The move to eliminate the program is taking place due to budget cuts that have forced athletic officials to drop the program, which is an NCAA Division I independent and not sponsored by the SWAC, which A&M is a member.
Salah Yousif, the current men’s soccer coach, will lose his head coaching title but will remain with the university as an assistant professor in the department of economics & finance.
The department will honor all existing scholarship agreements and will grant full eligibility releases to any other institution that seeks men’s soccer student-athletes who wish to transfer. NCAA guidelines allow student-athletes who decide to transfer to be immediately eligible for financial aid, practice and competition provided they meet eligibility requirements.
A&M is the only school in the SWAC that has men’s soccer, but the league doesn’t sponsor it as a championship sport. The decision to cut the program won’t affect A&M’s status with the National Collegiate Athletic Conference or the SWAC.
Yousif has had an outstanding coaching career at A&M, posting a 238-121-24 record in 21 years with the Bulldogs. In 25 years as a head coach, Yousif is 286-128-25 overall.
A&M fielded one of its best teams in a number of years in 2009 when it finished 9-5-3, but the Bulldogs struggled last season finishing 4-12-1.
Over the last eight years, A&M has had just two winning seasons. The Bulldogs had four straight losing seasons from 2004 through 2007 before going 8-8-1 in 2008.