SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums College, Pro & International Soccer S.C. Women's College Soccer Updated - 9/14/09

S.C. State is actually playing their 10th season of NCAA Division I soccer. My daughter was recruited by the SCSU coach when he was at Belmont Abbey (proved to be too expensive, so we did not sign), but we were really impressed with the coaching staff and have followed their progress at SCSU.

It is amazing how they got all those California kids to attend SCSU of all places. Last year they took over so late they could not bring anyone in, so this is their first recruiting class. They may not compete at the highest level, but they may take a few scalps every season. Best of luck to them.

Upstate's Mens and Womens programs are both in disarray! Head coaches that contiunue to not get the job done, year after year, but yet keep their jobs. The turnover in both programs has been out of control for a while. Players are leaving for a reason, maybe the AD needs to wake up and fire his buddies. Facilities, academic programs, location and the talent pool in the vicinity all suggest the soccer programs should be more attractive and successful. I have been close to both programs for many years and I can assure anyone the alumni of both programs are disgusted with the results, leadership or lack of,and continued decline of once proud programs!

I apologize to SCSU. I thought I had read last year that it was their first season. I must have read it wrong. I still am impressed by the difference in the team from last year to this year.

Upstate is a Division I school. They have been in the probation process for the last two years and came off probation this year I believe. Upstate has the ability to be one of the top schools in their conference.

Celtic9, I really hope they go out a hire a good coach soon and let the healing process between the players and the school start. Maybe if they get a good hire soon they will be able to field a team for spring ball, get some of the girls from last year that are still at the school to come back and get the girls excited about next season.

I thought I would look at the USC Upstate soccer pages to find out about the women's coach. He must be buddies with the AD because he has a "65-89-13 record at the University in his nine seasons. He has tallied a 84-105-15 mark in 11 years as a collegiate head coach."
That is straight off the website. How do you have a record that is 24 games under .500 in 9 years and not get fired??? Same old, same old. Colleges hire coaches with "college experience" regardless of records instead of new young enthusiastic coaches with new ideas.

Chapindad, Hope the transition is a quick one and he/she is able to do a quick repair job. Number of girls still there willing to play....for someone else. Last asst. coach got too popular so he/they got rid of her. What goes around comes around. Hopefully, whomever is left after this season will enjoy the new coach.
Cid, reason the coach is still there despite the less than quality record is obvious if you look hard enough.
Now if AD would do the same to the Men's Program....

I know where you are going Celtic. It is unfortunate that politics overrule what is best for the student-athlete.

The USC Upstate men's coach took the team to two Division II championship games. Did he forget how to coach since then? Or will it simply take a few years to upgrade the talent to the Division I level? Or maybe would USC Upstate (and several other schools in the state) have been better off to remain content at the Division II level?

getout,

I know zero about the men's program other than the young men come out to every one of the women's home games and show a lot of support and class. Hence why I posted in the women's thread and not the men's thread.

But let me clear up my position a little. While wins are nice they are not why I thought the coach needed to go. He has little to no respect for the players and will throw them under the bus if it helps him out. I have seen to many good women leave that program solely because of very mean spirited comments or actions by the coach. If he treated the players with a little respect and maturity the wins would have taken care of themselves. Maybe not conference champions but they would have been competitive. We are not even that right now.

In women's soccer we have played Division II schools that where better than Division I schools, so I do not buy that argument.

He didn't "forget how to coach", maybe he never had to. They no longer having the luxury of older, international players who recruit their friends and more importantly the experience from overseas who can play. Now you have to coach an 18, 19 year old local player and it's more difficult to compete. A mirror image of the Women's program, players leave by the handful each season.