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Head Coach Shelley Smith

STORY: Smith Family Reflects on Climb to the Top // Dancing Their Way to History (2017 Season Recap)

Smith and the Gamecocks posted a mark of 14-6-1 in 2018, finishing with double-digit wins for the sixth-straight year. South Carolina featured one of the program’s youngest teams of Smith’s tenure, as a school-record 26 players were underclassmen. The Gamecocks allowed just 12 goals during the season and the team’s top three goal scorers were either freshmen or sophomores. 

Grace Fisk, a 2018 Second-Team United Soccer Coaches All-American, spearheaded the defense by aiding in nine shutouts after returning to the South Carolina lineup after her time at the U20 Women’s World Cup earning a bronze medal with her native country of England. She was paired with junior goalkeeper Mikayla Krzeczowski who became the Gamecocks all-time leader in shutouts (34) and registered a junior record 0.59 goals against average during the season where she was named National Player of the Week two different times.  

South Carolina, which tallied three wins over top-10 opponents and five 2018 NCAA Touramentt eams, remained among the nation’s elite in 2018. Carolina earned a top-3 seed for the third-straight season and hosted a first-round match for the sixth time in the last seven years, advancing out of those games five times. The sixth-straight bid is the longest streak in program-history. 

The 2017 season for Shelley Smith and the Gamecocks was seemingly a dream. A trip to the program’s first College Cup and another SEC Championship capped off the best season in women’s soccer history at South Carolina. 

The Gamecocks climbed as high as No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, and went on to finish the regular season with an undefeated SEC record for the second-straight season, a streak that reached over 20 matches. The Gamecocks defeated No. 17 Florida on the road to secure the championship. The back-to-back championships is the first and only in program history. 

The honors rolled in for Smith and the Gamecocks during the unforgettable season. Smith grabbed SEC Coach of the Year laurels for the second-straight season. Senior striker Savannah McCaskill(SEC Offensive Player of the Year) and sophomore center back Grace Fisk (SEC Defensive Player of the Year) also received major conference awards. The Gamecocks five All-SEC honors led the conference. 

Two Carolina players earned 2017 United Soccer Coaches All-American honors after the 2017 season. McCaskill enjoyed the finest individual season in program history, being named an All-American and a MAC Hermann Trophy Finalist. Fisk helped the Gamecocks set a program single-season record in shutouts (16), and Carolina’s league-leading 0.401 goals against average ranks seventh in NCAA Division I. Carolina’s pair of First-Team selections matched a single-season program record, and 2017 marked the second-straight year the Gamecocks garnered at least two All-Americans.

The Gamecocks earned their second-straight NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed and drew Alabama State in the opening round. The road to the Women’s College Cup would again go through Stone Stadium. Top-seeded South Carolina posted a dominant 3-0 victory over Alabama State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament behind goals from freshmen Ryan Gareis and Bianca Galassini and sophomore Elexa Bahr. Bahr finished the night with three points on a goal and an assist for a Gamecock squad that registered a season-high 31 shots. Carolina didn’t allow a shot on goal for the second time in 2017.

The Gamecocks edged Wisconsin in the Round of 32 behind a first-half tally from freshman Luciana Zullo followed by wasting no time jumping on top of Santa Clara in the fourth minute when Savannah McCaskill headed home a rebound attempt off the crossbar to put the team in front 1-0 and to yet another NCAA quarterfinal match. 

Carolina got its first taste of the bright lights when it faced Stanford in the Women’s College Cup semifinals. The Cardinal earned a 2-0 victory in the match, but the Gamecocks ended the season with their heads held high after securing the school’s first berth in the College Cup. Carolina went on to earn a No. 4 ranking in the final coaches poll of the season.

If there was ever any question about the program Shelley Smith has built, it was put away at the end of the 2016 season when Smith’s South Carolina squad won its third piece of conference hardware and rewrote the school’s record book.

The Gamecocks, who reached the NCAA Elite Eight for the second time in three years in 2016, boasted program single-season records for wins (21), victories over ranked opponents (5), goals (51) and goals against average (0.41). Carolina also cemented its place in the SEC record book, as it became the first school in league history to end a regular season unbeaten (17-0-1). The Gamecocks’ final mark of 21-2-1 gave them the top winning percentage (.896) in Division I and resulted in a No. 5 ranking in the final NCAA poll, the school’s highest finish ever.

