"Eleven great years"

Saying good-bye is seldom easy just ask Tom Griffith. After 11 years at Dartmouth, Griffith announced his resignation as men's soccer coach in December. "I've had 11 great years here," says Griffith. "I made a lot of great friendships with the coaches and the people in the Dartmouth community. They've been 11 enjoyable years, but it's time to move on to new challenges."

Griffith said his decision was unrelated to reports that Dartmouth was considering a move to pull out of the Ivy League in men's soccer. The 45-year-old coach, who will stay at the College until June, said that Athletic Director Ted Leland told him the team would remain in the Ivy League. "Ted assured me that the soccer program is going to be maintained, on the same level, and I'm delighted with that decision." Griffith actually reached his decision to leave Dartmouth last summer and offered his resignation to Ted Leland in August. Leland asked him to stay through the 1984 season, and Griffith agreed.

Coming off a 6-6-2 season in 1984, Griffith leaves Dartmouth at a time when the soccer program is on an upswing. The team loses only one starter to graduation. And Jim Cisneros '86 of Garden City, N.Y., an all-New England goalie as a sophomore, missed the first nine games in 1984 but should be back at full strength this fall. With the future looking bright, some people might have a difficult time understanding why Griffith has chosen this as the time to move on. Actually, he wouldn't have it any other way. "I wouldn't want to leave when the team is down in the dumps," he says. "We got a lot accomplished last year with this group. They have the confidence now that they can play with anyone in the East."

In terms of win-loss percentage, Griffith has had more successful teams during his 11 years in Hanover. The 1977 and 1978 teams qualified for the NCAA tournament. Griffith earned New England Coach-of-the-Year honors both times. At one point in his coaching career Dartmouth was ranked as high as 11th in the country.

But the 1984 team was one of the most pleasurable to coach. "It was an enjoyable group because they worked so hard," he says. "They seemed to get better every day." Before the season began, some people thought Dartmouth would have trouble winning more than a couple of games. By the time the season ended, Griffith's team had turned many of the skeptics into believers. "I think people underestimated this team," Griffith says. "We surprised a lot of people."

In 11 years, there have been a couple of games that stand out the most. "A great victory was in 1978, when we beat Connecticut on their home field and we went on to be seeded second in New England in the NCAAs. Another thriller was in 1981, when we beat Harvard 2-1 in overtime. That was the first time Dartmouth had won down there in 25 years. It was also my 100 th career win. That was a real nice day."

Griffith says he's leaving the collegiate coaching ranks because he wants to spend more time with his family. He's grown tired of the long road trips and recruiting expeditions. For him, the most enjoyable aspect of coaching wasn't the day of the game. He preferred the daily practices. "That's where the challenge is," he says. "Getting ready to play the different teams is the most fun. This year, we had totally different strategies against Columbia and Springfield, yet the games were three days apart. That's a challenge for any coach."

Griffith came to Dartmouth in 1974 after three years as head coach at the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay. His options for the future are wide open, but even if his next job isn't sportsrelated he wants to stay close to soccer. "Even if it's just refereeing or coaching a youth team," Griffith says. "You don't do something for 30 years and get out of it totally."

Soccer coach Tom Griffith: saying good-byeafter 11 years.