GALLOWAY, NJ – Stockton University Associate Director of Athletics & Recreation Jeff Haines recently retired after 31 years at the University. Haines spent the bulk of his tenure at Stockton as head men's soccer coach and then in athletic administration, but he also served as an assistant men's soccer coach from 1995-97 and worked in the Stockton admissions office.
 
Haines fashioned a distinguished career as the Stockton men's soccer coach from 1998-2014 before transitioning from the field into an administrative role in 2015. He amassed a 262-99-34 record in 17 seasons during which he helmed the Ospreys to seven NCAA Tournament berths (2010, 08, 04, 02, 01, 99, 98) and four NJAC titles (2004, 02, 01, 99).
 
Each of the 17 teams led by Haines won at least 11 games and finished with a winning record. His .706 winning percentage ranks 38th out of 446 coaches in NCAA Division III history (minimum 10 years), and he was voted NJAC Coach of the Year twice (2001, 99). Haines also recorded an impressive 12-6-1 record in 17 NCAA Tournament matches.
 
Haines' coaching tenure was marked by a wave of early success that included a 1999 NCAA Final Four berth in his second year, 2001 NCAA national championship in his fourth season and a run to the 2004 NCAA Elite Eight in his seventh year. Six of Haines' first seven Stockton teams won at least 17 games.
 
In 1999, Haines helmed a young Stockton squad to the program's first Final Four as the Ospreys upset second-ranked Williams College in the NCAA quarterfinals. He was named NSCAA Metro Region Coach of the Year and NJAC Coach of the Year for his efforts in his second season as the head coach.
 
The magical 2001 season culminated in the University's only national championship to date. Stockton claimed the NCAA title with a 3-2 victory over University of Redlands on a damp, misty November night at Messiah College. After the trophy presentation, Haines borrowed a tradition normally reserved for basketball as he and his team cut the net into pieces that were kept as souvenirs.
 
The 2001 Ospreys set an NCAA record with 25 victories that was tied by Ohio Northern in 2012 but has yet to be topped. Haines was rewarded with NSCAA National Coach of the Year, NSCAA Metro Region Coach of the Year and NJAC Coach of the Year honors.
 
During the last 11 years, Haines played a key role as an administrator in the Office of Athletics & Campus Recreation. He oversaw Stockton's club sports programs, received and distributed equipment and apparel to coaches, and assisted with facilities scheduling and usage among other duties.
 
Haines served as Stockton's point person working closely with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to host highly-successful base camps by Brazilian team CR Flamengo during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the Haitian National Team during FIFA World Cup 2026. Both events earned praise and brought positive recognition to the University.
 
Over the years, Haines was recognized by several organizations for his success. He was inducted into the Stockton Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017 and also is a member of the South Jersey Soccer Hall of Fame and Pitman High School Sports Hall of Fame.