Women's Soccer

The longest-tenured and all-time winningest head coach in program history, Steve Springthorpe enters his 10^th season at the helm of Tennessee Tech soccer in the fall of 2023. Springthorpe’s 61 career victories while guiding the Golden Eagles are the most ever for a TTU soccer coach, officially surpassing Greg Stone’s previous program record of 43 wins behind a 1-0 nod at Austin Peay on Mar. 2, 2021 in the season opener of the 2020-21 spring campaign. Springthorpe’s 37 career Ohio Valley Conference wins are also a school best.

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.

Springthorpe is coming off a banner 2022 season in which he helped guide the Golden Eagles to one of their best seasons in program history en route to his first career Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year accolade. TTU claimed its second-ever OVC regular-season championship and first conference crown since 1998 behind an unblemished 5-0-3 league ledger to become the first OVC school to go undefeated in conference play since UT Martin in 2018.

Tech captured the No. 1 seed in the OVC Tournament and earned hosting responsibilities in the semifinals and championship match for the first time in program history. The purple and gold’s appearance in the semifinals marked the club’s fifth appearance in the semis over the last eight seasons.

The Golden Eagles made the most of their latest spot in the conference tourney’s final four thanks to a 5-0 triumph over Lindenwood to advance to OVC Tournament championship match for the first time since 2009. Tech’s five goals scored tied the second-most ever by an OVC Tournament team and were the most ever in the semifinal round or later. Morehead State beat Murray State 5-1 in the 2014 first round and in the first-ever OVC Tournament clash, Middle Tennessee claimed a 6-1 victory over UT Martin in 1999. TTU’s five scores were also the most in a match by the purple and gold since a 7-0 win at Alabama State on Sept. 4, 2009.

Tech’s semifinal nod also pushed the Golden Eagles to a nine-match unbeaten streak to tie the 2017 squad for the longest unblemished streak in program history. TTU would go on to fall 1-0 in the championship tilt to SIUE in front of a record-setting crowd of 1,045 at Tech Soccer Field.

From an individual perspective, the 2022 Golden Eagle success took shape in the form of a program record and league-leading 10 OVC postseason honors. Along with Springthorpe’s recognition as the conference’s Coach of the Year, Yao Giada Zhou was named the OVC Midfielder of the Year in addition to a spot on the All-OVC first team where she was joined by Chloe Smith and Emily Carlevato on the first-team list. Katie Toney and Meredith Nye secured spot on the All-OVC second-team, while Toney, Maggie Conrad and Allison Lee were named to the OVC All-Newcomer squad. TTU’s three All-OVC first teamers in 2022 continued a record-setting stretch of eight straight seasons in which a Golden Eagle has reserved at least one spot on the All-OVC first team and the 10 overall honors made it 39 All-Conference awards in the last eight years under Springthorpe’s guidance, among the most in the OVC.

Springthorpe’s squads have always had a knack for displaying top-tier defense, which continued last season behind seven shutouts to tie for second-most in the conference, but in 2022 the Golden Eagle offense enjoyed one of their best seasons in school history. Tennessee Tech led the OVC in every significant offensive category, including points with 83 (24 more than the next closest school), goals with 29, goals per match with 1.61, assists with 25, assists per match with 1.39 and shots with 219. The offensive showcase marked the first time in the Springthorpe era that the Golden Eagles finished in the top three in the league in points, goals and assists.

TTU’s banner year helped lead the program to a wealth of accolades during the Tennessee Tech Athletic Department’s annual Golden Wings Awards in which Tech soccer took home Co-Team of the Year, Coaching Staff of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year, Co-Woman of the Year, Play of the Year and Large Academic Team of the Year.

On the field, the program has enjoyed record-setting success and a rapid turnaround under Springthorpe’s watch, while also setting a new standard when it comes to prosperity in the classroom for TTU soccer.

Since Springthorpe has been at the helm of Tech soccer, taking over the program in December, 2013, the Golden Eagles have displayed tremendous success in the classroom, making their presence known within the department as well as on the national stage. The soccer program has captured the large team Academic Team of the Year accolade at the Golden Wings Awards in seven-of-eight possible years after their honor in the spring of 2023, determined by the highest percentage of the roster to be included on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.