Carolina trailed for just 85 seconds during the regular season, and the 2016 SEC Champions didn’t fall behind at all throughout conference play. After a draw in its opener against Oklahoma, Carolina closed the regular season with 17-straight victories in a stretch highlighted by home wins over No. 6 Clemson and No. 17 Florida. A victory over Texas A&M in the SEC quarterfinals pushed its program-record winning streak to 18, and the Gamecocks went on to earn the school’s first No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed.

The road to the 2016 College Cup went through Stone Stadium, and the Gamecocks opened the NCAA Tournament with a dominant 7-0 win over Alabama State to give Smith her 200th victory at South Carolina. In the Round of 32, Carolina earned a 1-0 victory over No. 20 Colorado behind a penalty kick goal from striker Sophie Groff. Another penalty kick was the difference for the Gamecocks in the Round of 16, as senior captain Chelsea Drennan connected from the spot in the 69th minute to give her team a 1-0 victory over No. 4 BYU. Carolina’s second ended in the Elite Eight when it fell to North Carolina 1-0.

The accolades rolled in for Carolina during its record-setting 2016 campaign. Smith was tabbed the SEC Coach of the Year, while junior striker Savannah McCaskill (SEC Offensive Player of the Year) and senior center back Kaleigh Kurtz (SEC Defensive Player of the Year) also received major conference awards. A school-record six Gamecocks grabbed All-SEC honors, and five players were named to the All-Conference First Team.

Carolina earned 2016 NSCAA South Regional Coaching Staff of the Year laurels, and McCaskill and Kurtz were selected as NSCAA First-Team All-Americans. McCaskill enjoyed the finest individual season in program history, finishing with single-year school records for points (45), goals (17) and game-winners (10). Kurtz anchored a Gamecock back line that culminated in 14 shutouts, the second-best total in program history. The pair of standouts were also tabbed semifinalists for the 2016 MAC Hermann Trophy, while Drennan (Second Team), the school’s all-time leader in assists (40), marked the final Gamecock to garner NSCAA All-America honors. Carolina’s two first-team All-America selections and three overall honorees matched the most in Division I.

The Gamecocks posted a mark of 12-5-3 in 2015, finishing with double-digit wins for the third-straight year. South Carolina featured one of the program’s most prolific offenses of Smith’s tenure, as a school-record 17 players netted goals. The Gamecocks tallied 44 goals, and their 2.2 goals per match were good for the fifth-best mark in school history.

McCaskill, a 2015 Third-Team NSCAA All-American, spearheaded the offensive attack with 29 points on 10 goals and nine assists. Her 29 points were the seventh-highest for a Gamecock in a season in program history, and she was the third player to total double-digit goals in the last five seasons for South Carolina. McCaskill and senior forward Raina Johnson grabbed All-SEC honors, and the two joined Drennan and midfielder Stevi Parker on the list of Gamecocks to be placed on NSCAA All-South Region Teams.    

South Carolina, which tallied two wins over top-10 opponents for the second-straight season, remained among the nation’s elite in 2015 and finished in the top 20 of the NSCAA Final Regular Season poll for the sixth time in the last seven years. The Gamecocks were ranked in the Top 25 of the national poll the entire regular season, and they qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in the last nine years.

After a regular season that saw Smith collect her 200th career head coaching victory, a pair of wins over top-10 teams and Savannah McCaskill earn SEC Freshman of the Year honors, a postseason run cemented the 2014 team’s place in the record book. The Gamecocks were awarded their second-straight national seed in the NCAA Tournament after posting a 14-6-5 record and an SEC Tournament Semifinal appearance and hosted rival Clemson in the first round. A heart-stopping penalty kick shootout the No. 22 Tigers at Stone Stadium ultimately ended with South Carolina advancing. Against Seattle in the second round, the Gamecocks earned their second-straight shutout, despite missing All-American Sabrina D’Angelo in goal due to an injury. Freshman Abbey Crider stepped between the pipes for her first collegiate start and delivered two crucial saves in the team’s second round of penalty kicks in as many games to move the Gamecocks on to the Round of 16 for just the second time in school history.

Two days later, Crider posted her second shutout of the weekend, this time against No. 6 North Carolina on their home turf. The 1-0 victory advanced South Carolina to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. Florida State proved to be too much in the national quarterfinal, but the program had taken another step and wrapped up the season ranked No. 9 in the final NSCAA rankings.

