Hall of Fame
A dominant and exciting midfielder for the Vulcan men’s soccer team from 1995 through 1998, Omar McPherson becomes the first soccer player to be inducted into California University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Playing for Dennis Laskey, the Dean of Cal U athletic coaches who is in his 21st season with Vulcan soccer, McPherson was a four-time, All-PSAC selection and three times named to the conference’s first-team, all-star unit.
He finished his brilliant collegiate career with 45 goals and 106 points that were both school records at the time. He still ranks fourth in school history in career goals, points, and is tied for seventh in career assists with 16.
In 1998, he scored 41 points with 18 goals, which were also school standards at the time and was named a first-team NCAA Division II All-American. McPherson was the first player in team history to score 40 points in a single season and just the second to produce more then 100 career points. He was also a two-time All-Region selection and PSAC Scholar-Athlete. During his senior year, the Vulcans recorded their first winning season in five years and fourth 10-win season since attaining NCAA varsity status in 1984. Since 1998, the team has produced one non-losing season and seven winning seasons heading into the 2006 season. Though he is most deserving of the Hall of Fame induction and an ideal initial representative for the Cal soccer programs, McPherson hopes he is just the first of many great soccer players to receive the university’s highest athletic honor.
It is an honor to be inducted,” McPherson said. “I sometimes wish that soccer would get more recognition on campus because what we have done over the years. When I played we did not go that far but the program was building up and taking steps. Now it has really become one of the top ones in our conference and region. I think my induction does show that people are taking more notice of the soccer programs here at Cal. I am honored but I want this award to be more for the program than an individual honor.”
A gifted and superbly conditioned athlete, McPherson was also a member of Cal U’s track and field team for three years and is still the co-school-record holder in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.7.
“I enjoyed competing in track and field and since that was in the spring and soccer was in the fall I was able to both,” McPherson explained. “I qualified for the post-season but there was always something coming up. I remember missing the Penn Relays because it was graduation and my mom was coming up for it so I couldn’t miss that. It was great sport though that helped keep you in shape.”
Originally from Clarendon, Jamaica, McPherson competed in both soccer and track and field. He led the soccer team to the prestigious DaCosta Cup championship in 1994 and was named the finals’ Most Valuable Player after leading the tournament in scoring. At Cal U, McPherson was an honors student who in 1999 earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting. Two years later, McPherson received his master’s degree in computer science with a concentration in multimedia technology.
“Going to school was an adventure in itself and an experience I would never give up for anything,” said McPherson. ”I enjoyed every minute of it and wouldn’t change anything.
This fall, McPherson is in his fourth year as an assistant Cal men’s soccer coach under Laskey as well as a senior accountant for the university’s Student Association, Incorporated (SAI). McPherson began his coaching career at the scholastic level with coaching stints at California High School (1999-2000) and Elizabeth-Forward High School before returning to his collegiate alma mater in 2003. He began working for SAI in 1998 and became a fulltime accountant in 2002.
With McPherson’s help, the Vulcans have made three straight PSAC Final Fours as well as winning each of the past two PSAC regular season championships. In 2004, Laskey and McPherson guided the Vulcan soccer team to its first-ever NCAA post-season tournament appearance. In 2005, Cal soccer reached the PSAC championship game for the second time in three years and fourth time in six years while tying the 2000 squad’s school record for single-season victories at 14. With five PSAC playoff appearances in six years after making the post-season just one in the program’s first 16 years at the NCAA level, the accomplishments clearly indicate how far Cal U men’s soccer has come and the same can be said for the relationship of its two coaches.
“If anybody came and watched my games they would say there’s no way in the world that Omar would be coaching with Dennis Laskey,” said a laughing McPherson. “After my sophomore year going into my junior and senior years I finally started to see what he was talking about. Just understanding where Dennis was coming from was important and we started to see eye-to-eye in certain situations. I’ve grown quite a bit with him not only as a player but also as a person. I love coaching and am very proud of what our team has accomplished.”
McPherson is still a standout player for the West Penn Adult Soccer Association Open Premier League. This past summer he helped the Oak-Avalon team reach the league semifinals. McPherson previously played for the Dunlevy Redbirds and Mon Valley United teams.
Omar lives in California with his wife, Deborah, and the couple is the parents of two children—Michelle and Omar, Jr. Truly California is home to one of its greatest soccer players.
“It has been great working for SAI and building a family here,” McPherson said. “I just hope things will continue to be the same with bigger and better things in the future.”
