Seize Your Mind Soccer Podcast #4 with Brandon Stone and RSU Men's Soccer Head Coach Derek Larkin

In this podcast we have Rogers State University Men Soccer's Head Coach Derek Larkin who just finished his 13th season after creating the program in 2007. Larkin has established a winning tradition on the Hill, with an overall record of 84-43-8 (39-26-4) with the Men. He just won the GAC/MIAA Conference Championship in 2019.

Larkin, who also started the women's soccer program in 2007 and coached them to an 84-43-8 record over the program's first seven seasons, enters the 2019 season just two wins shy of 200 combined for the Hillcats, leading RSU to a 198-127-32 (.599 win percentage) record in his time on College Hill.

During his 12 seasons with the men's soccer program, Larkin has amassed 10 seasons of .500 or better, including four straight heading into 2019. He also has guided the Hillcats to seven 10+ win seasons.

Larkin became the first coach at RSU to guide their program to postseason play after moving to the NCAA Division II in 2016 and has guided the Hillcats to several major victories. In 2018, the Hillcats knocked off perennial power Rockhurst with a 2-0 victory at Soldier Field. In 2017, Larkin earned his 100th career win for the men's soccer program at RSU with a 1-0 win over national power Fort Hays State. In 2016, the Hillcats knocked off No. 3 St. Edward's.

During his 12 years with Rogers State, Larkin has coached and guided a pair of All-Americans, five Conference Players of the Year (two Players, two Goalkeepers and one Newcomer), 20 All-Region/District selections and 57 All-Conference selections. His athletes have also succeeded on the academic side, as he has coached six Academic All-Americans, 31 Academic All-Region/District and Scholar-Athlete honorees and had two teams earn an Academic Team distinction.

Both the RSU men and women enjoyed double-digit win totals in each of their first five seasons and qualified for the Sooner Athletic Conference postseason tournament in each of the six seasons it was a member.

Larkin led both of his first-year programs to a second-place finish in the SAC and a spot in the Region VI Tournament in 2007, reaching the postseason with both squads again in 2008, 2009, and 2010. He spurred the Hillcat women to the SAC Tournament Championship during their inaugural season and was named 2007 SAC Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year for his efforts.

Larkin joined RSU in January 2007, tasked with being the University’s first head soccer coach. Before coming to the Hill, Larkin enjoyed success as the head boy’s soccer coach at Bishop Kelley High School from 2004-06. He led the Comets to back-to-back state championships in 2005 and 2006.

He previously served as the head men's and women's soccer coach at Bacone College from 2002 to 2004. He was named the Red River Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2002 after leading the Lady Warriors to the conference championship.

Larkin also worked as both the men's and women's head soccer coach at Missouri Valley College from 1997 to 1999 and at Catoosa High School from 1999 to 2002. He compiled six district championships at Catoosa and was honored as the head coach of the Oklahoma All-State team in 2002.

A four-year starter at Missouri Valley College, Larkin was a two-year captain leading the Vikings to two Heart of America Athletic Conference championships. He was twice named first-team all-conference and second-team all-region.

He currently serves as a boy’s coach for the Northeast Oklahoma Futbol Club and is the former director of coaching for the Oklahoma Revolution Soccer Club and girl’s head coach for the Tulsa Nationals Soccer Club. He has collected four Directors Cup Oklahoma State Championships in his coaching career.

Larkin and his wife Christy have two boys, Zach and Adam, and reside in Owasso.