After only seven wins in 2012, Smith’s program re-emerged on the national scene in 2013, rising to as high as No. 7 in the NSCAA poll. A 1-0 defeat of No. 7 Duke during the opening weekend was just the beginning. With only one loss on their record heading to No. 8 Florida in early October, the Gamecocks became the first program in the SEC to topple the Gators in consecutive matches in Gainesville, Fla., (2011 & 2013) as they pulled off a dramatic 2-1 win in double overtime. It marked the first time in program history that a Gamecock team had defeated a pair of top-10 opponents in the same season. On its home field, the squad never wavered, posting the first perfect home record (11-0-0) in program history, allowing just four goals at The Graveyard. The run helped the squad become the first Carolina team to enter the postseason ranked in the Top 10. The season ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Stanford for the second time in three years, and Carolina’s final record of 17-4-2 resulted in a No. 15 ranking in the last NSCAA poll.

With the successful season, the accolades began to come as goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo earned NSCAA First-Team All-America honors behind 12 shutouts and a 0.59 goals against average. Along with D’Angelo, defender Taylor Leach and forward Danielle Au earned All-South Region accolades. Along with being named SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career, D’Angelo, was paired with centerback Taylor Leach on the All-SEC First Team, while midfielder Chelsea Drennan was selected to the All-SEC Freshman Team. D’Angelo’s big season also earned her spot on the coveted semifinal list for the MAC Hermann Trophy, becoming the first Gamecock to earn the distinction. Carolina’s success has also been apparent in the classroom under Smith, who has coached 242 SEC Academic Honor Roll recipients since coming to USC in 2001. South Carolina has earned an Academic All-America selection in nine of the past 12 seasons.

Smith has coached several top student-athletes at Carolina including Ashley Kirk, USC’s first four-time All-SEC honoree, and Carolina’s All-Americans – Blakely Mattern, Kayla Grimsley, Savannah McCaskill, Sabrina D’Angelo, Kaleigh Kurtz and Chelsea Drennan. Other notable Gamecocks include two-time All-SEC performers Melinda Carter, Jessica Julin and Sarah Lentz. Julin, a former captain of the Finland National Team, and Carter and Mattern played in the WUSA and WPS, respectively. After the 2014 season, D’Angelo became program’s first NWSL draftee, going 22nd overall in the third round to the Western New York Flash. The All-American subsequently became the only rookie goalkeeper to earn a regular starting job in 2015.

The Gamecocks have earned 45 All-SEC honors in the last 16 years and six players have collected an SEC Player of the Year (player, freshman, offensive, defensive or scholar) award. In her first season as head coach at Carolina (2001), the Gamecocks were the third-most improved team in the nation with an 8-7-3 overall record. Carolina also performed well at home with a 5-3 at Stone Stadium while allowing opponents to score only four goals in eight matches. The success continued for USC in 2002 with 13 wins in Smith’s second season. The year was highlighted with USC’s first ever victories against Florida and Kentucky. Smith also coached her team to ties against 2002 SEC champion Auburn and Eastern Division champion Tennessee. Smith led the Gamecocks to another successful season in 2003 with 10 wins including a USC record eight-game unbeaten streak as well as a 6-2-1 record at home in Stone Stadium.

The 2004 season featured a win over No. 7 Clemson, the Gamecocks’ first win over a ranked opponent since 1998, as well as a 6-3 mark in non-conference action. Ashley Kirk also became the first soccer player in school history to be named SEC Freshman of the Year. Following an injury filled 2005 season, the program took a big step forward in 2006 as USC went undefeated at home for the first time in school history with an 8-0-3 mark at Stone Stadium. The team posted a cumulative goals against average of 0.69, then the lowest ever tallied at Carolina. The season culminated with the Gamecocks advancing to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the first time in Carolina history, as Blakely Mattern became the team’s first Freshman All-America selection since 1998.

Smith directed the 2007 Gamecocks to one of the best season in school history at that time, tying the then-school record with 14 victories and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in program history. Carolina posted a 14-6-3 overall record, including a 5-4-2 mark in the SEC after beginning the season by becoming the first team ever to knock off defending national champion and top-ranked North Carolina in a season opening game at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill. The Gamecocks ran to a 7-0-0 start to the season – then-program bests for start to a season and winning streak – and peaked at No. 7 in the national polls. For the second consecutive season, South Carolina advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals after knocking off Tennessee for the first time in program history and earned the school’s first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 1998. Blakely Mattern became the first sophomore to ever earn SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors in addition to becoming the first All-American in South Carolina history.

