Entering his 17th year as head coach of the USC Upstate men’s soccer team, Dr. Greg Hooks takes a wealth of experience and success into the program’s fifth year in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Hooks has had a tremendous coaching career at Upstate, highlighted by six NCAA Division II Tournament appearances with both of the school’s championship game appearances in 1995 and 1998. For his exemplary achievements, he was inducted into the USC Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.

Hooks has recruited and coached some of the greatest players in the history of the program. He has coached 12 All-Americans, 33 All-Region selections, 44 All-Conference picks, and 41 All-Tournament team selections. Seven of his players have been named the Peach Belt Player of the Year and five have earned PBC Tournament MVP honors. Twelve players have signed professional contracts.

Though Hooks has won 195 games while at Upstate, he has been a success throughout his coaching career. He has won 282 games in his 23 seasons as a head coach and owns a .683 winning percentage with a 282-123-30 overall record. He has been tremendous at Upstate, owning a .663 winning percentage and a 195-93-24 record in 16 seasons at the helm of the Spartan program.

Hooks has elevated the Upstate men’s soccer program to unprecedented heights in his 16 years at the helm of the program. He has led the Spartans to five regular season Peach Belt championships and six league tournament championships in the 16-year history of the conference. Under his guidance, Upstate made two appearances in the Division II national championship match (1995 and 1998) and six appearances overall in the NCAA Division II Tournament, including a spot in the 2006 tournament.

Hooks was the second-winningest active coach in NCAA Division II history at the time Upstate made the transition from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I membership. He finished his stint in the Peach Belt Conference as the second-winningest coach in league history. He owns a 24-6-1 (.774) record in PBC Tournament play which is the best-ever mark in the league. His 52-18-4 (.730) regular season record is also tops in conference history.

Hooks led the Spartans to a 12-3-3 record, a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament, and a final No. 20 national ranking in 2006. He guided Upstate to a 13-3-2 record in 2005 with a final No. 13 national ranking. He led the 2004 Spartans to a 15-4-0 record and narrowly missed a third straight NCAA Tournament berth. Hooks coached the PBC Player of the Year and First Team All-American Gary Lynch.

In 2003, the Spartans swept through the Peach Belt undefeated, claimed their third straight Peach Belt Tournament championship, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Hooks led the 2002 squad to an 18-2-0 regular season record and the school’s eighth Peach Belt Conference Tournament title. The Spartans advanced to the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Tournament for the first time since the 1998 squad played for the national title. The Spartans ended the year with a 19-3-0 record and a No. 5 final national ranking.

In 1998, the Spartans posted an overall record of 23-1-0, hosted the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Final Four, and finished as the NCAA Division II runner-up. His 23 victories and .958 winning percentage were school and conference records. It is also ties Division I powerhouse Indiana as the best record ever in all divisions of NCAA play for a team that finished the season with one loss. USC Upstate won the PBC regular season and tournament titles, and stretched their winning streak over conference opponents to 20 games heading into 1999. Hooks was named NCAA South Region and PBC Coach of the Year.

The previous season, Hooks guided USC Upstate to an overall record of 20-4-0 and PBC regular season and tournament championships. The 20 wins were the most by a USC Upstate team since the 1983 team finished 21-1-1.

In his first year with the Spartans in 1995, Hooks led USC Upstate to an overall record of 17-5-2, a PBC Tournament Championship and a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division II Tournament, which USC Upstate hosted.

Hooks’ first coaching position was at Spartanburg Methodist College in 1985. He led the Pioneers to a 12-2-1 record and moved on to Lees-McRae (N.C.) College, where he compiled a 21-9-2 record in the program’s first two years.  From there, Hooks went to Clemson (S.C.) University, where he was the top assistant for three years. While at Clemson, Hooks helped lead the Tigers to three Top 20 rankings, including an eight-week stay at No. 1 in 1990.

Hooks was named the head coach at the University of Charleston (W.Va.) in 1991. Over the next four seasons, he compiled a 54-19-3 record. His 1994 team was ranked as high as No. 4.

Hooks graduated from the University of South Carolina, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education. He received a Ph.D. in parks, recreation, and tourism management from Clemson in May 2001.

He has earned the Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, as well as his “A” coaching license from the United States Soccer Federation. These are the two highest soccer coaching degrees available in the United States.

A native of Valparaiso, Fla., Hooks and his wife, Laura, have two sons, Eric and Daniel.