In all nine years as head coach, Springthorpe's teams have captured the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Academic Award behind record-setting success in the classroom. In the fall of 2016, the team had the highest GPA in the history of the program with a cumulative mark of 3.67, before eclipsing that number with a 3.705 cumulative GPA in the spring of 2017, and then again surpassing the program's gold standard in the spring of 2019 with a 3.715 cumulative GPA.

Springthorpe has carried over a tradition of strong academic prowess for Tech soccer, continuing a trend for the program that has now seen the team with above a 3.0 cumulative GPA for 37 consecutive semesters. Since he has taken the reins of Golden Eagle soccer, players have been selected to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll over 300 times and have been named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll over 125 times.

The program’s recent blend of on-field success and academic and community achievements under Springthorpe has been showcased on full display with a whole host of individual honors. Among the highlights, four of the last eight TTU Woman of the Year awards have been presented to Golden Eagle soccer student-athletes, with Taylor Blazie Bosheers earning the 2016 accolade, while Lauren Brewer was named the 2018 recipient, Kaitie Shipley took home the honor in 2020 and Chloe Smith was named Co-Woman of the Year in 2023. Abi Gearing also took home the prestigious OVC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award in 2016-17, the highest individual honor that can be earned by an OVC student-athlete, given annually to only three men and three women student-athletes for their accomplishments in both the classroom and athletic arena, and because of their leadership qualities.

The 2021 TTU squad found its way back to the OVC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2017, the fourth appearance in the semis over the last seven seasons for the purple and gold. Tech claimed consecutive tourney triumphs over Eastern Illinois and Murray State to mark only the third time in program history, and first in the Springthorpe era, in which the Golden Eagles won two playoff matches in a single season. The 2000 and 2009 Tech teams also seized a pair of affairs in the OVC Tournament.

The 2021 edition of the purple and gold also secured a piece of program history after rounding out an unblemished month of October that saw TTU compile a 5-0-3 record. The eight-match unbeaten streak that carried the Golden Eagles to the OVC Tournament semifinals was the second-longest unbeaten stretch in program history, finishing one match shy of the 2017 club who went unblemished in nine-consecutive affairs which was then tied by the 2022 Golden Eagles. The campaign also featured a school record of nine overtime matches in one season, with the Golden Eagles posting a 2-3-4 account in the nine contests.

The 2020-21 version of the Golden Eagles showcased a staple of the Springthorpe era, the ability to defend at a high level. Tech’s seven scores surrendered in 10 matches led the OVC, marking the fifth time in the last six seasons in which TTU finished first or second in the conference in goals allowed. The club’s 0.67 goals against average in 2020-21 were also a league best, the third time in the last five years the Golden Eagles led the league in that category.

For the squad’s efforts, Isabelle Austin took home the OVC’s inaugural Goalkeeper of the Year honor, the fourth time in the last six years a Golden Eagle secured a major conference defensive accolade after Kari Naerdemann was awarded as the OVC’s Defensive Player of the Year for three straight seasons from 2015-17. Austin’s robust .892 save percentage in 2020-21 was both an Ohio Valley Conference and a Tennessee Tech single-season record.

After accumulating a total of five wins in two seasons from 2013-14, the Golden Eagles quickly turned the tide with 28 victories from 2015-17, the most in three straight seasons for the program since the early 2000s. Tech’s 18 Ohio Valley Conference wins during the stretch are also the most in a three-year window in program history, shattering the old record of 11 from 1998-2000.

The slew of wins was only the tip of the iceberg for TTU soccer, as the Golden Eagles established themselves as one of the top tier teams in the conference in regards to regular season standings and postseason achievement. With a second-place regular season finish in 2017, Tech joined Murray State as the only two teams in the OVC to finish in the top three in the standings from 2015-17, while TTU’s three straight years in the top three is the first occurrence in program history since a span of four consecutive years from 1998-2001.  

