Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2011
Clay Harty transferred to Cal Poly from Southern Methodist in 1995 and, in his two Mustang seasons, became the school's all-time best scorer with 16 goals in 1995, still a school record, and 10 goals in 1996. His 26 career goals is also a school record and he also is No. 2 in career points with 57, surpassed by David Zamora in 2010.
Harty led the Mustangs to the NCAA Division I playoffs in 1995 and earned first-team All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honors. He was the leading scorer in the MPSF, second in points and finished No. 2 in the NCAA with his 16 goals. In 1996, Harty again earned first-team All-MPSF honors, was the second-leading scorer in the conference and fourth in points. He was the 13th-best goal scorer in the NCAA and served as team captain.
Harty went on to play for the Central Coast Roadrunners, leading the San Luis Obispo-based team to the 1997 USISL national championship. The team captain scored 24 goals in 22 career games with the Roadrunners and was named All-American of his professional division.
Harty was invited to the inaugural Major League Soccer Combine,one of only six players from the USISL to receive invitations, and was later drafted by the San Jose Jaguars. The team folded midway through the 1998 season and Harty returned to the Roadrunners, scoring 10 goals in eight games.
In 1999 he scored 13 goals in 20 games for the San Francisco Bay Seals and also played toward the end of the 1999 season with the San Jose Clash in the MLS.
Harty earned his bachelor’s degree in recreation administration in 2000. For over 20 years, he has served as senior vice president for CBRE, specializing in the representation of landlords in the leasing, subleasing, and disposition of retail properties in California. Harty and his wife Sara have three children, Logan, Walker and Jordan, and they reside in Costa Mesa, Calif.
