Hall of Fame
The story of Plattsburgh State men's soccer undoubtedly couldn't be told without mentioning Geoff Spear, who was a fixture on the Cardinal sidelines for the past four decades and played a critical role in conference, regional, and national success attained by the team.
All told, he spent a total of 29 years as an assistant coach with the men's soccer program, helping Plattsburgh State win seven SUNYAC championships and qualify for the NCAA Division III Tournament on nine occasions.
For the past seven seasons, he has also lent his expertise to the Cardinals' women's soccer program as a goalkeeping coach, helping Plattsburgh State make five SUNYAC Tournament appearances.
Date of Induction into the Cardinal Sports Hall of Fame:
September 26, 2025
Before Geoff returned to Plattsburgh, he was employed by Clinton Community College as an instructor and coach in the late 1980s. He also worked at the University of Connecticut as an assistant men's soccer coach in the early 1990s. Geoff and his family returned to the Plattsburgh area, where he assisted Chris Waterbury in 1994. He left to become the Head Coach of Men's soccer at Paul Smith's College and also worked in their Admissions Department for two years in the mid-1990s before returning to Plattsburgh State, where he remained until his passing.
“Geoff was very proud of his family. I think he would list his greatest accomplishment in life as his marriage and children—his family,” says his wife, Anne-Marie. “Geoff was the ultimate father figure who showed his love through his actions, sometimes more than his words. He was a simple man who enjoyed raising his children. He changed diapers, bathed children, cooked dinner, drove to every child's events, coached all four of his children, helped with homework and projects, listened to problems, built multiple additions to our house, and created projects with the kids.”
Favorite Plattsburgh State Sports Moment:
“Geoff was a humble man and never bragged about his accomplishments,” says Anne-Marie. “A couple of his favorite moments included boasting a ‘perfect head coaching record’ at Plattsburgh State when we beat Oneonta at their home field when Geoff took the helm, as Coach Waterbury could not attend.” Another favorite moment Anne-Marie named was his favorite season. “Geoff's favorite season was 2005 when the team made it to the NCAA Final Four, losing in the semifinals. He could remember each game and each key play from most years, but especially that season.”
