Duke assistant Steve Springthorpe selected as Golden Eagle soccer coach

Duke assistant Steve Springthorpe selected as Golden Eagle soccer coach


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.