University of North Texas Athletics
Soccer Field to be Named After Legendary Coach
8/13/2026 2:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
John Hedlund Field will be unveiled on Aug. 27, when UNT hosts Oral Roberts
DENTON — UNT Vice President and Director of Athletics Jared Mosley announced the naming of the field at Norma Knobel Hunt Stadium after legendary head soccer coach John Hedlund, who is beginning his 32nd and final season with the Mean Green. The naming was approved by UNT's Board of Regents on Thursday.
The official unveiling is set for Aug. 27, when the Mean Green square off with Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. Tickets to the game can be found at MeanGreenTickets.com.
"I am deeply honored to have the field named after me," Hedlund said. "UNT will always be my home, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have spent more than 30 years of my life as part of the Mean Green family. When I look back, I think about all the players who have worn the green and white, represented UNT with pride, and helped us win 16 championships together and break several records along the way. Those special moments were made possible by so many great players, coaches, staff, administrators, alumni and fans who have been part of this incredible journey.
"I am grateful to everyone who has made UNT such a special place in my life. My family and I are excited to celebrate this very special occasion with the entire Mean Green family on August 27."
"We are thankful for John's many years of dedication and commitment to excellence with Mean Green soccer," Mosley added. "He has enjoyed tremendous success throughout his career at North Texas and has been an outstanding colleague and member of our community. We are proud to name the field in his honor, recognizing both his character as a leader and his accomplishments on the field."
Hedlund started the women's soccer program from scratch in 1995 and is the athletic department's all-time wins leader amongst head coaches. He is eighth on the NCAA's active wins list and 20th all-time with 406 and has won 16 conference championships in the Sun Belt and CUSA. That includes nine regular-season championships and seven conference tournament titles. No other team (current or former members) in either of those conferences has won as many league titles as UNT.
Hedlund also led his teams to the NCAA Tournament seven times and prior to the 2025 season, he had 30 seasons under his belt without a single losing season – a feat accomplished by only two other coaches in NCAA history. Only Hedlund and former legendary North Carolina head coach Aaron Dorrance accomplished that feat at one university.
One of Hedlund's teams' most impressive accomplishments is the Mean Green's 65-match conference home unbeaten streak that spanned from 2009 until 2022 – a mark that still stands as an NCAA Division I record. In all, UNT has won 80% of its home matches and 70% of its total matches in Hedlund's 31-plus seasons since starting the program.
Hedlund's association with North Texas began in 1990 as an assistant men's soccer coach. He served briefly as the head coach of the men's program in 1994 before the university discontinued the sport.
In 1995, Hedlund concluded a 12-year professional playing career, in which he played defender for the United States Men's Olympic qualifying team (1983-84), the New York Express (1984-85), the Dallas Sidekicks (1986-87 and 1992-95) and the Dallas Rockets (1988-91).
In four seasons with the Sidekicks, he scored 15 goals in 78 games over four seasons, and ranks 19th in franchise history in shots blocked and 33rd in games played. He was a member of the 1986-87 and 1993 Sidekicks championship teams, blocking a total of 20 shots during his playoff career, the 12th-most in Sidekicks history. He scored five goals in the 1994 CISL playoffs for the Sidekicks, and ranks 20th in club history in playoff goals.
In the outdoor game, Hedlund played with the Richardson Rockets, who won the 1991 SISL Championship and reached the 1991 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. Hedlund helped the Rockets reach new heights in American soccer by reaching the fourth round of the 1992 CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Dallas Rockets were one of only three United States teams to reach the fourth round of the Champions Cup in the pre-Major League Soccer era (1969-1994), but fell in the fourth round to Club America in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. He played with the United States Olympic team under Manfred Schellscheidt in the lead up to the 1984 Summer Olympics but missed the Olympic Tournament due to injury. With the United States, Hedlund played tournaments in South Korea, Sweden, Finland and Malaysia.
A four-year letterwinner at Midwestern State University, Hedlund was twice voted to the NAIA All-America team in college. He scored 26 goals and added 12 assists playing several different positions on the pitch. He was named the Most Valuable Player in the 1983 NAIA National Tournament, as he led the Mustangs to the championship game. He is a member of Midwestern State's Athletic Hall of Honor. The Plano native holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Midwestern State and resides in Denton with his wife, Julie. They have two sons: Chad, who played football at Wake Forest and SMU and Cole, who kicked for the Mean Green football team and set the national high school football record for field goals made for Argyle High School in 2011.