Carolina moved into the upper echelon of programs after Smith guided the Gamecocks in 2009 to the program’s first SEC title and a berth in the NCAA Round of 16, earning her SEC Coach of the Year and NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year honors. South Carolina was a No. 2 national seed in the NCAA tournament and posted a 19-4-2 record, the second-best in school history. The Gamecocks finished as one of the top defensive teams in the nation with a school-record 15 shutouts, led by Mattern on the backline who was a consensus first team All-American and Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award finalist in her final season. Grimsley finished the year with 33 points and was named an honorable mention All-American by Top Drawer Soccer. The team finished eighth in the nation in average attendance.

In 2011, Smith earned both NSCAA South Region and SEC Coach of the Year honors for the second time in three years after solidifying South Carolina as an elite conference contender and nationally-acclaimed program. The Gamecocks won the 2011 SEC regular season and eastern division titles with a 9-2-0 record and moved to the NCAA Second Round for the third consecutive year – one of only two SEC programs to do so in that span. From 2007-11, Smith led the Gamecocks to 75 overall and 34 SEC victories, marks that ranked second amongstthe league’s 12 active coaches during that span. She guided her teams to back-to-back SEC Championship Game appearances, winning the title in 2009 and claiming second in 2010, and Smith saw her team play for the SEC title on the final day of the regular season each of the past three seasons, breaking through in 2011 with a 2-1 victory at No. 18 Florida.

In 20 years as a head coach, Smith has compiled an overall record of 243-140-45. Besides her collegiate coaching, Smith was a member of the Region III ODP staff for the past six years, as well as an assistant for the `90 Regional Team. Smith also was a member of the 2003 U-14 National Camp staff for U.S. Soccer. With a background in both semi-professional and collegiate soccer, Smith previously served as head coach at Rhode Island from 1997-2000. The 2000 NSCAA Northeast Region Coach of the Year, Smith rebuilt the URI women’s soccer program, compiling a 41-34-2 overall record. Smith took a program that was 2-16 her first year to 12-6-1 in her second season, marking the eighth-most improved won-lost record for a team in NCAA history.

In 2000, Smith coached URI to its best record ever of 15-4-1, while reaching the Atlantic 10 Semifinals, a first in URI history. Smith was nominated for the 2000 National Coach of the Year. The New England Women’s Soccer Intercollegiate Soccer Association (NEWISA) also named her its Division I Coach of the Year in 2000. She was the 1998 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year as well.

In addition to her experience as a coach, Smith brings experience from the semi-professional level. From 1996-2000, Smith played for the Boston Renegades in the W-1 League. Smith was captain in 2000 as she led Boston to the semifinals in the W-1 Championship. The Renegades reached the finals in 1998. Smith also had the opportunity to play overseas in 1994 as a member of the Sheffield United Women’s Football Club in England.

Smith, a 1993 graduate of the University of Vermont with a degree in nutritional science, received her teacher’s certificate from the same institution in 1995. Smith started all four years for the Catamounts. Her primary positions were center midfielder and central defender. She was a regional All-American in both 1992 and `93 in addition to being named First Team All-North Atlantic Conference each year from 1991-93. During her freshman year, the squad won the ECAC Tournament. Vermont was one of the first programs to offer women’s soccer as a varsity sport and it competed on a national level. Smith was named to Vermont’s Athletic Hall of Fame in the summer of 2004.

Smith worked as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College from 1995-97. The Big Green made the NCAA Tournament in her second season with the program.

Smith is married to South Carolina associate head coach Jamie Smith, a 1994 graduate of Providence College. They are the proud parents of two sons, Braden James, born on Nov. 25, 2003 and Evan Addison born on Jan. 6, 2006. The family resides in Columbia, S.C. Smith has her USSF B license and the NCAA Advanced National Diploma. She is currently a member of the USYSA Regional Olympic Development Staff. A native of Shaftsbury, Vt., Smith graduated from Mount Anthony Union High School in 1989.

Associate Head Coach Jamie Smith

Jamie Smith enters his 17th year as associate head coach and 19th season overall with the South Carolina women’s soccer program this fall. In his first two years at USC, Smith was an assistant coach for the Gamecocks before being promoted to associate head coach in April 2003.

Smith has been instrumental in developing South Carolina into one of the top defensive units in the SEC and the nation. In working with the backs, Smith has turned the program into a group that has been ranked near the top in the SEC every season since 2007.

Smith and the Gamecocks posted a mark of 14-6-1 in 2018, finishing with double-digit wins for the sixth-straight year. The Gamecocks allowed just 12 goals during the season junior Grace Fisk was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season, giving the Gamecocks their third straight. South Carolina eventually reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating UNCG in the opening round. 

