For the last 15 years, Tim Champion has been the consistent face of Saint Louis University Women’s Soccer, racking up two NCAA Tournament appearances, two Atlantic 10 Conference Championships and three regular season titles during his reign as coach.
While Champion holds such an impressive record, hardly a student on campus can identify him as the head coach of one of SLU’s most storied sports programs.
“I love this university and think [University President Lawrence] Biondi, S.J., has done a great job here, so it’s not about being noticed; it’s about creating a program where student-athletes can succeed,” Champion said.
Entering this season, Champion carried a .673 win percentage, ranking 25th in all time for coaches with 10 or more years of NCAA coaching experience.
Not only does Champion hold such an impressive record, but he has been the only head coach of SLU women’s soccer since the program started in 1996.
In 1999, just his fourth year of coaching the team, Champion led the Billikens to their first conference title.
So then why, when 10 students were asked, “Who is Tim Champion?” did only two correctly identify him as the women’s soccer head coach?
“I think people should know who he is,” senior soccer player Ashley Brazill said. “He is a very experienced and intelligent coach who has been here a long time and has been successful.”
While his name may go unnoticed, his accomplishments do not. Champion was awarded the Conference USA Coach of the Year in both 1999 and 2004.
“It doesn’t bother me that I don’t receive much recognition,” Champion said. “The most important thing is that our athletes are very good academically.”
Out of last year’s graduating class, two students went on to medical school, two more to law school and another two to finish physical therapy studies.
“Our players are very good academically and that’s what matters to me.
“It’s important to stay focused on what’s important: graduating on time and giving back to the community.”
Each year for the last 15 years, Champion’s team has worked with a special needs soccer program for 16 weeks out of the year.
“We want our players to be well-rounded students. We want them to experience college fully and give back the community by being women for others.”
“I like playing for [Champion] because he really cares about us. Every girl on the team could tell you that,” Brazill said.
“He motivates us in practice every day to work harder, and because he’s so knowledgeable, we really respect him.”
Champion offers a unique perspective as coach, having obtained his doctorate degree here at SLU.
“It was great going to school here and coaching because I got a feeling for what the students are going through in SLU’s [academic] programs,” Champion said.
“It gives me pride as a coach to have been a student here and really understand what this school is all about.”
While Champion’s primary concerns are education and giving back to the community, he still hopes for success on the field.
“We need to be very good defensively this year, and we’ll get back to where we want to be: winning the conference title and getting into the national tournament.”
Although the team is very young, Champion hopes to attain this goal through hard work.
“Everyone on this team works hard and when your players work hard, you can do a lot more with your team.”
Before his career at SLU, Champion found success elsewhere.
He posted an impressive 40-10-2 record as the women’s soccer coach at nearby Lindenwood University during his two years as head coach.
He was twice named the NAIA Midwest College Coach of the Year both years.
Champion also led both the women’s and men’s soccer teams at Cardinal Newman College in St. Louis during the 1984 season before becoming the assistant coach of the men’s soccer team at SLU from 1986 to 1992.
During that time, Champion also was named the Missouri Girl’s High School Coach of the Year in 1988, posting a 130-33-11 record with Nerinx Hall High School in Webster.
