Dwight Hornibrook begins his eighth season as the head coach of the Cortland men’s soccer program in 2011 after a successful stint at Houghton College (N.Y.) of the American Mideast Conference (AMC). Hornibrook also served as an assistant coach for the Cornell University men’s soccer team during the spring of 2004.
The past two seasons, the Red Dragons reached the quarterfinals of the SUNYAC Tournament and featured a second team All-ECAC and third team all-region selection in 2009.
In 2008, Hornibrook led Cortland to an 11-7-3 record and its first State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) tournament title and NCAA Division III playoff appearance since 2003. The Red Dragons, who finished tied for 17th nationally after earning a win in the opening round of the NCAA playoffs, had two players earn all-region honors.
In 2007, Cortland finished with an 11-7-1 record. Hornibrook’s squad advanced to the SUNYAC tournament semifinals and featured the league’s Player of the Year. His Red Dragon teams also qualified for the SUNYAC playoffs in 2005 and 2006.
In his first season on the sideline in 2004, Hornibrook led the Red Dragons to a 10-10 record to become just the second men’s soccer coach in school history to win at least 10 games in his debut season. Cortland also won 10 games during the 2005 campaign. In all, Hornibrook’s players have earned 17 All-SUNYAC and four all-region honors.
Hornibrook, who earned NCCP Level Five Certification in 1986 from the National Coaching Institute and holds a Canadian Soccer Association A License, has a six-year record of 54-50-11 at Cortland and a career mark of 173-96-24 that includes a 119-46-13 mark from 1995-2003 at Houghton.
He led Houghton to the AMC North Division title in his last season, posting a 15-4-1 record, and was named the AMC North Division and the NSCAA/adidas Northeast Region Coach of the Year for his efforts. The team posted wins over Division II Ashland, Gannon, Le Moyne and Mercyhurst and dropped a 2-1 decision to eventual NAIA national champion Rio Grande during the 2003 season. Hornibrook’s teams captured NAIA regional titles in 1995 and 1996.
Prior to Houghton, Hornibrook was a member of the Canadian National Team staff and director of the Atlantic Regional Training Center from 1987-94. During that time, he coached with World Cup, Olympic and U-17 National teams in international competition, including the U-17 World Cup in 1987 and World Cup qualifying in 1992. Hornibrook served as head coach of the Winnipeg Fury in 1990 and was a player/assistant coach for the Nova Scotia Clippers in 1991 in the Canadian Soccer League. In 1998-99, he was the North American scout for Middlesbrough FC of the English Premier League. He has also served on the preseason coaching staff of the Rochester Rhinos during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
Hornibrook graduated from the University of New Brunswick, Canada, in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in education. He was a five-year member of the soccer team as a midfielder and was a two-time Atlantic Universities Athletic Association (AUAA) all -star. The team won a national title in 1980 and he was named an Athlete of Distinction in 1982. After graduation, Hornibrook was a member of the North American Soccer League’s (NASL) Toronto Blizzards reserve squad in 1983.
Hornibrook earned a master’s degree in sports science in 2008 from the United States Sports Academy in Mobile, Ala. He graduated with honors and was nominated for student of the year honors among all master’s degree students at the institution.
A native of Fredericton, N.B., Hornibrook is a graduate of Fredericton High School, where he earned Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in soccer. His team was crowned provincial champion in 1977. In 1992, Hornibrook was inducted into the city of Fredericton Sports Wall of Fame.
He and his wife, Donna, who is the field hockey coach at Cornell University, currently reside in Lansing, N.Y., with their two daughters, Kathryn and Emily.