Smith helped lead the defense to one of the best seasons in history during the 2017 campaign. The Gamecocks reached their first College Cup and set a program single-season record in shutouts (16), and Carolina’s league-leading 0.401 goals against average ranks seventh in NCAA Division I. South Carolina shut out every opponent on its way to the College Cup with a 3-0 win over Alabama State, a 1-0 win over Wisconsin, a 1-0 win over Santa Clara and a 2-0 win over SEC-rival Florida. Grace Fisk was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, giving the Gamecocks that award for the second-straight year. 

Carolina’s defense sparked a record-setting 2016 campaign. The Gamecocks allowed just 10 goals on the year and finished with a 0.41 goals against average, the lowest single-season mark in program history. Carolina, the 2016 SEC Regular-Season Champions, was at its best in conference play. The team posted a shutout in eight of its 11 league contests, including a 1-0 win over No. 17 Florida at Stone Stadium. The Gamecocks’ 14 total clean sheets last year marked the second-most single-season total in school history.

Carolina’s back line shined when it mattered most, and the team advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time in three years after recording a shuout in each of the first three rounds of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Two of the clean sheets came against ranked opponents, as the Gamecocks notched 1-0 victories over No. 20 Colorado (Round of 32) and No. 4 BYU (Round of 16).

The squad led the conference in every major defensive category in 2009, including goals allowed, shots allowed, goals against average and shutouts. That was followed with a 2010 season where the defense squad had a streak of 11 consecutive games in limiting opponents to four shots on goal or less, and finished the regular season as the SEC’s leader in every major defensive category including goals against average, shutouts, shots allowed and points allowed.

The Gamecock defensive unit once again boasted the league’s best goals against average in 2011, held seven of 11 SEC opponents to four shots on goal or less and posted nine shutouts in addition to topping the conference in nearly every defensive category.

His 2013 group demonstrated similar feats, leading the SEC in goals against average, goals allowed, points allowed and shots on goal allowed. During the regular season, only one SEC opponent recorded more than four shots on goal in a game, a feat that only three opponents all season could produce.

As the Gamecocks made a historic run to the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2014, they notched 13 shutouts, second most in school history. The total included three-straight NCAA Tournament shutouts, including one against No. 6 North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., for the program’s first-ever win in the Round of 16. The run in the postseason came after South Carolina yet again topped the SEC in most statistical categories.

South Carolina notched six clean sheets during the 2015 season, including a 2-0 decision over No. 8 Auburn at Stone Stadium. The Gamecocks allowed just six goals in 10 home matches throughout the regular season and finished the fall with four shutouts in SEC play. South Carolina’s 1.05 goals against average overall was good for the fifth-best mark in the league, and the Gamecocks allowed five shots or less in five matches this past fall.

Smith has developed the top defensive players in South Carolina history, most notably Blakely Mattern and Kaleigh Kurtz. Mattern ended her career as a two-time All-American (2007 Freshman All-American, 2009 First Team All-American). Under Smith’s guidance, she became a four-time All-SEC player, the 2007 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a 2009 consensus First-Team All-American.

Kurtz, who wrapped up her collegiate career this past fall, garnered 2016 NSCAA First-Team All-America honors and was tabbed the 2016 SEC Defensive Player of the Year as well as a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy last year. Her leadership on the back line helped guide Carolina to the 2016 SEC Regular-Season Title and a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed. The Gamecocks conceded just three goals in conference play, and they totaled 33 shutouts throughout Kurtz’s three-year run at Carolina.

Smith has also developed 2007 Freshman All-American and 2010 Top Drawer Soccer All-American Brittiny Rhoades, All-Region selections Melinda Carter, Courtney Cobbs, Ellen Faheyand Taylor Leach, and All-SEC selections Sarah Lentz and Alison Jarrow.

A top recruiter and evaluator of talent, Smith earned his first collegiate coaching award in the Fall of 2003 when he was selected as one of the AFLAC Assistant Coaches of the Year. Smith graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Providence College in 1994. While at PC, Smith was a three-year starter for the Friars’ varsity team. Upon graduating, Smith held the Providence record for career saves and currently is second on the list at 263. Since graduating, he has served as assistant coach for three universities, including Brown where he held the position from 1999 to 2001.

At Brown, Smith’s responsibilities included evaluating and recruiting players, scouting of opponents, and developing playing strategies. In addition, Smith was responsible for all aspects of fund-raising efforts including the Brown Youth Futbol School of Excellence, Spring Break Camp, and Youth Indoor Tournament.

