The statement “We could do with far more good coaches and maybe a few less program administrators in the head coaching chairs.” is completely valid and could be true in the view of many people. However, in the event only the “good coaches” are hired, who will then be responsible for administering the program - which includes setting recruiting strategy? Women’s soccer programs don’t have GM’s or Sporting Directors. For better or worse, running the program has to fall to someone and that often infringes on the pure soccer coaching. That’s why there are a lot of brilliant, brilliant coaches in assistant roles.
recruiting is just as important as coaching in college, some would argue it’s more important. If you can’t identify talent, your done for. If you can identify talent but have no personality in building relationships with recruits, your done for. And I wouldn’t pay any mind to coaching licenses that much anymore near enough everyone passes now a days.
You guys are forgetting the main goal for many D1 head coaches: summer camps. These guys are entrepreneurs first, coaches second, and credit to them I say. Where else can a guy who sat the bench/was team manager at a DII school get to clear 50 grand at the 'Bob X Soccer Academy' while paying his freshmen players $125 for four days work in the heat?
The camps are a nice bonus but they are certainly not the "main goal." The main goal at D1 level is winning--and if you don't win you won't be hosting any more summer camps, as schools are certainly not shy about sacking soccer coaches these days, as we can see from the lists above.
Nearly everyone gets into coaching to coach. But the farther up the career chain you get, the less actual coaching you get to do. The best coaches at the highest levels are very good at picking good assistants! It's hard as a full time college coach (esp in D1) to do all the recruiting AND all the team training. I'd say it's nearly impossible. If you were to generally say the job is 1/3 each Coaching, Recruiting, and Administrivia. It's very hard to have assistants to do the admin stuff. They can't serve on committees for example, got to meetings for you, or sign off on budgets and credit card statements. (or take your NCAA education modules!) And yes - talent is the basic ingredient of every good team. Good recruiting makes you look like a good coach! (and the opposite is also very true of course). The summer camp thing is not nearly what it was pre-covid. The traditional 4-5 day expensive overnight summer camps that are really profitable, are not nearly as common. Very many HC's let their staff profit from the camp operation as much as themselves. I would never take a crap or even average coaching job for good camp income. I would much rather have a good college job with no camp income. Just imho.
Mercyhurst filled: Women’s Soccer Appoints Dale White as Head Coach🔗: https://t.co/RZmFKEaic9#HurstAthletics pic.twitter.com/tV19zTKaI8— Mercyhurst Women’s Soccer (@hurstwsoc) February 14, 2025
OPEN: Cal State Bakersfield (12/19) South Carolina State (1/17) FIU (1/23) Mount Saint Mary’s (1/27) Alabama State (retirement 1/30) Ball State (2/11) Stephen F. Austin (2/12) FILLED: Mississippi Valley State - Alexandra Roberts (HS coach; 8/25-8/?) Duke - Kieran Hall (Duke associate head; filled after Fall 2024 season retirement) San Francisco - Pinder Nijjar (interim; 9/17) Oregon State - Caroline Kelly (OSU interim; 11/13) Wisconsin Green Bay - Matt Kagan (Washington State assistant; 11/4-11/29) Oregon - Tracy Joyner (UC Davis head; 10/29-12/2) Kansas State - Colleen Corbin (SLU associate head; 10/28-12/2) Auburn - James Armstrong (Miss St head; retirement 11/26-12/3) Mississippi State - Nick Zimmerman (Miss St associate head; 12/3-12/3) Niagara - Donny George (St. Bonaventure head - 8/27-12/4) Weber State - Kyle Christensen (Utah Valley associate head; 11/5-12/6) IU Indianapolis - Angela Berry White (high school coach; 11/7-12/9) North Carolina - Damon Nahas (UNC interim; retirement 8/9-12/9) Illinois - Katie Hultin (Grand Valley State head; retirement 10/30-12/10) Maryland - Michael Marchiano (Maryland assistant/interim; 10/10-12/11) NC State - Gary Higgins (East Carolina head; 11/8-12/12) East Carolina - Emily Buccilla (East Carolina assistant; 12/12-12/17) Loyola Chicago - Jon Sandoval (Northern Michigan head; interim-12/20) Duquesne - Jessica Giegucz (Slippery Rock head; 11/15-12/20) Cal Poly - Bernardo Silva (CSUB head; retirement 6/9-12/21) Pacific - Jeff Freeman (Illinois associate head; 11/12-12/27) Youngstown State - Rich Wall (Mercyhurst head; retirement 11/8-1/2) North Dakota - Henrik Sohn (North Dakota associate head; 11/25-1/3) Southeast Missouri State - John Klein (Columbia College head; retirement 12/6-1/21) UC Davis - Kat Mertz (MSU Denver head; 12/2-1/22) Wofford - Kevin Dempsey (Loyola MD assistant; 11/24-1/23) Portland State - Maureen Whitney (Portland State co-head; 1/23)~ Chicago State - Kevin Larry (Jackson State assistant; 11/14-1/27) St. Bonaventure - Melissa Sherwood (former Mount St. Mary head; 12/4-1/29) Boston - Megan Burke (Boston assistant; 12/13-1/30) UC Riverside - Mike Dibbini (former Kansas State head; Fall interim-1/30) Western Illinois - Ross Henderson (Clayton State head; 10/31-1/31) VMI - Jim Robbins (club coach; 11/8-2/3) Indiana - Josh Rife (Ball State head; 1/13-2/11) Houston - Ben Williams (SFA head; 1/23-2/12) VCU - Lauryn Hutchinson (WPSL club coach; 11/7-2/12) Mercyhurst - Dale White (club coach; 1/1-2/14) ~No vacancy here. Portland State transitioned one co-head coach (Katie Burton) into an administrative role and Maureen Whitney takes full leadership of the program.
