Entering his 14th season on the A&M-Commerce sidelines, Neil Piper continues to establish the Lion soccer program into a consistent contender for the Lone Star Conference title.

The longest tenured head coach on the A&M-Commerce staff, Piper has compiled an overall record of 158-79-24 while leading the Lions to three LSC titles (regular season champions in 1999 and 2003 and tournament champions in 1999 and 2004).  The two-time LSC Coach of the Year, Piper has coached 16 players that have earned a combined 27 first team All-LSC honors and 77 overall, including LSC Offensive Players of the Year Erin de Wolfe (2003) and Megan Lasley (2009). In addition, 22 players have been named all-region with three garnering All-American honors (Tiffany Adams in 2004 and Taylor Jordan and Megan Lasley in 2008).

Piper has also guided the A&M-Commerce soccer program to national prominence. The Lions have made four NCAA tournament appearances under his direction, including Elite Eight appearances in 1999 and 2008. In the last eight seasons, the Lions have defeated 13 top-25 teams including knocking off two of the last four national champions. Piper’s squads have twice knocked off the second-ranked team in the nation, defeating Metropolitan State 2-1 in 2006 and handing Tampa a 3-2 loss in 2007.

Piper’s 158 career victories ranks him in the top-25 of active Division II head coaches for total wins while his .651 winning percentage also ranks among the nation’s top-25 all-time of coaches with 10 years or more of coaching experience. He has led the Lions to at least 10 victories eight times and has posted a winning record in 12 of his 13 seasons on the A&M-Commerce sideline.

Piper joined the A&M-Commerce soccer coaching staff as an assistant in 1997 under Mike Munch before taking over the reigns of the program one year later.

A 1996 graduate of Wichita State University, with a bachelor’s degree in education, Piper went on to complete his master’s degree in Sports Administration in 1998 from WSU.

Prior to transferring to WSU, Piper attended Penn State University and Friends University, playing soccer at both institutions. He was a member of the 1993 Penn State team, which became the first Nittany Lions athletic team to capture a Big Ten title. He also was named to the 1993 All-Big Ten First Team.

During his stay at WSU, Piper was sports editor of the Wichita State Sunflower and was a correspondent for the Wichita Eagle. Born September 8, 1972, in Portsmouth, England, Piper is the son of Norman (former soccer professional in England and U.S.) and Cheryl Piper.

He came to the United States in 1981 and became a U.S. citizen this past summer. He is married to the former Anne Cillessen and they have two children, 10-year-old Cole and seven-year-old daughter Lauren.

Piper's Career Coaching Record