Smith further cultivated his coaching talents assisting for three years at Dartmouth College and as assistant and Interim Head Coach at Vermont.

In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Smith held various positions with the Upper Valley Lightning Soccer Club in Hanover, N.H. from 1996 to 1998. The club is one of the largest in New Hampshire with over 2500 youth participants. Smith is also the Co-owner/Director of the World Class Soccer School in Shaftsbury, Vt., a youth summer day camp he established, developed and has operated since 1995. He also currently coordinates numerous camps in South Carolina.

Upon graduating from Providence, Smith played professionally in the United States Interregional Soccer League with the New Hampshire Phantoms in 1995 and 1996, the Vermont Wanderers in 1997, and the Vermont Voltage in 1998. Smith also trained and played with the Montreal Impact in 1997 and 1998. Smith has a National, Advanced National and Goalkeeping License from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Smith graduated as a double-major in marketing and management from Providence and holds a United States Soccer Federation B License.

Assistant Coach Clark McCarthy

Junior Mikayla Krzecozwski helped lead the Gamecocks to 12 shutouts during the 2018 campaign. The Gamecocks finished with a 14-6-1 record, and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s Second Round. McCarthy aided Krzecozwski’s 0.59 goals against average, a junior record at South Carolina. The Gamecocks shut out No. 12 Vanderbilt, the eventual SEC Regular Season Champions, during the season as well as two ranked opponents (No. 11 Tennessee and No. 23 Auburn). Krzecozwski made an impressive seven saves during the shutout against Tennessee, helping her earn NCAA Player of the Week honors. 

Led by Krzecozwski, the Gamecocks remained solid in net in 2017. Carolina’s 17 shutouts last fall set a new program single-season record, while Krzeczowski’s 14 clean sheets were the second-most in one year ever by a Gamecock. The Gamecocks, who paced the conference in goals against average for the second-straight year, conceded just three goals in league play en route to another SEC Regular-Season Title.

With Krzeczowski in net, Carolina went on a historical NCAA Tournament run that ended with the program’s first Women’s College Cup appearance. The Gamecocks didn’t allow a goal over the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament, and their record-setting run culminated with a No. 4 ranking in the final United Soccer Coaches Poll of the season. 

The Gamecocks enjoyed a historic 2016 campaign in McCarthy’s first season with the team, tallying program single-season records for wins (21) and victories over ranked opponents (5). Carolina, the 2016 SEC Regular-Season Champions, earned the program’s first ever No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed before advancing to the Elite Eight following a pair of wins over ranked foes in the second and third rounds.

Last year’s memorable run included a record-setting season in net. Krzeczowski, an All-SEC First Team Selection, posted the program’s lowest single-season goals against average (0.43) and recorded its fourth-most shutouts (11) in one year.

Krzeczowski ended the season with a mark of 18-2-1 for a Gamecock squad that allowed just 10 goals on the season and finished with a school-record 0.41 goals against average. The Gamecocks posted three clean sheets against ranked opponents, including a 1-0 win over No. 4 BYU in the NCAA Round of 16.

McCarthy came to South Carolina following multiple coaching stints around the state. He served as the head men’s soccer coach for five seasons at Dreher High School, where he led his team to the state playoffs each year. McCarthy worked with and developed 10 All-Region players throughout his tenure as head coach, including the 2013 Region Player of the year.

He has spent much of his coaching career specifically developing goalkeepers. McCarthy was the goalkeeper coach for the Columbia College women’s soccer program this past fall, and he also worked with goalkeepers as an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke for the 2010 season. For five years, he served as the goalkeeper trainer for South Carolina’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) in Columbia.

Other coaching stints of McCarthy include time at the South Carolina Youth Soccer Association (SCYSA), South Carolina United Futbol Club and Palmetto FC Bantams. He has also developed players through the Clark McCarthy Soccer Academy, which he started in 2009 to provide private training sessions and clinics.

McCarthy also brought an extensive teaching background to the Gamecock coaching staff. After serving as a student teacher at Brewer Middle School in Greenwood, S.C., McCarthy began teaching health and physical education at Dreher High School in 2011. He taught a variety of sports at Dreher, including soccer, basketball and team handball.

McCarthy played goalkeeper at Lander University from 2005-2008, helping the Bearcats reach the postseason in all four years. Lander advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 2005 before winning both the regular-season and tournament title of the Peach Belt Conference one year later.

He graduated from Lander Magana Cum Laude in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in science, and McCarthy earned his master’s degree in sports science from the United States Sports Academy in the fall of 2015.