Liis Abbot hired at Mount St. Mary's https://mountathletics.com/news/202...oints-liis-abbott-as-womens-soccer-coach.aspx
OPEN: Cal State Bakersfield (12/19) South Carolina State (1/17) FIU (1/23) Alabama State (retirement 1/30) Ball State (2/11) Stephen F. Austin (2/12) FILLED: Mississippi Valley State - Alexandra Roberts (HS coach; 8/25-8/?) Duke - Kieran Hall (Duke associate head; filled after Fall 2024 season retirement) San Francisco - Pinder Nijjar (interim; 9/17) Oregon State - Caroline Kelly (OSU interim; 11/13) Wisconsin Green Bay - Matt Kagan (Washington State assistant; 11/4-11/29) Oregon - Tracy Joyner (UC Davis head; 10/29-12/2) Kansas State - Colleen Corbin (SLU associate head; 10/28-12/2) Auburn - James Armstrong (Miss St head; retirement 11/26-12/3) Mississippi State - Nick Zimmerman (Miss St associate head; 12/3-12/3) Niagara - Donny George (St. Bonaventure head - 8/27-12/4) Weber State - Kyle Christensen (Utah Valley associate head; 11/5-12/6) IU Indianapolis - Angela Berry White (high school coach; 11/7-12/9) North Carolina - Damon Nahas (UNC interim; retirement 8/9-12/9) Illinois - Katie Hultin (Grand Valley State head; retirement 10/30-12/10) Maryland - Michael Marchiano (Maryland assistant/interim; 10/10-12/11) NC State - Gary Higgins (East Carolina head; 11/8-12/12) East Carolina - Emily Buccilla (East Carolina assistant; 12/12-12/17) Loyola Chicago - Jon Sandoval (Northern Michigan head; interim-12/20) Duquesne - Jessica Giegucz (Slippery Rock head; 11/15-12/20) Cal Poly - Bernardo Silva (CSUB head; retirement 6/9-12/21) Pacific - Jeff Freeman (Illinois associate head; 11/12-12/27) Youngstown State - Rich Wall (Mercyhurst head; retirement 11/8-1/2) North Dakota - Henrik Sohn (North Dakota associate head; 11/25-1/3) Southeast Missouri State - John Klein (Columbia College head; retirement 12/6-1/21) UC Davis - Kat Mertz (MSU Denver head; 12/2-1/22) Wofford - Kevin Dempsey (Loyola MD assistant; 11/24-1/23) Portland State - Maureen Whitney (Portland State co-head; 1/23)~ Chicago State - Kevin Larry (Jackson State assistant; 11/14-1/27) St. Bonaventure - Melissa Sherwood (former Mount St. Mary head; 12/4-1/29) Boston - Megan Burke (Boston assistant; 12/13-1/30) UC Riverside - Mike Dibbini (former Kansas State head; Fall interim-1/30) Western Illinois - Ross Henderson (Clayton State head; 10/31-1/31) VMI - Jim Robbins (club coach; 11/8-2/3) Indiana - Josh Rife (Ball State head; 1/13-2/11) Houston - Ben Williams (SFA head; 1/23-2/12) VCU - Lauryn Hutchinson (WPSL club coach; 11/7-2/12) Mercyhurst - Dale White (club coach; 1/1-2/14) Mount Saint Mary’s - Liis Abbott (Maine associate head; 1/27-2/17) ~No vacancy here. Portland State transitioned one co-head coach (Katie Burton) into an administrative role and Maureen Whitney takes full leadership of the program.
That is a good hire by Mount far better than I would have thought they would get. VCU not so much. Indiana hire is poor too.
