Mark Berson Position: Head Coach Experience: 29th Season Alma Mater: North Carolina, 1975

Mark Berson, one of 11 Division I coaches ever to win 400 matches, begins his 30th season at the helm of the South Carolina soccer program.

Berson has been at South Carolina from the beginning. He was hired to move the program to varsity status in 1978 and he quickly put Carolina on the map. He has gone on to mold the Gamecocks into a consistent winner that competes for championships.

Berson has made his mark on the college soccer world by taking the Gamecocks to 18 NCAA Tournaments, including 12 trips during the last 15 years. The Gamecocks have advanced to the second round 10 times and have four quarterfinal and two Final Four appearances. In 1993, the Gamecocks advanced to the NCAA Championship game.

Though Carolina has been independent during the majority of the program's tenure, the Gamecocks have captured a pair of conference titles under Berson's leadership. Carolina won the 1993 Metro Conference Championship in one of its two years competing in the conference. The Gamecocks joined Conference USA in 2005 and promptly claimed the league's tournament championship and automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Besides making an impact in collegiate soccer, Coach Berson's presence is also being felt within the professional ranks. Former Gamecock Josh Wolff (1995-97) competed on the United States World Cup team for the second time during the summer of 2006.

In January 2005, former Gamecock Brad Guzan (2003-04) made history when he was the No. 2 overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft, selected by CD Chivas USA. Guzan became the highest goalkeeper ever drafted into the MLS. He received his first invitation to the U.S. National Team camp in January 2006 and continues to be part of the player pool.

During the summer of 2002, Wolff and Clint Mathis (1994-97) represented the United States in the 2002 World Cup. Mathis also graced the cover of Sports Illustrated in May prior to the World Cup, marking the third Gamecock athlete, in any sport, to be featured on the prestigious magazine.

In 2004, goalkeeper Henry Ring enjoyed a breakout season representing the Garnet and Black in the MLS All-Star game and starting in goal for the East.

In 2000, Wolff represented the United States in the Sydney Olympics. Currently, three of Berson's pupils at South Carolina are playing in the MLS -- Guzan (Chivas USA), Mathis (New York Red Bulls) and Mike Sambursky (Houston Dynamo). After nine seasons in the MLS, Wolff has moved to Europe where he plays for Munich 1860 of the German Bundesliga.

Berson now has a 391-148-46 record at South Carolina. Before coming to South Carolina in 1978, Berson went 11-5-0 in one season at The Citadel, making his overall record 402-153-46, a winning percentage of .719 percent. In 2006, Berson became one of five active Division I coaches and the 11th all-time to reach the 400 victory milestone when his Gamecocks defeated UAB, 2-0, in a televised contest at Stone Stadium.

Berson led Carolina to a 113-39-12 mark (.726) in the 1990s which rated the Gamecocks as one of the winningest programs in NCAA Division I soccer. In 1998, Berson earned the inaugural Independent Coach of the Year award after leading Carolina to the best record of all the Independent schools.

Berson has also been honored as the National Soccer Coaches Association Coach of the Year in the South on four occasions (1984, 1985, 1988, 1995).

Under his leadership, 17 Gamecocks have been selected to represent South Carolina in either the MLS Combine, the ISAA Senior Bowl or the UMBRO Select All-Star Classic. Included in that group are Mike Sambursky (2006), Josh Alcala (2005), Brad Guzan (2004) Tim Glowienka (2003), Jordan Quinn (2003), Joey Worthen (2002), Chris Morman (1999), Clint Mathis (1997), Billy Clifford (1995), Andrew Coggins (1991), Tommy Loeber (1990), Charles Arndt (1988), Doug Allison (1987), Bill Hency (1986), Warren Lipka (1985) David Burr (1982) and Paul Turin (1979). Two of those players, Lipka and Arndt, were honored as National Goalkeeper of the Year in 1985 and 1988, respectively.

Berson's success has ranged far and beyond the college ranks as 46 South Carolina players have been drafted into or entered professional soccer since 1978 years, while Gamecock players have represented the United States on the U.S. Olympic team, the U.S. National team, the National "B" team, the U.S. Under-20 and Under-23 teams, the World University Games squad, and the U.S. Olympic Festival teams. Berson has coached 10 NSCAA All-Americans (Doug Allison, Marty Baltzeger, Charles Arndt, Clark Brisson, Tommy Loeber, Chris Faklaris, Rob Smith, Clint Mathis, Henry Ring and Brad Guzan), eight Academic All-Americans (Peter Duitsman, Greg King, Jeff Love twice, Pat Mihm, Phil Seidenberg, Loeber and Ruben Tufino), and Soccer America's Freshman of the Year (Tufino). Duitsman was also named the Boyd McWhorter SEC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1994.

Berson has been involved in soccer development as a coach, teacher and administrator on many levels. He is a U.S. Soccer National Instructional Staff Coach with an "A" coaching license and formerly served as State Coach for the South Carolina Youth Soccer Association (SCYSA), working in player development and coaching certification. In 1992, he was inducted into the South Carolina Youth Soccer Association's Hall of Fame.

Berson also coached the U.S. National U-18 team in the Granatkin/Leningrad Tournament in January, 1989, in the Soviet Union. In July 1987, he directed the South team to the gold medal in the U.S. Olympic Festival in Durham, N.C., one year after serving as assistant coach for the South squad.

Berson has served on the NCAA South Region Advisory Committee for the NCAA Tournament and the Division I Coaches Subcommittee for the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA). He has also served as head scout for U.S. Soccer for the South Region. His Carolina Soccer Camp continues to be one of the country's finest soccer camps.

Berson began his coaching career when he joined the soccer staff at The Citadel in 1976 and served as an assistant coach under Eddie Teague. He took over the Bulldogs' head job the next season and led The Citadel to an 11-5-0 mark and a second-place finish in the Southern Conference.

Berson, who is the dean of the University of South Carolina coaches, came to Columbia to start the varsity program in 1978 and promptly posted a 13-3-1 mark in his inaugural season with the Gamecocks. A year later, South Carolina finished with a 14-5-0 record and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time. South Carolina has gone on to achieve a winning record in 26 of 28 seasons.

A 1971 graduate of Summit (N.J.) High School, Berson attended the University of North Carolina and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism in 1975. Berson played on the Tar Heel soccer squad for four years, one as a midfielder and the other three in goal. As a senior, Berson received the UNC Educational Foundation Award, and was a member of the Academic ACC Honor Roll. Berson earned his master's of education degree in sport administration from Ohio University in 1977.

Born March 16, 1953 in Hartford, Conn., Berson is married to the former Shauna Hopkins of Columbia. They have two children, Erin Rhea, 21, and Luke William, who is 17. Erin is a junior pharmacy major at USC and Luke attends Dreher High School.