Garrison Tubbs Named One of Three Finalists for 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy
12/13/2023 11:58:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Tubbs will look to become the fourth Demon Deacon in program history to earn the prestigious National Player of the Year award.
KANSAS CITY, MO. -- Wake Forest men's soccer's Garrison Tubbs has been named a finalist for the 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy, the United Soccer Coaches and Missouri Athletic Club announced on Wednesday.
The Hermann Trophy is the nation's highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year, as Tubbs is the only defender to reach the finalist stage joined by Clemson forward Ousmane Sylla and Western Michigan forward Charlie Sharp.
"I speak on behalf of my entire staff and all the student-athletes when I say congratulations to our leader and captain, Garrison Tubbs, on this tremendous achievement of being named one of just three finalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy," said head coach Bobby Muuss. "This is the most prestigious honor in all of college soccer and he has earned the status of being a finalist. As a defender, it sometimes goes unnoticed for what he has done for the style of play here and our overall brand of soccer while being one of the very best defenders in college soccer. While the award is about the 2023 season, Garrison has been an outstanding representative of Wake Forest University and our program on and off the field these last four seasons and this recognition is a testament to his incredible efforts since stepping foot on campus."
During the 2023 season, Tubbs was named the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year, the only defender selected to the All-ACC First-Team, a United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-American and a United Soccer Coaches All-South Region First-Team selection. He anchored a backline that ranked top-five nationally in shots on goal conceded per match and recorded seven clean sheets including four-straight against ACC opponents, tied for the longest stretch of shutouts against conference opponents in program history.
Tubbs this fall started all 18 of his appearances, wearing the captain's armband for a Wake Forest team that clinched a fifth ACC Atlantic Division title in nine seasons. Playing 90 or more minutes 13 times, the Brunswick, Ga., native guided the Demon Deacons to seven clean sheets including four in ACC play. His ACC Defensive Player of the Year selection was the fifth in program history, joining Wake Forest Sports Hall of Famer Michael Parkhurst (2004), 2007 National Champion Ike Opara (2008, 2009) and Kevin Politz (2017).
For his career with the Deacs, Tubbs appeared in 72 matches with 70 starts to record 15 points off of seven assists and four goals, all of which were game-winning tallies. The Deacs also logged 28 clean sheets in his four seasons in Winston-Salem.
Off the field, Tubbs is a three-time All-ACC Academic Team selection, a three-time ACC Honor Roll selection and was named a 2022 United Soccer Coaches First-Team Scholar All-American. During the 2021-22 academic year, Tubbs and his teammates were named HelperHelper Community Service National Champions and logged the most community service hours of any Division I men's soccer program in 2022-23. Their impact has also been felt through various fundraising efforts, raising more than $50,000 through the annual Walt Clinic, Genna Wiley Memorial Matches, the 2023 Mental Health Awareness Match and the program's yearly Goal-a-Thon.
The 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy winner will be announced at a press conference at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Jan. 5, 2024, followed by a dinner to celebrate all of the finalists.
Wake Forest has had three MAC Hermann Trophy winners in program history: Marcus Tracy (2008), Ian Harkes (2016) and Jon Bakero (2017). The Demon Deacons are one of nine programs to have three or more players selected for the prestigious award and is the most recent school to have back-to-back winners in Harkes and Bakero. If Tubbs is selected, Wake Forest will be one of just five schools in the country with four or more MAC Hermann Trophy winners.
Tubbs' Career Honors
The Hermann Trophy is the nation's highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year, as Tubbs is the only defender to reach the finalist stage joined by Clemson forward Ousmane Sylla and Western Michigan forward Charlie Sharp.
