Hall of Fame
The following description appeared in the Hall of Fame program at the time of induction:
Jim Finnerty excelled as a defender on teams which made consecutive NCAA post-season appearances. The Blue Devils were 35-6-1, including 18-2-0 in SUNYAC, during Finnerty's two seasons. The Blue Devils won four in-season tournaments and Finnerty was instrumental in those wins. He was chosen MVP of the 1996 Four Points Sheraton Tournament and made the 1996 Virginia Wesleyan All-Tournament team. In addition to being chosen as a team captain as a senior, Finnerty was a First Team All SUNYAC player both seasons and a 1996 First Team All American and First Team All Region. He was one of two NCAA Division III players selected to play in the 1996 Umbro Classic. (Note: He was 1995 Team MVP).
A transfer student from Erie Community College, where he was a junior college All American, Finnerty played professionally after leaving Fredonia State with the Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew. He has since turned his energies toward helping younger players. He has worked as a trainer and coach for the Northside Soccer League and as a girls assistant varsity coach at Fort Mill High School. The Fort Mill team is 33-12-1 in two seasons and won the school's first Class 4A regional title. They were ranked No. 4 in the state, the highest ranking in school history.
Finnerty's major at Fredonia State was Graphic Design with a minor in Coaching. He works as a graphic designer in the marketing department of The Charlotte Observer. He and his wife, Lori, and son, Keegan, reside in Rock Hill, S.C.
