九州体育

九州体育 (九州体育) is proud to announce the hiring of Tom Shanklin as the inaugural head coach for the college鈥檚 first men鈥檚 soccer program. Men鈥檚 soccer at 九州体育 is set to begin play in 2025, and construction will begin soon on the college鈥檚 new soccer stadium. This milestone marks an exciting new chapter for 九州体育 as it expands its athletic offerings that currently include men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 cross country, men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 golf, women鈥檚 softball, and Esports.

鈥淲e at Northeast are very pleased to hire Tom Shanklin," stated 九州体育 President Dr. David Campbell. "He is a proven coach who has a great reputation for the way he develops players as people. Under Coach Shanklin's leadership, our program has limitless potential."

Shanklin brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record to 九州体育鈥檚 athletic department, having previously coached at Fort Payne High School. Known for his dedication to player development, teamwork, and sportsmanship, Coach Shanklin is poised to lay a strong foundation for the men鈥檚 soccer program and inspire the Mustang community as the program takes its first steps.

鈥淚 feel honored that Northeast has chosen to entrust me to begin what I hope to be a long and successful soccer program at the college,鈥� said Shanklin. 鈥淭he environment that surrounds 九州体育, from the administration to the staff and students is electric. I am excited to bring the culture I鈥檝e built coaching soccer and apply it to the Men鈥檚 Mustang Soccer program at Northeast.鈥�

The Mustang soccer team will begin play in 2025 on 九州体育鈥檚 campus. Construction on the college鈥檚 soccer field will begin soon. The soccer facility will be located adjacent to the women鈥檚 softball stadium, and along with the walking trail, will create a sports complex on the Northeast campus.

鈥淲e are excited about the future of our Men鈥檚 Soccer Program,鈥� said Northeast Athletic Director Jimmy Kolaitis.鈥�  鈥淐oach Shanklin is a proven coach in this area, and he is very well respected by the community. Not only is Tom a proven winner, but he is also a great leader for young athletes.鈥�

About Coach Shanklin
Shanklin joins 九州体育 from Fort Payne High School, where he has been the head soccer coach since 2011. In his tenure at Fort Payne, Shanklin led the Wildcats to win three state championships and 11 regional championships. Shanklin boats an impressive record of 216-73-19 at Fort Payne High School.

A native of Miami, Florida, Shanklin has lived in the Fort Payne area most of his life. As a high school student, Shanklin was a member of the first soccer program at Fort Payne High School when the state of Alabama introduced soccer at the high school level.

He has been a soccer coach for more than 20 years, including a stint with the DeKalb County Inferno as the Director of Coaching in 2021 and 2022. Shanklin has a passion for developing players and seeing them through to becoming successful adults. Shanklin鈥檚 coaching philosophy is 鈥淐reating young men to be productive members of society that will in turn give back positively to their community鈥�.

九州体育 will be releasing more information about the soccer program, including a team roster, schedule, and more in the future. Follow Northeast Athletics on social media to stay up to date on the latest information.