The Golden Eagles have made it deep into the postseason during Springthorpe’s tenure, joining Murray State as the only two teams in the league to make it all the way to the OVC Tournament semifinals from 2015-17. The three straight appearances mark only the second time in program history and first since a run of five consecutive spots in the OVC Tournament semifinals from 1999-2003.

Furthermore, with a return trip to the OVC Tournament in 2019 after the program’s fourth conference-winning campaign in the last five years at the time, Springthorpe’s clubs had been responsible for four of the program’s six appearances in the OVC Tournament since 2004. The 2021 and 2022 then added to that list, making it six of the program’s eight appearances since 2004.

The 2019 squad featured three All-OVC first teamers, as Tina Marolt, Kendall Powell and Kaitie Shipley all secured the prestigious honor to tie Murray State for the most All-OVC first-teamers in the conference.

Springthorpe’s squads have defended at a high level, breaking program record after program record, while also proving to be on the best in the OVC of late. The 2017 squad yielded only eight goals, just five of which came in regulation, to surpass the previous school record of 13 goals allowed in 2016. Tech finished in a tie for first in the OVC with 10 shutouts in 2017, showing a knack for blanking the opposition with a program record five straight shutouts to end the regular season. The Golden Eagles went through a period in 2017 in which they did not surrender a goal in 685 minutes, by far a school record.

The 2017 club, which set a school record with only five defeats all year, also established a new program low in goals against average with a 0.45 mark, a mere percentage point back of the OVC all-time record of 0.44. The Golden Eagles had only one match in 2017 in which they yielded more than one goal, helping cap off a stretch from 2016-17 in which Tech allowed one goal or less in 31 of 32 matches.

For the team’s lights out defensive showing under Springthorpe, goalkeeper Kari Naerdemann took home the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2017, becoming the first player in league history to win three straight OVC Defensive Player of the Year awards as well as becoming the second player in program history be recognized on the All-OVC first team in three straight seasons, joining Kelli McCoy who took home the honor from 1998-2000. Naerdemann set school records with a 0.45 goals against average and a .896 save percentage.

Naerdemann left the Golden Eagles after her senior campaign in 2018 as the school’s all-time record holder with 35 victories in net, seven more than Carly King’s 28 nods from 2001-04. Naerdemann’s 34 career shutouts were not only the best in program history, but also set the standard for career clean sheets in the OVC. The Herne, Germany native is also the program record holder with a career 0.79 goals against average and a career .844 save percentage.

The 2016 Tech squad captured 11 victories, the first time a TTU club eclipsed double digits in the win department since 2002. Tech’s six defeats tied a school record for fewest losses in a season at the time, before the 2017 team surpassed it with only five defeats. 2016 set a school record with 11 shutouts and also led the OVC with a 0.59 goals against average. On the offensive side of the equation, Tech’s 25 goals ranked fifth in the OVC, the most scored by a Golden Eagle team since 2009.

The Golden Eagles were also recognized in the area of sportsmanship, earning the 2016 NSCAA College Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award, one of just three NCAA DI teams in the country to earn the prestigious honor. 

The 2015 team that set the groundwork for Tech’s brisk rise towards the top had the OVC’s stingiest defense. TTU topped the conference in goals allowed (17) and goals against average (0.83), while the team’s seven shutouts were the highest in nearly 15 years, and in OVC action, the Golden Eagles set the gold standard in goals allowed with seven in 10 matches and goals against average (0.68). Tech also showcased more of a knack for scoring, doubling its goal total from 2014 and frequenting the back of the net most often for a TTU team since 2011.

Tech’s 6-3-1 conference record led them to a second place finish in the OVC, the highest in 15 years. The stellar mark also pushed the Golden Eagles to a first-round bye in the OVC Tournament, putting the squad all the way into the semifinals, the furthest tournament finish since 2009 for a TTU team. For his efforts, Springthorpe was presented with the Coach of the Year honor at the first ever Golden Wings Awards.

Springthorpe has been part of coaching teams to championships in the Southeastern (SEC), Western Athletic (WAC), and USA South conference.

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.

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.

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