The official unveiling is set for Aug. 27, when the Mean Green square off with Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. Tickets to the game can be found at MeanGreenTickets.com.
"I am deeply honored to have the field named after me," Hedlund said. "UNT will always be my home, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have spent more than 30 years of my life as part of the Mean Green family. When I look back, I think about all the players who have worn the green and white, represented UNT with pride, and helped us win 16 championships together and break several records along the way. Those special moments were made possible by so many great players, coaches, staff, administrators, alumni and fans who have been part of this incredible journey.
"I am grateful to everyone who has made UNT such a special place in my life. My family and I are excited to celebrate this very special occasion with the entire Mean Green family on August 27."
"We are thankful for John's many years of dedication and commitment to excellence with Mean Green soccer," Mosley added. "He has enjoyed tremendous success throughout his career at North Texas and has been an outstanding colleague and member of our community. We are proud to name the field in his honor, recognizing both his character as a leader and his accomplishments on the field."
Hedlund started the women's soccer program from scratch in 1995 and is the athletic department's all-time wins leader amongst head coaches. He is eighth on the NCAA's active wins list and 20th all-time with 406 and has won 16 conference championships in the Sun Belt and CUSA. That includes nine regular-season championships and seven conference tournament titles. No other team (current or former members) in either of those conferences has won as many league titles as UNT.
Hedlund also led his teams to the NCAA Tournament seven times and prior to the 2025 season, he had 30 seasons under his belt without a single losing season – a feat accomplished by only two other coaches in NCAA history. Only Hedlund and former legendary North Carolina head coach Aaron Dorrance accomplished that feat at one university.
One of Hedlund's teams' most impressive accomplishments is the Mean Green's 65-match conference home unbeaten streak that spanned from 2009 until 2022 – a mark that still stands as an NCAA Division I record. In all, UNT has won 80% of its home matches and 70% of its total matches in Hedlund's 31-plus seasons since starting the program.
Hedlund's association with North Texas began in 1990 as an assistant men's soccer coach. He served briefly as the head coach of the men's program in 1994 before the university discontinued the sport.
In 1995, Hedlund concluded a 12-year professional playing career, in which he played defender for the United States Men's Olympic qualifying team (1983-84), the New York Express (1984-85), the Dallas Sidekicks (1986-87 and 1992-95) and the Dallas Rockets (1988-91).
In four seasons with the Sidekicks, he scored 15 goals in 78 games over four seasons, and ranks 19th in franchise history in shots blocked and 33rd in games played. He was a member of the 1986-87 and 1993 Sidekicks championship teams, blocking a total of 20 shots during his playoff career, the 12th-most in Sidekicks history. He scored five goals in the 1994 CISL playoffs for the Sidekicks, and ranks 20th in club history in playoff goals.
In the outdoor game, Hedlund played with the Richardson Rockets, who won the 1991 SISL Championship and reached the 1991 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. Hedlund helped the Rockets reach new heights in American soccer by reaching the fourth round of the 1992 CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Dallas Rockets were one of only three United States teams to reach the fourth round of the Champions Cup in the pre-Major League Soccer era (1969-1994), but fell in the fourth round to Club America in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. He played with the United States Olympic team under Manfred Schellscheidt in the lead up to the 1984 Summer Olympics but missed the Olympic Tournament due to injury. With the United States, Hedlund played tournaments in South Korea, Sweden, Finland and Malaysia.
A four-year letterwinner at Midwestern State University, Hedlund was twice voted to the NAIA All-America team in college. He scored 26 goals and added 12 assists playing several different positions on the pitch. He was named the Most Valuable Player in the 1983 NAIA National Tournament, as he led the Mustangs to the championship game. He is a member of Midwestern State's Athletic Hall of Honor. The Plano native holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Midwestern State and resides in Denton with his wife, Julie. They have two sons: Chad, who played football at Wake Forest and SMU and Cole, who kicked for the Mean Green football team and set the national high school football record for field goals made for Argyle High School in 2011.
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