Tusculum University head women’s soccer coach Mike Joy has announced his retirement following 26 seasons with the Pioneers.
Joy ranks sixth all-time in victories among Division II coaches with 376 wins and was fifth among active coaches. His .647 career winning percentage (376-194-50) is 43rd all-time in Division II and was 32nd among coaches active in the 2022 season.
“I want to thank the nine individuals that have sat in the president’s chair during my time at Tusculum, along with the four athletic directors for whom I have had the privilege to work, and the seven assistants and multiple graduate assistants that have helped me over the years,” said Joy. “But mainly, I want to thank the hundreds of student-athletes I have had the honor and privilege to coach.”
While at Tusculum, Joy compiled a record of 290-169-45 and became the winningest coach in South Atlantic Conference history with a career record of 116-71-22 in regular-season conference play. The Pioneers finished at .500 or better in 22 of Joy’s 26 seasons as head coach, including a 9-4-5 record in 2022 that was the best winning percentage (.639) since the 2012 season.
“I would personally like to thank Mike for all of his years of service. His record speaks for itself, but the reality is that Mike has been far more than a coach. He has assisted with multiple projects on our campus through the years, served on a variety of committees and has served as a professor,” said Tusculum vice president of athletics and University initiatives Doug Jones. “With all of Mike’s accomplishments on the field, his biggest impact has been on the players he has coached. He truly cares about all of them and dedicated his life to making a difference in their development. It has been a privilege of mine to not only call him a colleague but, more importantly, a friend.”
Jones added that Joy’s successor as Tusculum’s head coach will be announced in the near future.
Joy arrived at Tusculum in 1997 after compiling an 86-25-5 record in five seasons at Midway College in Kentucky and winning five KIAC regular-season and tournament championships. Prior to Midway, Joy founded the women’s soccer program at the University of Kentucky and led the team to 20 victories in two seasons as a club program. During that time, Joy helped spearhead the adoption of girls soccer as a high school varsity sport in Kentucky, and coached the Kentucky Kickers club team to 12 state championships.
Tusculum won at least a share of five SAC championships during Joy’s tenure (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2016) and won SAC Tournament titles four times (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005). The Pioneers also captured the NCAA Division II Southeast Region title in 2006, one of five NCAA appearances under Joy (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009).
Under Joy, Tusculum has had six All-America selections, 38 All-Region honorees and 81 All-South Atlantic Conference selections, including 2008 SAC and Southeast Region Player of the Year Danielle Tanner. The Pioneers have also had seven CoSIDA Academic All-America honorees, including three-time selection Carlie Thornber (2015, 2016, 2017) and two-time honoree Denise Fliesser (2004, 2005). Tusculum has also had 19 CoSIDA Academic All-District selections and three SAC Scholar-Athlete Award winners.
A native of Dallas, Texas and a 1978 University of Kentucky graduate, Joy was also head coach of the Tusculum men and women’s tennis programs for three seasons. In 2001, Joy’s women’s tennis team became the first Tusculum team to earn a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Joy was twice honored by his Tusculum coaching peers as recipient of the Art Argauer Award, which recognizes the Tusculum Coach of the Year, in 2001-02 and again in 2006-07.
Joy and his wife Kathy, are the parents of three children, Heather, Lesli, and Justin. Heather graduated from Tusculum in 1999 after two seasons as goalkeeper. Lesli is a graduate of Midway College, and Justin currently lives in Lexington, Ky. Coach Joy also has one grandson, Tyler, who is also a college soccer coach, and six granddaughters, Madison, Brooklynn, Jaydan, Briana, Alexa and Tatum.
“I have learned that the key to retirement is ‘to not retire from something, however retire to something.’ I am retiring to become a fan of TU soccer and tennis, watch my grandson begin his head coaching career, spend more time with family and friends, and to work at my passion of songwriting and see what kind of career I can craft from that,” added Joy. “I am sure my wife Kathy will have a long list of things she will want me to do as well.”
