Glynn Academy girls soccer coach Thomas Lemmon has lived and breathed soccer his entire life.
“I don’t see myself doing anything other than coaching or playing soccer; it is a great passion of mine.”
After coaching in Florida for 12 years, Lemmon took the reins at Glynn Academy this season and has already claimed his first region title. Not bad considering that he is following in the footsteps of legendary coach Gary Larkins who retired after last season. Lemmon comes to Brunswick after coaching boys soccer at Pembroke Pines Charter High in South Florida. He brings a basic coaching philosophy to Glynn Academy: “If you want to be the best; train your best, be the best, and play the best.”
So far, the Lady Terrors are buying into Lemmon’s program. Glynn Academy won 13 straight to close out the regular season with the 3-AAAAA Region Championship and region Coach of the Year honors for Lemmon. During a tough region contest against Richmond Hill, Glynn Academy was behind 1-0 at the half. “My girls came out on fire and determined in the second half and scored five goals to win the game 5-2 and to take control of the region.” The Terrors were the number one seed going into the playoffs and dispatched Thomas County Central 10-0 in the first round before falling to second-ranked McIntosh High School.
Glynn Academy returns all but two players next year. “It was a very good season,” Lemmon says. “Anytime you can lose 10 or 11 players and rebuild to win a region championship, it shows we have a good future ahead of us.”
Lemmon grew up outside of Akron in Stow, Ohio, where he started playing organized soccer at seven years old. He later played for the premier club, the Cleveland Internationals, for seven years under the tutelage of Louis Nanchoff. He traveled extensively playing for the Internationals, going overseas and competing in the nationals.
In high school, he had 142 career goals and 87 assists. He was the Akron Beacon Journal Player of the Year, All-County and All-State for three years and All-American his senior year. His play caught the eye of college recruiters, including the University of Maryland’s Bob Butehorn. When Butehorn took the job at Saint Bonaventure University, Lemmon followed.
While at the western New York college, Lemmon had 27 career goals, making him the fourth leading scorer in school history. He had 19 goals in a single season which is second in SBU history, and he was the youngest inductee into Saint Bonaventure Hall of Fame.
Playing for the Bonnies, Lemmon led the country in goals scored his senior year and eventually finished fourth in the nation. He was named the Atlantic-10 Player of the Year and helped Saint Bonaventure advance to the Atlantic-10 tournament for the first time in school history by scoring a hat trick, including the game winner in overtime, against the University of Dayton. He was also on the SBU team that defeated the University of North Carolina the year the Tar Heels won the national championship.
Lemmon became coach at Pembroke Pines in 2002, and his team was 18-5 last season. While he was coach at PPCH, the Jaguars won four region titles and made a trip to the state final four. In the 2009-10 season, PPCH entered the district playoffs with an 11-9 record. The Jaguars nearly lost their first playoff game against a team they had already defeated soundly earlier in the year. After eeking out a 2-1 victory, it seemed that the team began to jell, going on a winning streak that included a 2-1 overtime victory for the district championship and a double overtime win over the state number one team. It ended in a penalty kick loss to the eventual state champions. “It was just a fun ride for me and the players. To see them come together at such an important time of the season was just unbelievable.”
After visiting friends in the Golden Isles, Lemmon and his wife fell in love with the area and jumped at the opportunity to move to Southeast Georgia. Lemmon genuinely enjoys coaching and encourages young people to play as much as possible if they plan on playing for Glynn Academy in the future. Playing on travel teams and staying involved in soccer will provide valuable experience for the future. After a playoff run this season, Lemmon hopes his early success with the Lady Terrors will continue well into the future with a happy family and plenty of team celebrations.
“I’d like to be on a podium holding up a state championship trophy for the Glynn Academy Lady Red Terrors,” Lemmon said.
SE-CC-6.14-Lemmon
Coach’s Corner/ Southeast / June 2014
Thomas Lemmon
Glynn Academy
Girls soccer
Brunswick, Ga
By Rob Asbell
New Glynn Academy Coach Fills Big Shoes