Indiana hire is an upgrade. Don't be fooled by accent and arrogance of previous coach. He'll puff his chest out at FSU like he did at Duke.
resigned. He signed an extension last January through 2029 (proves no recruit can be super confident of any coach’s longevity). Indiana was not increasing their funding (purportedly not at all, though maybe just not in line with competition), no NIL/revenue sharing commitment to women’s soccer, and the Big Ten is not getting any easier. I’m sure even if he didn’t feel pressure he felt frustration—FSU job is a cushy, well paying one, with a significant NIL investment.
Not in the hot seat: https://t.co/4fOc9iOJBpWisconsin head coach Paula Wilkins' contract has been extended through the 2029 NCAA WoSo season.— Chris Henderson (@chris_awk) February 19, 2025
Did anyone think she was on the hot seat? They went to the Sweet 16 this fall... in a down year for them. She's coaching at Wisconsin until she decides to move on. As it should be.
Bakersfield announcement https://gorunners.com/news/2025/2/19/general-whitney-pitalo-named-csub-womens-soccer-head-coach.aspx
OPEN: South Carolina State (1/17) FIU (1/23) Alabama State (retirement 1/30) Ball State (2/11) Stephen F. Austin (2/12) FILLED: Mississippi Valley State - Alexandra Roberts (HS coach; 8/25-8/?) Duke - Kieran Hall (Duke associate head; filled after Fall 2024 season retirement) San Francisco - Pinder Nijjar (interim; 9/17) Oregon State - Caroline Kelly (OSU interim; 11/13) Wisconsin Green Bay - Matt Kagan (Washington State assistant; 11/4-11/29) Oregon - Tracy Joyner (UC Davis head; 10/29-12/2) Kansas State - Colleen Corbin (SLU associate head; 10/28-12/2) Auburn - James Armstrong (Miss St head; retirement 11/26-12/3) Mississippi State - Nick Zimmerman (Miss St associate head; 12/3-12/3) Niagara - Donny George (St. Bonaventure head - 8/27-12/4) Weber State - Kyle Christensen (Utah Valley associate head; 11/5-12/6) IU Indianapolis - Angela Berry White (high school coach; 11/7-12/9) North Carolina - Damon Nahas (UNC interim; retirement 8/9-12/9) Illinois - Katie Hultin (Grand Valley State head; retirement 10/30-12/10) Maryland - Michael Marchiano (Maryland assistant/interim; 10/10-12/11) NC State - Gary Higgins (East Carolina head; 11/8-12/12) East Carolina - Emily Buccilla (East Carolina assistant; 12/12-12/17) Loyola Chicago - Jon Sandoval (Northern Michigan head; interim-12/20) Duquesne - Jessica Giegucz (Slippery Rock head; 11/15-12/20) Cal Poly - Bernardo Silva (CSUB head; retirement 6/9-12/21) Pacific - Jeff Freeman (Illinois associate head; 11/12-12/27) Youngstown State - Rich Wall (Mercyhurst head; retirement 11/8-1/2) North Dakota - Henrik Sohn (North Dakota associate head; 11/25-1/3) Southeast Missouri State - John Klein (Columbia College head; retirement 12/6-1/21) UC Davis - Kat Mertz (MSU Denver head; 12/2-1/22) Wofford - Kevin Dempsey (Loyola MD assistant; 11/24-1/23) Portland State - Maureen Whitney (Portland State co-head; 1/23)~ Chicago State - Kevin Larry (Jackson State assistant; 11/14-1/27) St. Bonaventure - Melissa Sherwood (former Mount St. Mary head; 12/4-1/29) Boston - Megan Burke (Boston assistant; 12/13-1/30) UC Riverside - Mike Dibbini (former Kansas State head; Fall interim-1/30) Western Illinois - Ross Henderson (Clayton State head; 10/31-1/31) VMI - Jim Robbins (club coach; 11/8-2/3) Indiana - Josh Rife (Ball State head; 1/13-2/11) Houston - Ben Williams (SFA head; 1/23-2/12) VCU - Lauryn Hutchinson (WPSL club coach; 11/7-2/12) Mercyhurst - Dale White (club coach; 1/1-2/14) Mount Saint Mary’s - Liis Abbott (Maine associate head; 1/27-2/17) Cal State Bakersfield - Whitney Pitalo (Boston College assistant; 12/19-2/19) ~No vacancy here. Portland State transitioned one co-head coach (Katie Burton) into an administrative role and Maureen Whitney takes full leadership of the program.
Does this almost bring the cycle to a close or are there sometimes changes after the spring and into early summer?
In recent years there’s (probably) an average of 3-7 jobs that change from March - July, but usually about half are filled with interims. Usually these are “by choice” changes, not firings (though sometimes). Some years there are less, some years there are more, but generally in that range. I would anticipate a similar number this year with all the legislative changes to the landscape of college athletics. But again, many are filled in house like San Francisco and Oregon State last year.