Sorrel to Retire from Coaching after 14 Seasons at Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina equestrian associate head coach Ruth Sorrel is retiring from coaching after 14 seasons with the Gamecocks.
Sorrel, a 2000 graduate of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, started out by doing one-year stints with both Auburn and Fresno State. She then found her way back to her alma mater, spending the rest of her coaching career at Carolina.
“I can’t thank Boo (Major), Coach Tanner and the University for the opportunity to coach at the greatest university in the country,” Sorrel said. “I have loved my time at South Carolina and I will always cherish the relationships I’ve made in and out of the office. To all the girls that have worn the Garnet and Black, and some that haven’t, you all have made my career very special and will always hold a special place in my heart.”
During the 2006-07 season, Sorrel coached the Western Team to the Reserve National Championship, helping the equestrian team win its second overall National Championship in three years (first in 2005). The Western squad went into the postseason as the seventh seed and under Sorrel, pulled some upsets for their second-place finish.
Most recently, under the new NCEA Championships format, Sorrel had both her Reining and Horsemanship riders advance to the semifinals of the event competitions.
“Ruth has not only been a colleague of mine for the past 14 years, but she has been a true friend,” head coach Boo Major said. “She has supported me and this team through thick and thin and good times and bad. She was loved by every single team and every individual she ever coached and that is hard to do. She has always been my negotiator and my go-to person to smooth things over when things get rough.
“I appreciate her for recognizing her heart wasn’t in coaching 100 percent anymore and wanting to choose a new career path so she could spend more time with family. I know she’ll be our biggest fan cheering us on in the future.”
In her tenure with the Gamecocks, Sorrel coached 14 All-Americans and 22 All-SEC student-athletes. Along with those honors, Sorrel has three SEC Riders of the Year under her belt.
As an alumna of the University of South Carolina and a former student-athlete, Sorrel earned the NCEA Distinguished Alumni award in the Equine/Trainer/Coach category in 2017.
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