Charles “Chugger” enters his third season as Virginia Tech’s women’s soccer head coach, and is coming off back-to-back seasons of NCAA Tournament appearances. Last season Adair led the Hokies to a 13-6-1 record, which is the program’s fifth-straight 10-win season. Tech’s six losses are the fewest in program history and 12 of the 13 wins resulted in shutouts sets the school record.
The Hokies hosted the first ever NCAA First Round Tournament in Blacksburg as they welcomed No. 14 Georgetown to Thompson Field. Although it resulted in a loss, it was Tech’s fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and sixth overall.
In Adair’s first season as the head coach, Tech matched its best finish in program history, making it all the way to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Adair led the Hokies to a 14-8-1 overall record which was the program’s second highest for season wins. Tech’s 14 wins included 11 shutouts that set the record for most shutouts in a season.
Although Adair is entering his second season as head coach, he is no stranger to the program. Adair served as Associate Head Coach at Tech for five seasons and has been a big part of the program’s success over the past six years. In four of his six seasons so far at Tech, the Hokies made four NCAA Tournament appearances, as well as four ACC Tournament showings. Tech advanced all the way to the finals of the ACC Tournament, a program first, in 2008, and earned a final ranking as the12th-best team in the nation after a record-setting 2009 season.
During his time as the Associate Head Coach, Adair was the recruiting coordinator and head scout for Tech, and assisted with player development and management. Adair also served as the team’s compliance liaison, while also contributing time as the assistant director of Tech’s annual soccer camp.
Adair joined the Hokies after serving two seasons as Associate Head Coach for the UC Santa Barbara women’s soccer team, where he was involved in all aspects of the soccer program, including recruiting, coaching, scouting, player management, community relations and camps.
Since April 2004, Adair has been an assistant coach and scout on the Cal-South Olympic Development staff. In 2003, he was an Assistant Coach with the San Diego Spirit of the Women’s United Soccer Association. Adair was youth soccer coach/Assistant Director of Competitive Older Ages for the Del Mar Sharks competitive soccer program for eight years.
Along with his time at UC Santa Barbara, Adair has significant experience coaching at the collegiate level. He spent one season as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s teams at Pacific University in Portland, Ore. He also was an assistant coach for the University of San Diego’s men’s team from 1998-2000.
Adair has recorded numerous minutes as a player as well as a coach. He competed professionally for 10 years, including with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer and the U.S. National Futsal Team. He also spent time playing for the San Diego Sockers, Wichita Wings, Portland Timbers, San Diego Flash, Minnesota Thunder, Seattle Sounders, Milwaukee Wave, Carolina Dynamo and A.A. Ghent (Belgium) from 1993-2003.
A first round draft pick of the San Diego Sockers and the Wichita Wings, Adair spent three years (1990-1992) at the University of San Diego. At San Diego, he was an All-American, a two-year team captain and a member of the NCAA Finalist Team. He played one year at San Diego State before transferring to USD.
Adair earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from USD in 1993 and his MBA from USD in 1996. He also has a United States Soccer Federation “A” Coaching License. Adair has three children: Alexandra, Jack and Madeline.
Erin Lycan is in her third season with the Virginia Tech women’s soccer staff after spending three seasons as the assistant and goalkeepers coach at Davidson College. Lycan has seen back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in her time as the Hokie’s goalkeepers coach.
Lycan helped the 2012 squad to a 13-6-1 overall record, which the six losses mark the fewest in program history. Tech posted 12 shutouts that set a new school record as goalkeeper Dayle Colpitts set the school record for most single-season shutouts.
In Lycan’s first season with the Hokies, Tech matched its best finish in program history making it all the way to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
She helped lead the Hokies to a 14-8-1 overall record, which was the program’s second highest for season wins. Tech’s 14 wins included 11 shutouts that set the record for most shutouts in a season.
Lycan arrived at Tech after spending three seasons as the assistant and goalkeepers coach at Davidson College.
“Erin will be an excellent compliment to our current staff and players here at Virginia Tech,” Adair said. “Her experience, knowledge and positive personality will truly benefit the development of our goalkeepers and our team as a whole. Her desire to be back in the ACC, the conference she once played in, will be a huge plus and will give her a huge advantage impacting our program!"
“I look forward to working with Erin and having her as a part of our staff, she is a great addition to the Virginia Tech soccer family.”
During her three years at Davidson, the Wildcats won the Southern Conference tournament and won a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The squad finished with a 12-10-1 overall mark, while closing out league play at 7-3-1, which was the sixth consecutive winning season for Davidson. Beyond her field duties at Davidson, Lycan also served as the recruiting coordinator.
Lycan came to Davidson after two years at Stephen F. Austin as an assistant coach as well as serving as the interim head coach. During her time at SFA, the Ladyjacks compiled a 22-13-3 record, including a 13-5-2 mark which was the third-best season win total in SFA history, and which included a regular season championship title and the Southland Conference tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament to play Texas A&M in 2007.
