PKs), Second Round Virginia 2 Furman 0
2024 – First Round Furman 0 UNC 0 (2OT; FUR 5-3 in PKs), Second Round #13 Marshall 4 Furman 0
2025 – Second Round #16 Furman 1 Western Michigan 0, Third Round #16 Furman 3 Hofstra 3 (2OT; FUR 5-4 in PKs), Quarterfinals #16 Furman 1 #8 Portland 0*
21 seasons with double-digit wins
1995 (W-L-D) – 11-5-3
1996 – 16-4-1
1997 – 14-6-0
1998 – 16-4-2
1999 – 21-2-1
2000 – 17-4-2
2001 – 17-5-0
2002 – 19-3-1
2006 – 11-7-1
2007 – 19-4-0
2008 – 11-8-1
2010 – 10-7-4
2011 – 14-4-4
2012 – 12-4-3
2013 – 11-5-2
2014 – 12-5-5
2017 – 12-5-3
2018 – 13-7-2
2019 – 11-7-1
2023 – 10-6-3
2025 – 16-1-5*
*Record still active at the time of this writing
