The Hall of Fame recognizes exceptional individuals for their athletic accomplishments during their tenure at Graceland, while the Wall of Fame commemorates teams for their athletic achievements while at Graceland.
Ivan Joseph
Dr. Ivan Joseph came to Graceland as a student-athlete, but it was the entirety of his Graceland experience that helped shape the coach, educator, motivational speaker and leader he would become. As Orion House President, Graceland Student Government President, student-athlete, coach and professor, Joseph developed a leadership philosophy rooted in belonging, self-confidence and the pursuit of excellence during his time on the Hill.
Building Champions at Graceland
Joseph carried that philosophy into coaching, becoming the architect of a nationally prominent Graceland men’s soccer program while also helping lead the women’s program to excellence. At one point, both programs held No. 1 national rankings.
Joseph guided the Yellowjackets to the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship three consecutive years, bringing home the title in 2006. His team completed that championship tournament without allowing a goal before defeating Azusa Pacific in a dramatic penalty shootout. Joseph was named the 2006 NAIA National Coach of the Year, a three-time Heart of America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and a two-time Regional Coach of the Year.
Transforming Athletics and Higher Education
After Graceland, Joseph became Director of Athletics at Ryerson University, now Toronto Metropolitan University. There, he helped transform the athletic program into a national contender and spearheaded the $100 million redevelopment of historic Maple Leaf Gardens into the Mattamy Athletic Centre. Under his leadership, Ryerson teams won their first conference and national championships. Joseph also coached the men’s and women’s soccer programs, leading the men to their first national championship tournament berth.
His higher education career later included Vice Provost and Vice President roles at Dalhousie University and Wilfrid Laurier University, where he continued championing the student experience through principles shaped by Graceland mentors Tom Powell and Marian Killpack.
At Dalhousie, Joseph partnered with Graceland alum and former mentor Dr. Michelle Dickey Kotz to create Together at Dal, a virtual student engagement program developed during COVID-19 that received a National Award of Excellence in Canada. At Laurier, he helped raise more than $75 million to refurbish the university’s football stadium and enhance recreation and athletic opportunities for students.
Leadership on the International Stage
Joseph served as a high-performance coach with Canada’s 2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup championship team and Canada’s 2011 CISM World Championship team. In 2018, he was selected as head coach of the women’s national soccer team of his native Guyana, guiding the program to its highest-ever world ranking and an undefeated run through World Cup qualifying in 2022.
Joseph has also served on the NHL Alumni Advisory Board and has mentored NBA coaches and World and Olympic championship coaches.
Confidence, Leadership and Legacy
An internationally recognized speaker and bestselling author of You Got This: Mastering the Skill of Self-Confidence, Joseph has devoted his career to helping people discover confidence and realize their potential. His TEDx Talk has amassed more than 31 million views and was recognized by Forbes as one of its Top 10 talks.
From student-athlete at Graceland to championship coach, university executive, author and speaker, Joseph’s accomplishments reflect the philosophy that has defined his life’s work: great leadership is ultimately about developing people. Some of his proudest moments are those shared with the many coaches and professionals he has mentored over the years.
His induction into the Graceland University Hall of Fame brings that journey home to the community that helped shape it.
Kevin Souter on right.
A native of Portsoy, Scotland, Kevin Souter brought skill, competitiveness and an extraordinary work ethic to Graceland University, developing into one of the top players in the NAIA and helping lead the Yellowjackets through the greatest period in program history.
A National Champion and All-American
In 2006, Souter helped Graceland capture the first NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship in school history. He was named to the National Championship All-Tournament Team and earned NAIA Honorable Mention All-America recognition as well as All-Region V and HAAC First-Team.
Souter was even better in his final season in 2007, earning First Team All-Heart of America Athletic Conference honors, HAAC Player of the Year and Second Team NAIA All-America honors. Over three seasons at Graceland, he recorded 28 goals and 32 assists in 54 matches and was named First Team All-Region each year.
One of Souter’s defining Graceland moments came on a chilly November night at Rasmussen Field in 2007. With Graceland battling Baker in overtime for the opportunity to return to the NAIA National Tournament in what was then, the Region V championship match, Souter bent a corner kick directly into the goal for the game-winner, sending the Yellowjackets back to nationals for a second consecutive year and the home crowd pouring onto the field in celebration.
From an Open Tryout to Major League Soccer
Following Graceland, Souter pursued his dream of playing professionally. He attended an open tryout for Major League Soccer’s Kansas City Wizards, competing against more than 200 hopefuls from 15 countries for an opportunity to make the club. Through the work ethic that had defined his Graceland career, Souter earned a professional contract.
After overcoming a knee injury, he made his MLS debut on September 13, 2008, against the Los Angeles Galaxy—and childhood idol David Beckham. One week later, just three minutes after entering his second MLS match, Souter scored his first professional goal against Toronto FC.
Souter spent two seasons with the Wizards before returning to the collegiate game as a coach at Ryerson University in Toronto, where he reunited with his former Graceland coach, Ivan Joseph, and went on to lead the university’s men’s and women’s soccer programs.
A Yellowjacket Legacy
From a national championship and an unforgettable overtime winner at Rasmussen Field to earning his way into Major League Soccer through an open tryout, Souter’s career reflected the determination, work ethic and competitive spirit that defined Graceland soccer during its championship era.
His induction into the Graceland University Hall of Fame honors an All-American, national champion and professional player whose journey from Portsoy to Lamoni and ultimately Major League Soccer stands among the remarkable stories in Yellowjacket soccer history.
Kevin and his wife, Calea ’08, reside in Inverness, Scotland, with their daughter and two sons.
Remembering the 2006 Graceland Men’s Soccer National Champions
In 2006, the Graceland University Yellowjackets captured the program’s first NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship, completing an historic season with an 18-4-2 record under Head Coach Ivan Joseph.
The Yellowjackets were dominant throughout the NAIA National Tournament in Daytona Beach, Florida, becoming national champions without allowing a single goal in four tournament matches. Graceland defeated Milligan 1-0, avenged an opening-day loss to Grand View with a 3-0 victory, and defeated Webber International 1-0 to advance to the national championship match against Azusa Pacific.
Graceland’s championship run also tested the team’s depth and resolve. The Yellowjackets were forced to compete without several key players at different points in the tournament, including defensive standout Ruben Rubelas, who suffered a devastating ankle injury in the semifinal and watched the national championship match from a wheelchair.
After 110 minutes of scoreless soccer in the championship, the title was decided in a dramatic 10-round penalty-kick shootout. Goalkeeper Isaac Unruh made three saves in the shootout before Nick Gay converted Graceland’s final attempt, giving the Yellowjackets a 7-6 shootout victory and the 2006 NAIA National Championship. The two teams combined for 20 penalty kicks before GU ultimately walked away as national champions in one of the most thrilling title games in tournament history.
Unruh, who did not allow a goal throughout the national tournament, was named Tournament MVP. Brett Loving was named Outstanding Defensive Player and received the NAIA Champions of Character Award, while Loving, Unruh and Kevin Souter were selected to the NAIA All-Tournament Team.
View the full Hall and Wall of Fame
