In 2002, Tom Bonus led Le Moyne to back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the second time since soccer started on the Heights in 1955. The 10-8 Dolphins landed four student-athletes on the Northeast-10 all-conference team.
Prior to his hiring at Le Moyne, Bonus had been the assistant men’s soccer coach at Hobart College for three seasons and served as the Director of Coaching and Player Development for the New York State West Olympic Development Program. In his first season at Le Moyne, Bonus led the Dolphins to a 6-9-1 overall mark.
A former soccer standout at SUNY-Plattsburgh, Bonus boasts a wealth of coaching experience. Following graduation from Plattsburgh in 1993, Bonus served one season as the assistant men’s soccer coach at his alma mater. Following his stint with the Cardinals, he coached Keuka College from 1994-97. As Keuka’s head coach, Bonus led the Warriors to their first-ever winning season.
Bonus was an all-SUNYAC academic performer and starting center midfielder for the 1992 team that captured the SUNYAC regular season title and advanced to the final 16 of the NCAA Division III tournament, he was also named an NJCAA All-American. A graduate of nearby Liverpool High School, Bonus competed in the Empire State Games for the Central Region soccer team from 1990-92 and played with the Syracuse Blitz in the National Indoor Soccer Championship.
Bonus resides in Memphis, N.Y. with his wife, Carrie, the Le Moyne College head women’s soccer coach, and their daughter, Rylee.
Tom Bonus has guided the Le Moyne men’s soccer program to unseen success since taking over the program before the 2000 season. In 16 seasons in charge of the Dolphins, Bonus has compiled a record of 183-103-23. Bonus, the 2004 Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year, has posted 10 or more victories in 12 of his 16 seasons.
During the 2009 season, Bonus led the Dolphins to the greatest season in the history of the program. After finishing the regular season second in the Northeast-10 Conference standings, Le Moyne went on to win the Northeast-10 Championship for the second time in five years by defeating Southern Connecticut State at home, 2-1. After receiving a bye in the opening round of the NCAA East Regional, the host Dolphins knocked off Franklin Pierce for the third time that season, 1-0. After battling to a 1-1 tie with Southern New Hampshire through 110 minutes in the NCAA Quarterfinals, the Dolphins defeated the Penmen, 3-2, in a shootout to advance to the NCAA Semifinals in Tampa, Fla. In the semifinals, the Dolphins had their season end with an 8-2 loss to eventual National Champion, Fort Lewis. A week and a half later, Bonus was named the 2009 NSCAA/MONDO East Region Coach of the Year. Two of Bonus’ charges were recognized for their play with All-America honors. Junior Angelo Reina became the program’s second First Team selection, while classmate Sean Lawlor was named to the Second Team.
In 2008, Bonus guided the Dolphins to their second consecutive NCAA tournament berth and third appearance in a four-year span. After advancing to the Northeast-10 Conference Championship game for the second time in four seasons, the Dolphins suffered a 1-0 setback at Southern New Hampshire. Bonus’s charges then took on Franklin Pierce in the opening round of the NCAA tournament in Brookhaven, N.Y., but fell to the Ravens, 1-0, in double overtime. After dropping a 1-0 contest at Assumption on September 16, Bonus led the Dolphins to eight wins over the final ten games of the regular season to secure the fourth seed in the Northeast-10 tournament.
In 2007, Bonus returned his team to the NCAA tournament for the second time in a span of three seasons. The Dolphins earned a trip to the New England Regional, held in Rindge, N.H., after posting a regular-season record of 14-2-2, including a 9-2-2 mark in Northeast-10 competition. However, the Dolphins were shut out in the opening round by eventual National Champion Franklin Pierce, falling by a score of 5-0.
In 2005, Bonus led the Dolphins to a 14-6-2 mark, but more importantly guided Le Moyne to its first-ever Northeast-10 Conference Men’s Soccer Championship and its first NCAA tournament trip since 1977. Le Moyne posted a program-record 11 shutouts and outscored its opposition 44-23 in its first conference championship season. The Dolphins rolled to their first Northeast-10 Conference Championship with a 2-0 quarterfinal win over American International, a 2-1 double overtime win over Bryant and a 1-0 title game win at Franklin Pierce. Four days after defeating the Ravens for the league crown, the Dolphins dropped their NCAA opener 5-0 to eventual NCAA runner-up Franklin Pierce.
Bonus guided the Dolphins to the precipice of the NCAA tournament with the program’s then-winningest season in 2004. For his efforts, Bonus was named the 2004 Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year. He guided the Dolphins to an 11-1-1 league mark and the second seed in the conference playoffs. Le Moyne completed the season with a 17-2-1 overall record. The 2004 team saw its season come to an end with a 1-0 setback to UMass Lowell in the Northeast-10 Conference semifinals. Despite a ranking of No. 9 in the NSCAA/adidas national poll, Le Moyne was not selected for the NCAA tournament. The Dolphins set a new program record with 17 wins and won a program-record 15 consecutive contests in 2004. Le Moyne outscored the opposition 56-17 in 2004.