DARYL DORAN

'Daryl Doran' (born March 29, 1963 in Saint Louis, Missouri) is a retired U.S. indoor soccer player. His 827 games are the most of any player in American professional indoor soccer history. Doran spent all but one season of his playing career in his hometown.

Contents

High school and college

Playing career

National team

Coaching

Honors

High school and college

Doran gew up in Saint Louis, Missouri where he attended Christian Brothers College High School from 1977 to 1980. He was a four year letterman with the school’s soccer team, finishing his career with 35 goals and 31 assists.^[1] Following graduation from high school, Doran entered St. Louis University. The local St. Louis Steamers of Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) drafted Doran when he was in high school, but he declined to sign with the team. The Steamers drafted Doran again during his freshman year of college. This time, he left college and turned professional.^[2]

Playing career

Doran played as a midfielder with the Steamers until the team folded at the end of the 1987-1988 season. With no professional team in St. Louis, Doran moved to the Los Angeles Lazers (MISL) for the 1988-1989 season. However, the Lazers folded at the end of the season and Doran moved back to St. Louis to sign with the expansion St. Louis Storm. When the Storm folded at the end of the 1991-1992 season, Doran jumped leagues to the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) where he signed with the St. Louis Ambush. He spent the next seven seasons with the Ambush as both a midfielder and defender. In 1997, he was selected as the NPSL Defender of the Year. During his seven seasons with the Ambush, he was a six time All-Star and two time, first team All-NPSL player. In 1999, Doran shocked the city when he left the Ambush for the resurrected St. Louis Steamers, now playing in the World Indoor Soccer League (WISL). The Ambush folded at the end of the season while the Steamers spent the 2000 and 2001 seasons in the WISL, followed by two more seasons in the new Major Indoor Soccer League.

National team

During his one season with the Billikens, Doran was a United States men's national soccer team member. However, he did not make any 'A' international appearances.
In 1999, Doran played two games with the U.S. national futsal team.^[3]

Coaching

Doran began coaching the St. Louis Ambush in 1992. The 1994-95 Ambush won the NPSL championship and Doran was named league Coach of the Year. When Doran left the Ambush in 1999, Jamie Swanner replaced him as coach. He is in second place, behind Keith Tozer, on the NPSL list of coaching wins with 166.^[4]
Doran left coaching after the 2004-2005 season with the Steamers.
In April 2006, the Steamers retired his jersey number. He only the second player in team history to receive the honor, the first being Slobo Ilijevski. He is currently Steamers' Vice President of Corporate Sales and Alumni Relations.

Honors

'NPSL Defender of the Year' 1997
'NPSL First Team All Star:' 1997, 1998
'All Star Game MVP:' 1997
'NPSL Coach of the Year:' 1994