Duke assistant Steve Springthorpe selected as Golden Eagle soccer coach
Steve Springthorpe, an assistant coach at Duke University and former head coach at North Carolina State and Fresno State, has been selected as the new women’s head soccer coach at Tennessee Tech University.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Steve Springthorpe, an assistant coach at
Duke University and former head coach at North Carolina State and
Fresno State, has been selected as the new women’s head
soccer coach at Tennessee Tech University.
Springthorpe, 49, has been part of coaching teams to championships
in the Southeastern (SEC), Western Athletic (WAC), and USA South
conferences.
“First, I have to say I’m extremely excited about the
opportunity. I felt really welcome when I came to Tech, and when I
met with the administration and the committee. They were all very
welcoming. I enjoyed my time in Cookeville, and they made me feel
that I can be part of a great staff,” Springthorpe said.
“I want to thank [Director of Athletics] Mark Wilson and
President Oldham for their belief in me, and for affording me this
opportunity. I also want to thank all those on the
committee,” he added.
He recently wrapped up his first season with the Duke
women’s soccer program, after spending the previous four
seasons as head coach at N.C. State. At Duke, Springthorpe
was in charge of the goalkeepers while working with the defenders
and helping with video breakdown.
“Steve Springthorpe is a proven winner, and someone who
understands what it takes to build a championship level program. We
are fortunate to get a veteran coach to lead our soccer program and
we’re extremely excited he is joining the Tennessee Tech
Athletics staff,” said Wilson.
“He is a man of high character, a great educator of the game
of soccer, a proven recruiter, and he is the right fit to lead our
program. He has won championships in three different conferences,
and we feel he can run a program that expects to win OVC
championships and will continue to have outstanding academic
success.”
Springthorpe takes the reins of the Golden Eagle program from
Daniel Brizard, who resigned in November following his fourth
season. Springthorpe’s selection caps a national search,
Wilson said.
“The Ohio Valley Conference seems very competitive,”
Springthorpe said. “There are a lot of strong teams, and a
group of teams that are all extremely competitive with each other,
and I think the program at Tech is on the cusp of being in that
group and being able to challenge for a conference championship.
The team was close last year, losing several close games, and I
think we will have an opportunity in the next year or two to make a
statement.”
Prior to a four-year run as head coach at North Carolina State, Springthorpe was head coach for four years at Fresno State. He also served five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Florida, and nine as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Methodist University.
In Springthorpe’s tenure at N.C. State, the Wolfpack
witnessed a great turnaround. When Springthorpe was hired in 2009,
the Wolfpack had not won a game in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
play for two seasons and had not had a 10-win season since 2002.
Springthorpe quickly helped turn around the program, highlighted by
a 2011 season in which the Wolfpack posted a 10-8-2 record after
recording a final RPI of 41.
Before his stint at N.C. State, Springthorpe served as head coach
at Fresno State from 2004-08, compiling a 52-40-12 overall record,
the highest winning percentage in program history, and leading the
Bulldogs to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championship game
four-straight years, winning twice. Under Springthorpe, the
Bulldogs made two appearances in the NCAA Tournament (2005,
2008).
Prior to leading Fresno State, Springthorpe spent five seasons as
an assistant coach at the University of Florida, working primarily
with goalkeepers. While at Florida, Springthorpe helped the Gators
to an impressive 87-28-5 mark, including three Southeastern
Conference (SEC) regular season titles and three SEC Tournament
championships.
Springthorpe began his coaching career at his alma mater,
Methodist University, in 1987. In his nine seasons as an assistant
coach at Methodist, the Lady Monarchs advanced to the NCAA Division
III semifinals three times and the NCAA Division III championship
match in 1995.
A 1987 graduate of Methodist with a degree in sociology,
Springthorpe was a two-time All-South Region and three-time
All-Conference selection.
