With more than 200 victories, back-to-back state championships and national recognition, Thomas Nettleton ‘07/MAT ‘09 has been named the recipient of the Hastings College Alumni Association’s Outstanding Alumni Coach award for 2026.
Nettleton, a social studies teacher and head girls soccer coach at Lincoln Southwest High School, will be honored during the Athletic Hall of Fame induction banquet held in conjunction with Hastings College Homecoming on Saturday, September 26.
A social hour at Kiewit Gymnasium (715 E. 7th Street) will begin at 5:00 p.m., followed by a banquet at 5:30 p.m. Reservations are $50 for adults, $20 for children ages 4-12 and free for children ages 3 and under, and can be purchased online at hastings.edu/homecoming or by contacting the Hastings College alumni office at 402.461.7363 or alumni@hastings.edu.
The Outstanding Alumni Coach of the Year award was established by the Hastings College Alumni Association in 2004 and is presented to Hastings College graduates who have shown exceptional achievement in an athletic coaching profession.
Over 18 years of coaching — including 15 at the high school level — Nettleton has compiled a 211-46 record, an 82.1 percent winning mark. Under his leadership, the Silverhawks have reached new heights, capturing multiple city, conference and district titles while qualifying for the state tournament in 11 of the last 12 seasons. They won back-to-back Nebraska Class A State Championships in 2024 and 2025.
Following the program’s first State Championship in 2024, they were recognized as a United Soccer Coaches National Top 25 Program, finishing at number 13, and Nettleton was named the 2024 United Soccer Coaches Nebraska (Large Public School) Coach of the Year.
Beyond the pitch, Nettleton is a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Empowered Coach and has led the Lincoln Southwest FCA huddle for five years. He has worked tirelessly to establish a strong program culture where hard work, citizenship, inclusivity and team spirit are the driving forces behind success, and players are held to the highest of standards in the classroom, on the field and in the community.
Nettleton has been recognized by the U.S. Soccer Coaches as State Coach of the Year in 2024 and 2025, Region Coach of the Year in 2025 and also was recognized in 2023 as an Exemplar in Athletics through building strong culture and community by HumanEx Ventures.
Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Founded in 1882, the College is dedicated to student success and service to the community. Discover more at hastings.edu.