ABILENE, Texas - Paul Tate wasn't shy about telling his players that he voted them No. 1 in this season's American Southwest Conference Preseason poll.

The first-year head coach and McMurry alumnus takes over a struggling men's soccer program, but said that he plans to take the strides necessary to return the team to its winning ways. McMurry saw three-straight ASC Tournament appearances from 2002-2004 and an ASC West Division title in 2003.

“I told them that if I'm not behind you and I don't believe in you, then how are things going to change?” Tate said.

Tate, a three-time all-conference honoree as a goal-keeper for then-head coach Steve Allan from 2003-06, took the reins of the program after serving two seasons as an assistant coach under Tim Grove.

“I think some of the things that we got away from the past few years, is we didn't have any tradition, and I'm trying to bring tradition back,” said Tate. “I want them to start really taking pride in putting on that 'McM' jersey.”

Grove brought in a record number of players to 2009's preseason practice with 30. Even despite McMurry's 2-12-3 record last season, 19 returnees make up the 30 players that reported to camp Wednesday giving Tate a solid group of players to work with while mixing in 11 newcomers.

Tate said that he was excited and pleased that so many players wanted to stay and work with him in his first head-coaching gig despite the season of struggle. Tate took over for Grove in late April and plans to give his new team a level of respect that they hadn't been used to.

“I feel that just the way I treat them is key. I want to treat them like individuals and like men,” he said. “They're in college now and not treating them like little boys makes a big difference.”

In addition to beginning practice Wednesday, the ASC released its annual Preseason poll which saw McMurry projected to finish 13th out of 14 teams. A 0-10-3 record in conference play last season placed the team above Louisiana College and the Wildcats were projected to finish last at 14th place.

However, Tate said he doesn't put stock in the preseason polls and that it's important that the players know that their coaching staff is behind them.

“All getting voted No. 13 in the poll does is just push the guys more and show them why we need to be running and doing fitness,” Tate said. “Everybody else in the conference expects us to be second-to-last or dead last. Everybody's marking McMurry on their schedule as a win, but it is not going to be like that ever again.”

Hardin-Simmons took first-place honors in the preseason vote with 362 points while Mary Hardin-Baylor was projected second and UT-Tyler third. HSU took home 12 first-place votes, UMHB took home nine, and UT-Tyler had two.

Mississippi College had two first-place votes and were projected to finish fifth while UT-Dallas, Schreiner and McMurry all received one first-place vote apiece and were projected to finish sixth, seventh, and 13th respectively. The poll is voted on by all 14 head coaches and sports information directors.

In addition, the 28 voters selected Mississippi College's Michael Cooper as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and HSU's Chris O'Brien as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

McMurry begins its season at home at Edwards Field Sept. 1 against NAIA Lubbock Christian.

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2010 ASC PRESEASON MEN'S SOCCER POLL

[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors]

	Team (first place votes)	Points	2009 Record
1.	Hardin-Simmons (12)	362	12-3-6, 8-1-3 ASC (2nd)
2.	Mary Hardin-Baylor (9)	349	14-4-1, 11-2-0 ASC (1st)
3.	Texas-Tyler (2)	305	6-7-4, 6-3-4 ASC (7th)
4.	Ozarks	293	12-5-3, 8-3-2 ASC (3rd)
5.	Mississippi College (2)	284	12-4-4, 7-3-3 ASC (T4th)
6.	Texas-Dallas (1)	252	9-7-3, 6-6-1 ASC (9th)
7.	Schreiner (1)	236	10-5-3, 7-3-3 ASC (T4th)
8.	Howard Payne	222	9-8-1, 8-4-1 ASC (6th)
9.	Texas Lutheran	163	4-11-2, 4-7-2 ASC (10th)
10.	East Texas Baptist	160	6-7-2, 6-5-1 ASC (8th)
11.	LeTourneau	117	6-8-4, 3-7-3 ASC (11th)
12.	Concordia Texas	85	3-12-2, 1-10-2 ASC (12th)
13.	McMurry (1)	66	3-11-3, 0-10-3 ASC (13th)
14.	Louisiana College	46	1-18-0, 1-12-0 ASC (14th)

 

2010 ASC PRESEASON MEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors]

Offensive	Michael Cooper, F, Sr., Mississippi College
Defensive	Chris O'Brien, D, Sr., Hardin-Simmons