Coach Tomson was hired as the men’s soccer head coach at the beginning of the 2012 season. He became as Assistant Director of Athletics in January of 2013.
A professional coach of 12 years, Tomson is the son of longtime Men’s Soccer Coach and Bard Athletic Director Joel Tomson.
Coach Tomson is a fully certified and licensed coach, earning both his NSCAA National Diploma and USSF “C” License. As well as earning both his Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Physical Education & Coaching from both Springfield College in Massachusetts and Canisius College in New York.
Tomson came to Bard from The University of California at Santa Cruz where he was the assistant coach for the three years. Recognized as one of the strongest Division III soccer programs in the nation, Tomson helped the Banana Slugs make two NCAA tournament appearances and worked with top-quality student athletes including two All-Americans players, five All-West Regional players, and 15 Academic All-Americans.
During the early years of Coach Tomson’s career in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley, he worked with such organizations as Eastern NY ODP, The Middlepath Soccer Club in LaGrange N.Y., and The Red Hook Soccer Club. Tomson proudly worked in different capacities as a Head Coach with ODP and Middlepath, to serving as a team trainer for multiple other clubs in the Hudson Valley.
When moving west Tomson kept up his work outside the college realm. He was the Northern California Director of Operations for Catalyst soccer club, a program run by former U.S. Men’s National Team Coach Steve Sampson. After working with Catalyst Soccer Tomson spent three seasons with the Red Star Academy, one of two satellite clubs for European Football giant AFC Ajax. Red Star was recognized as the fastest growing youth academy in Northern California, and Tomson won a State Cup Championship in his second season with the club.
During his time in the Bay area Coach Tomson also spent time in the professional ranks with the Pacific Soccer Academy as Assistant Coach of the Senior Team, a satellite club of Sunderland FC in the English Premiere League. The Senior Team of The Pacific Soccer Academy was the main scrimmage partner to the San Jose Earthquakes of the MLS.
Coach Tomson is excited for the coming seasons at Bard where he plans to build an elite soccer program that will compete with not only the best teams in the Liberty League, but the best teams in the nation as well. Using a fast-paced, possession-oriented, attacking style of play that maintains strong defensive cover. Tomson plans on building on the already strong national and international soccer community that has been growing for years under his father and previous head coach Scott Swere at Bard.
Tomson plans on building a competitive football environment where players can not only bring their skills to a new level in their own personal careers, but be guided in a “Soccer School” approach to learning the game, and use the college game as the next step - NOT an ending point in their lives. Players will be nurtured academically and physically both on and off the field, and become part of a “Soccer Family” where tradition and close ties with the school become a constant.
