Dalton State College

Dalton State Roadrunners Athetics
650 College Dr Dalton, GA 30720

NAIA Georgia Southeast

Public Small Developing team

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Coaches

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Saif Alsafeer

Saif Alsafeer was hired as the Director of Soccer on January 23, 2019. He came to Dalton State from his alma mater, Florida College, where he spent the previous five years leading the Falcons men's team. A new member of the Southern States Athletic Conference in 2018, the Falcons finished (11-2-4, 5-2-1 SSAC) and placed third in the regular season standings. The stellar season landed him the 2018 SSAC Coach of the Year award.

During his three seasons leading the Roadrunners and Lady Roadrunners, Alsafeer has accumulated a 38-13-3 record coaching the men and a 19-30 record coaching the women including a conference title for the men's squad in the Spring of 2021. The conference championship was the first in program history for the soccer program and earned Alsafeer his second SSAC Coach of the Year award.

In just three seasons, he has coached 53 SSAC All-Academic award winners, 25 SSAC All-Conference performers, 17 Daktronics Scholar-Athletes in the classroom, and 7 All-Americans on the pitch. In addition, Alsafeer has coached 2 SSAC Golden Boot Award winners, an SSAC Golden Gloves goalkeeper, and an SSAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year.

In his five seasons guiding the Falcons, Alsafeer accumulated a 66-16-4 record including two undefeated regular seasons (12-0 in 2017 and 14-0 in 2016). His 2017 squad scored a program best 72 goals, while allowing only three. He earned 2017 USCAA Coach of the Year as a result. Alsafeer has produced 12 Academic All-Americans, 10 All-Americans, and four USCAA All-Tournament team players.

In addition to coaching Florida College, he was the head coach and general manager of the Tampa Bay Marauders Football Club of the CSL-USA from ('16-'18). He also previously coached the U-16 Tampa Dynamo Soccer Club.

Before becoming a coach, Alsafeer was a four-year starter and captain for Florida College ('09-'12) and played semi-professionally for the Tampa Bay Marauders Football Club. During his time as a player for the Falcons he was a three-time USCAA Academic All-American and a three-time USCAA First Team All-American. He led Florida College to a USCAA Final Four appearance in 2011. With Tampa Bay FC, he was a First Team member while helping the Marauders to two Gulf Coast Cup championships.

Alsafeer earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Florida College in 2013. In December of 2018, he completed his Master of Science degree in Soccer Coaching Education from Ohio University. The degree is the only one of its kind in the United States. He and his wife Sarah have two daughters, Leila (4), and Jordan (2).

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Jozsef Fabian

Dr. Jozsef Fabian joined the Dalton State Soccer staff in 2021. Dr. Fabian played street soccer as a child and continued playing through college in his birth place, Hungary. He has been coaching soccer for more than 20 years, working with all age groups, form under five to semi-professional level. In addition to earning a doctorate degree in medicine and obtaining three post-doctorate diplomas in emergency medicine, anesthesiology, and intensive therapy. Dr. Fabian is also a graduate of the Master's Degree Program in Soccer Coaching at Ohio University. He was one of the first physicians in the United States to obtain the Federation Internationale de Football Association Diploma in Football Medicine.

Dr. Joe is most proud of having been invited on faculty by all three of the Universities he graduated from: University of Pecs in Hungary, University of Miami, and Ohio University, where he is currently on faculty teaching graduate courses to soccer coaches. He is passionate about developing and mentoring players and coaches.

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Tom Bentham

Tom Bentham joined the Dalton State coaching staff in 2019 and enters his 3rd season as a men's and women's assistant coach. He arrived in Dalton after playing two years for Feather River Junior College in California, and NCAA DII University of West Alabama. Bentham will graduated with a degree in Health and Wellness in 2021.

Tom was a 2-year starter at Feather River College helping his side reach the Elite 8 of the CCCAA Championship. At Dalton State he was named SSAC Academic All-Conferenceas well as 2nd team All Conference. He finished his playing career captaining the Roadrunners in 2019 under current head coach, Saif Alsafeer. Tom also worked as an assistant coach under Alsafeer for Dalton Redwolves U-23 in the USL-2.

In Spring 2021 the Roadrunners earned their highest ranking in school-history at #5 on April 14, 2021 while also winning their first SSAC Regular Season Championship. In Fall of 2021, the women's squad made the SSAC Opening Round for the first time under Alsafeer's regime with Bentham playing a big role in getting them there.

Tom is from Bradford, England and has been in the US for 6 years.