"I speak on behalf of my entire staff and all the student-athletes when I say congratulations to our leader and captain, Garrison Tubbs, on this tremendous achievement of being named one of just three finalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy," said head coach Bobby Muuss. "This is the most prestigious honor in all of college soccer and he has earned the status of being a finalist. As a defender, it sometimes goes unnoticed for what he has done for the style of play here and our overall brand of soccer while being one of the very best defenders in college soccer. While the award is about the 2023 season, Garrison has been an outstanding representative of Wake Forest University and our program on and off the field these last four seasons and this recognition is a testament to his incredible efforts since stepping foot on campus."
During the 2023 season, Tubbs was named the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year, the only defender selected to the All-ACC First-Team, a United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-American and a United Soccer Coaches All-South Region First-Team selection. He anchored a backline that ranked top-five nationally in shots on goal conceded per match and recorded seven clean sheets including four-straight against ACC opponents, tied for the longest stretch of shutouts against conference opponents in program history.
Tubbs this fall started all 18 of his appearances, wearing the captain's armband for a Wake Forest team that clinched a fifth ACC Atlantic Division title in nine seasons. Playing 90 or more minutes 13 times, the Brunswick, Ga., native guided the Demon Deacons to seven clean sheets including four in ACC play. His ACC Defensive Player of the Year selection was the fifth in program history, joining Wake Forest Sports Hall of Famer Michael Parkhurst (2004), 2007 National Champion Ike Opara (2008, 2009) and Kevin Politz (2017).
For his career with the Deacs, Tubbs appeared in 72 matches with 70 starts to record 15 points off of seven assists and four goals, all of which were game-winning tallies. The Deacs also logged 28 clean sheets in his four seasons in Winston-Salem.
Off the field, Tubbs is a three-time All-ACC Academic Team selection, a three-time ACC Honor Roll selection and was named a 2022 United Soccer Coaches First-Team Scholar All-American. During the 2021-22 academic year, Tubbs and his teammates were named HelperHelper Community Service National Champions and logged the most community service hours of any Division I men's soccer program in 2022-23. Their impact has also been felt through various fundraising efforts, raising more than $50,000 through the annual Walt Clinic, Genna Wiley Memorial Matches, the 2023 Mental Health Awareness Match and the program's yearly Goal-a-Thon.
The 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy winner will be announced at a press conference at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Jan. 5, 2024, followed by a dinner to celebrate all of the finalists.
Wake Forest has had three MAC Hermann Trophy winners in program history: Marcus Tracy (2008), Ian Harkes (2016) and Jon Bakero (2017). The Demon Deacons are one of nine programs to have three or more players selected for the prestigious award and is the most recent school to have back-to-back winners in Harkes and Bakero. If Tubbs is selected, Wake Forest will be one of just five schools in the country with four or more MAC Hermann Trophy winners.
Tubbs' Career Honors
- 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy Finalist
- 2023 United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-American
- 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year
- 2023 All-ACC First-Team Selection
- 2023 United Soccer Coaches All-South Region First-Team Selection
- 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist
- ACC Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 17, 2023)
- 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List
- 2023 United Soccer Coaches Watch List: Defenders
- 2023 College Soccer News Preseason First-Team All-American
- 2023 TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Third-Team Best XI
- 2022-23 Edwin G. Wilson Scholar-Athlete of the Year
- 2022-23 Walt Chyzowych's Award for Leadership & Character
- 2022-23 ACC Academic Honor Roll
- 2022 United Soccer Coaches First-Team Scholar All-American
- 2022 United Soccer Coaches All-South Region First-Team Selection
- 2022 All-ACC Second-Team Selection
- 2022 All-ACC Academic Team Selection
- 2022 TopDrawerSoccer Top 100 (No. 94)
- ACC Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 13, 2022)
- 2021-22 ACC Academic Honor Roll
- 2021 All-ACC Academic Team Selection
- TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week (Sept. 21, 2021)
- 2020-21 ACC Academic Honor Roll
- 2020 All-ACC Freshman Team Selection
- 2020 All-ACC Academic Team Selection
- 2020 Wake Forest Male Freshman of the Year
- 2020-21 TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI First-Team Selection
Players Mentioned
Defender
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