Dr. E. Marvin Allen Jr.

A native of Wilmington, NC, Dr. Allen, as a student at UNC Chapel Hill, scored the Tar Heels’ first-ever goal in collegiate soccer. He was UNC’s men’s head soccer coach and coached the Tar Heels for 28 seasons (1947-50, 1953-76) with career coaching record of 174-81-23. He served as President of the National Soccer Coaches of America (1962) and was inducted into the NSCAA Hall of Fame in 1998.

Died in 1996 and was inducted into the N.C. Soccer Hall of Fame posthumously.

Born January 6, 1915, in Wilmington, North Carolina; died September 13, 1996

BA, UNC-CH, 1938; MA, UNC-CH, 1940; Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 1960 Married Helen Dugan, Washington, D.C.; two children: Beverly; Ernest Marvin, III Member of the first UNC-CH Club Soccer team as an undergraduate, scoring the first goal ever tallied by the Tar Heels, in a 1938 game against arch-rival Duke Physical Education Instructor at UNC-CH beginning in 1940, appointed Professor in 1964 Coach, UNC-CH Soccer Club, 1940-1947 Varsity Head Coach, Men’s Soccer Team, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1947-50, 1953-76 Past Secretary-Treasurer, Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association Past President, Coaches Association Past Chairman, College Physical Education Association Past Chairman, Joint Committee for Physical Education for College Men and Women Past Chairman, NC Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Past Chairman, Atlantic Coast Conference Soccer Committee Helped to organize and direct the North Carolina Soccer Tourney for High Schools Articles in Boys Life, Mentor, Soccer Guide, and Soccer Journal Lifetime coaching record (all at UNC-CH): 174-81-23 (.667 winning percentage) Southern Conference champion, 1948; Atlantic Coast Conference co-champion, 1968; ACC second place, nine times; never lower than fourth in ACC

Comments from former players: a fine man, taught us all to be men, with soccer as the vehicle to move us along that path; a graceful human being who understood the big picture of how soccer was a part of a student’s life and what was really important in life; gave me, as he did for many, many others, an opportunity to do good things for myself; an honest, honorable man; founder of the game at Carolina and brought a lot of people to the game; always wore a tie at the games.

From a March 1997 Southern Soccer Scene article: A soccer legend died in Chapel Hill last fall. Dr. Marvin Allen passed away in much the same way he lived his life – without fanfare, with little notice, quietly and with dignity. It has often been said that the measure of one’s life is the influence that it has on others. Will Rogers said that he never met a man that he didn’t like. He would have loved Dr. Allen! There are many men today who are better people for having been coached by Dr. Marvin Allen – and many kids today who benefit from those relationships even though they never knew the man.