The longest-tenured and all-time winningest head coach in Tennessee Tech soccer history, Steve Springthorpe has entered a new role with the Golden Eagle Athletic Department, currently serving in his first year as the executive assistant to the director of athletics.

After 10 years guiding the purple and gold on the pitch, Springthorpe has settled in a critical role with Tech's athletic administration. He handles a number of administrative tasks in support of Director of Athletics Mark Wilson, ranging from finalizing game contracts to several financial responsibilities. In many ways, he also serves as a liaison between Wilson, the campus, the community, and visiting programs on the campus of Tennessee Tech.

Springthorpe ended his illustrious Tech coaching career as the program's all-time leader in wins and championships, sporting 70 total victories to his name and a 70-72-34 overall mark. He finished 44-30-21 in OVC play in his 10 years at the helm of the program. 

Under the watchful eyes of both Springthorpe and newly appointed head coach Corey Boyd, the Golden Eagle soccer program developed into one of the more consistently successful squads in both the Ohio Valley Conference and region. Over the last two seasons, the purple and gold captured just its second and third OVC regular season titles in school history, compiling a nearly unblemished mark of 12-1-4 in league play in that span.

In his time overseeing the direction of the soccer team, Springthorpe's student-athletes earned 20 All-OVC First Team honors, 11 All-OVC Second Team accolades, 12 OVC All-Newcomer Team nods, and 14 appearances on the OVC All-Tournament Team. Springthorpe was twice named OVC Coach of the Year and helped develop three-time OVC Defensive Player of the Year Kari Naerdemann, 2020-21 OVC Goalkeeper of the Year Isabelle Austin, two-time OVC Midfielder of the Year Yao Giada Zhou, and 2023 OVC Forward of the Year Katie Toney.

The Golden Eagles rewrote the record books under his tutelage, both on the defensive and offensive ends of the pitch. His teams also dominated in the classroom, capturing seven Large Academic Team of the Year honors in eight years from the department.

Springthorpe came to Tech after stints as head coach at North Carolina State and Fresno State, as well as stops as an assistant coach at Duke University and the University of Florida. Prior to his arrival at Tech, he wrapped up his first season with the Duke women’s soccer program during the 2013 campaign, 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.

Before his 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.

Steve has four children -- Tyler, Lizzy, Westley and Jackson.