Tipping’s Selection To The United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame

Muhlenberg Soccer Coaches, Dave Weitzman, and Todd Ervin Speak About Jeff Tipping’s Hall Of Fame Selection and His Impact On Muhlenberg Athletics

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Courtesy of the muhlenberg department of communications

Former Muhlenberg men’s soccer Head Coach Jeff Tipping was recently elected to become a member of the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame.

Tipping was the head coach of the men’s soccer team at Muhlenberg for 16 years, from 1986 to 2001. In those years, he guided the Mules to three Centennial Conference championships, one Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship, two MAC South titles and eight trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament, including an appearance in the “Final Four” in 1995. Tipping also coached the men’s golf team from 1996 to 2002, winning three Centennial Conference championships.

In 2006, Tipping was selected into the Muhlenberg College Athletic Hall of Fame not only for his accomplishments while coaching, but the impact he left on all his successors as well. Dave Weitzman, the current Muhlenberg women’s head soccer coach, and Todd Ervin ‘98, one of the current assistant coaches on the Muhlenberg men’s soccer staff, both played for and then coached alongside Tipping.

Weitzman spoke about how Tipping influenced his coaching career.

“Tipp[ing] was, in my opinion, not only a terrific college coach but the very best at teaching coaches how to coach, not just in this region but throughout the entire country. Tipp allowed me to get involved with all aspects of coaching at the college level—the recruiting, on field practice sessions, game management, working summer camps, etc… but he also opened up many doors for me to coach coaches as a regional technical director, coach my own youth teams and eventually take on the duties as a head coach of a high school program. I made every attempt to do exactly what I observed Tipp doing until I eventually had the confidence and experiences to shape and mold what worked for me. I was certainly at the right place at the right time and very fortunate and lucky to have such a wonderful friend and mentor.” 

Ervin, who was also able to coach under and play for Tipping, spoke about how he impacted him as a player, saying, “Playing for Tipp was, for me, nothing short of incredible. And I’m not sure that statement is strong enough. Jeff [Tipping] had a way about him that I have not seen in anyone since my days at ‘Berg. He could motivate you to work way beyond your comfort level, teach you to play seamlessly as a team, develop you as an individual both on and off the field and make sure you had a good laugh while doing it all.”

Ervin also recalled Tipping’s famous saying. “Tipp had a saying that we used to have printed on all of our gear which was, ’Nil Satis Nisi Optimum.’ He borrowed it from Everton Football Club, and it means ‘Only the best will satisfy.’ The teams I was a part of at ‘Berg lived by that and it was something I was able to use to push me throughout the rest of my soccer career. Simply put, if I wasn’t at my best each and every day, it wasn’t good enough.”

The influence Tipping had on the Muhlenberg soccer program is evidently great. Along with Weitzman and Ervin, the current Muhlenberg men’s head soccer coach Sean Topping ‘98 also played under and coached alongside Tipping. In addition to his selection into the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame, Tipping will be inducted as a member of the Class of 2022 during the 82nd Annual United Soccer Coaches Convention, being held Jan. 19-23 in Kansas City, Missouri. 

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