Albert accepted an offer to be the full-time coach of the men's lacrosse and men's soccer programs at The College of William and Mary in 1971. As soccer became increasing popular both on campus and across the country – by 1977 - Albert was exclusively coaching soccer at W&M. Albert led the William and Mary "Tribe" men’s soccer team as head coach for 33 seasons before retiring from coaching in January 2004. He amassed a record of 401–187–64 during his tenure and became just the eighth coach in NCAA Division I history to reach 400 wins, and just the third to have earned all those wins at one school. The Tribe ranked as one of the top programs in the nation throughout the 1990s, placing eighth in wins and 13th in winning percentage. The Tribe strung together 29 consecutive winning seasons and 26 straight campaigns of 10 wins or more under Albert's supervision. This level of winning consistency has only been matched by a handful of elite soccer programs across the country: UCLA, Clemson, St. Louis, Indiana, SMU, and UVA. Many of Albert's former players at William and Mary went on to have successful professional soccer careers; while many distinguished themselves in other ways outside the game. A great communicator, one of Al's trademarks at W&M was the way he connected personally with his players on and off the field – even after graduation. In tribute to Albert's lasting impact on the landscape of sport at William and Mary, the university hosts all of its home soccer and lacrosse games at Albert-Daly Field, named after Albert and long-time women's soccer head coach John Daly.
Other Endeavors
Community Partnership
The Soccer Community Partnership in Williamsburg, VA was founded by Albert in 2003 after his retirement from college coaching. The organization exists to provide local elementary school children the opportunity to play organized soccer regardless of socio-economic status. All of the programs are made possible by private donations and a legion of devoted volunteers. Hundreds of local children have participated in clinics, after-school activities, and the local recreational league through the Soccer Community Partnership.
Maccabiah
Albert assumed the role of head coach of the U.S. men's open soccer team at the 1981 and 1985 Maccabiah Games in Israel, earning the silver medal in 1981. More recently, he assisted Amos Magee at the 2007 Pan-Am Maccabiah Games where the U.S. men's open team won the gold medal defeating the host Argentina 2–0 in the final game.
NSCAA
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America is the largest single sport coaching organization in the world. In 2006, out of 22,000 members worldwide, Al Albert was elected to serve as the NSCAA's 60th President. Today Albert continues to be an active statesman within the organization, where he supports various coaching and developmental initiatives. Albert was selected by the NSCAA as the 2011 recipient of the Association’s Honor Award. The prestigious Honor Award is the final presentation given annually at the NSCAA Awards Banquet.
Tidewater Soccer Camp
Al Albert owned and operated Tidewater Soccer Camp for over 35 years. Tidewater Soccer Camp provided a soccer camping experience to thousands of young men and women from 1974 to 2009.
The Williamsburg Wizards were a dominant youth soccer team based in Williamsburg, Virginia. Albert coached the Wizards for ten seasons. The team consisted of local boys born in 1979 and 1980. The team traveled across the country and Europe competing against the best teams in their age group. The Wizards won six Virginia State Cup championships at u-11, u-13, u-14, u-15, u-16, and u-19.
Scott Budnick '93 – American professional soccer player
Paul Grafer '96 – American professional soccer player and US Soccer Youth National Team Assistant Coach
Steve Jolley '97 – American professional soccer player
Wade Barrett '98 – American professional soccer player and former MLS coach
Adin Brown '00 – American professional soccer player
Ralph Bean '02 – Bermudian soccer player and coach
Carlos Garcia '03 – Colombian professional soccer player
Other
Jeff Agoos, 1985 World Maccabiah selection – American professional soccer player
Matt Behncke, Williamsburg Wizards – American professional soccer player
Daniel Cruz, Tidewater Soccer Camp – Colombian professional soccer player
Jarryd Goldberg, 2007 Pan-Am Maccabiah selection – American professional soccer player
Noah Palmer, Williamsburg Legacy – American professional soccer player
Gonzalo Segares, Williamsburg Legacy – Costa Rican professional soccer player
Personal
Albert resides in Williamsburg, Virginia with his wife. They have two children. Albert is currently the Associate Director of Athletic Development at The College of William and Mary.
