By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- With the start of the 2014 Tennessee Tech soccer season right around the corner, first year Golden Eagle head coach Steve Springthorpe has bolstered his coaching staff with the promotion of Corey Boyd to a full-time assistant coach, and the addition of Rebecca O'Shurak as an assistant coach.

"I am excited to have both Corey and Rebecca as part of the soccer coaching staff," Springthorpe commented on the key additions. "After an extensive search I feel as though we have the two coaches who will help our program grow into a championship level team."

Boyd, who has spent the last four seasons with TTU as a student-assistant coach, moves up the ranks as a full-time assistant. The Cookeville native has also been a Tennessee State coach on the Olympic Development Program since 2011, and has served as the Director of Coaching and club head coach for the Cumberland United Soccer Club since 2009.

"Corey has been helping me since my arrival here at Tennessee Tech. As a Cookeville native and graduate of Tech, he brings a great deal of knowledge about the area and school that will help us in recruiting," Springthopre claimed on Boyd. "Along with his knowledge of the area, he is also an upcoming coach who will bring a lot of technical training to the team. I am thankful that he decided to join the team full time."

As far as O'Shurak is concerned, the Meadville, Pa., native enters her Golden Eagle tenure after a successful two-year stint as a men's and women's assistant coach at Thomas More College, an NCAA Division III school in Crestview Hills, Ky. As a member of the Saints staff for a combined four seasons, both the men's and women's teams flourished in winning the regular season and conference tournament championships in all four campaigns. In fact the women's team at Thomas More went a combined 18-0 in conference play during O'Shurak's tenure.

"Rebecca joins the staff as our second assistant coach with the responsibility of training and coaching our goalkeepers," Springthorpe said on O'Shurak's addition. "Her knowledge of the position and the ability to train the keepers will allow me to concentrate on the team as a whole and will give the keepers someone who will focus on them full time. Rebecca also brings to the staff the ability to work with video editing, database entry, and other electronic and social network items. She is a great addition to our coaching staff."

Tennessee Tech kicks off the 2014 campaign with an exhibition tilt at Middle Tennessee on Aug. 14. The team's first regular season match is slated for Aug. 24 with a home affair with East Tennessee State. Admission to all Golden Eagle home matches are free of charge.