By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics
 
Growing up in the Bayswater section of London, John Daly developed two main passions. One was the Beatles, who he saw live at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1965. The other was association football, from his avid support of Arsenal FC to playing the beautiful game whenever he could.
 
"In the streets of London, there wasn't much else to do," he said. "So you go get a ball and kick it around."
 
Football, or soccer as it's called here in the colonies, took Daly far. Following a decorated coaching career highlighted by 413 victories with the William & Mary women's program, Daly was inducted into the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame.
 
Daly was one of three former coaches honored at the annual convention two weeks ago in Chicago. In addition to the ceremony, he was able to catch up with some old friends.
 
"It meant a great deal because I've really enjoyed being a part of United Soccer Coaches or the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, as it used to be known, for 40 years," Daly said. "I've gotten to know some great people.
 
"Many of the coaches you have respect for, when you're competing against them, it's a whole different atmosphere. It's neat to meet them in an less adversarial role and go have a pint and talk about past games. And even laugh at some of the things we may have said to each other in the heat of the moment."
 
Two in particular Daly was happy to reconnect with were former coaches Tim Wheaton of Harvard and Randy May of Cornell.
 
"That was neat," Daly said. "We've remained friends down the years."
 
It was the third consecutive year a coach associated with William & Mary was inducted into the Hall of Fame. 
 
Al Albert '69, who won 401 games in 33 seasons as the men's coach, was the first in 2023. Jill Ellis '88, who played for Daly and coached the U.S. National Team to FIFA World Cup championships in 2015 and '19, was inducted last year.
 
In his 31 seasons as head coach, Daly led William & Mary to 22 NCAA tournaments. The Tribe won a school-record 20 games in 1997 and made the NCAA Elite Eight in 1987, '89, '94 and '97.
 
Julie Shackford '88, who played for Daly and is the Tribe's current head coach, sees his induction as fitting.
 
"It's obviously a great honor and a culmination of all his work here," she said. "He put William & Mary soccer on the map and kept it nationally prominent all these decades. I can think of nobody more deserving."
 
Albert, who first hired Daly as an assistant in 1979, agrees.
 
"It's in recognition of the fact that he is one of the pioneers of women's college soccer in this country," he said. "I don't think anybody has a greater passion for the game of women's soccer and for William & Mary.
 
"For him to be recognized as one of the leaders of the development of women's soccer is really appropriate."
 
That passion is best exemplified by the fact that at 79, Daly is still coaching as a volunteer assistant for the women's team at William & Mary. He is working under two of his former players: Shackford and associate head coach Marsha Lycan '88.
 
"I love getting out there," he said. "I'm just out on the field and at the games, and the rest of the nonsense you have to deal with is for Julie and Marsha to deal with."