Lycan, who is currently a part of the Region I Olympic Development Program goalkeeping staff, is also on staff for the North Carolina Olympic Development Program. Prior to moving to Texas, she was part of the Tennessee Soccer Olympic Development Program in 2005-06. In addition to coaching the Wildcat goalkeepers and youth goalkeepers in the ODP ranks, Lycan also trained male and female youth goalkeepers and serves as a guest team trainer at North Meck Soccer Club, a US Soccer Development Academy.
A graduate of Virginia, Lycan was a three-year letter winner who played goalkeeper for the Cavaliers and helped lead them to an Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 2004. She was a member of the Soccer Buzz Number One Recruiting Class in the Nation her freshman year in 2001. Lycan also excelled in the classroom, earning ACC Honor Roll honors all four years of her playing career.
Lycan, who was a co-captain on the 2004 championship team, was the women's soccer representative for the Student Athlete Advisory Council while at Virginia. She also played for the Memphis Mercury, a semi-pro women's soccer league in the summer of 2002.
A 2005 graduate of University of Virginia, Lycan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology. She currently holds the USSF “B” License, the NSCAA Advanced National Diploma and the NSCAA Advanced National Goalkeeping Diploma, the highest goalkeeping certification from the NSCAA.
Andrew Kopp is in his second season with the Virginia Tech women’s soccer staff after spending four seasons as an assistant at Saint Joseph’s University. Kopp’s duties with the Hawks are similar to those in which he takes on at Tech, as he is in charge of organizing team training sessions and very involved in recruiting.
In Kopp’s first season with the Hokies, Tech notched an overall record of 13-6-1. The Hokies’ six losses are the fewest in the program’s history. Tech posted a 9-0-0 start, which marks the school’s most consecutive wins, and best season start as it saw its fifth-straight NCAA appearance.
During Kopp’s tenure, Saint Joseph’s recorded its best goals against average twice, produced seven Atlantic 10 All-Conference players, including 2008 Rookie of the Year and 2011 Midfielder of the Year.
Prior to Saint Joseph’s, Kopp spent two years as a graduate assistant coach at La Salle University. During those two years, the Explorers recorded an overall record of 20-19-1 and an 11-8-1 conference record, while receiving a bid to the 2006 Atlantic 10 Tournament.
Kopp has coached at both the collegiate and club level. Before to his stint at La Salle, he has served many coaching positions with the FC Delco club team in Downingtown, Pa. Kopp assisted the U19 Sting girl’s squad to the Pennsylvania State Cup Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2010, while the Sting became National Red Bull League Champions in 2009. He also served as the U18 Fire girl’s head coach and assisted the U16 Burnley girl’s squad.
Prior to beginning his coaching career, Kopp played six seasons professionally. He spent three seasons with the Hershey Wildcats, two seasons with the Montreal Impact and one season with the Charleston Battery in the United Soccer League’s First Division.
Kopp received a Bachelor of Science in business/marketing in 1999 from Pittsburgh, while earning a Master of Business Administration-Marketing from La Salle in 2008.
Kopp holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) “B” license and is a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
In 2012, Sarah Strickland enters her third season as head coach of the women’s soccer program at Appalachian State University. To date, she has amassed over fourteen years of coaching experience at the club, collegiate and national levels.
Before coming to ASU, Strickland was an assistant coach at Mississippi State, where she served as the program’s recruiting coordinator and goalkeepers’ coach for two seasons. She was instrumental in MSU’s turnaround from four-consecutive losing seasons to a 9-8-2 record in 2009, the program’s first winning season in six years.
During the successful ‘09 campaign, the Bulldogs set program records for consecutive wins (eight) and shutouts (four) and achieved the highest RPI ranking in school history (No. 41). Under Strickland’s tutelage, goalkeeper Taryn Holland ranked second in the Southeastern Conference history with 368 career saves and set MSU records for saves and shutouts.
Prior to her stint in the SEC, Strickland was a well-respected club soccer coach and administrator in Alabama for eight years. During that time, she served as the director of coaching for the Montgomery YMCA Capital City Streaks (2000-04), Girls’ Director for Coaching for the American Soccer Club (2004-06) and Staff Director for the Birmingham United Soccer Association (2006-07).
She began her coaching career on the collegiate level as an assistant coach at Troy University in 1998 and served as the program’s interim head coach during the 1999 offseason. From there, she moved on to Auburn University at Montgomery, where she was an assistant on the men’s and women’s staffs from 1999-2000.
On the national level, Strickland is a United States Soccer Federation “B” licensed coach and served on the staff of the U-14 national program in 2001. She also coached for the Alabama Olympics Development Program boys’ and girls’ programs from 1998-2002 and the Mississippi ODP girls’ in 2009.
The former Sarah Churchill was a three-year letterwinner at George Mason, where she helped lead the Patriots to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 1996 and 1997, making it as far as the Third Round (round of 16) in ‘97.
Strickland was a three-time Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner’s Academic Award winner and graduated from GMU with a B.A. in psychology in 1998. She earned a M.S. in foundations of education from Troy in 1999.
Coach Strickland and her husband, Jimmy (an athletic trainer for field hockey and wrestling at Appalachian) have three children: Kelsey, Bo and Will.
Carrying a resume that includes extensive experience across all levels of soccer, Chris Barrett is in his second season as the assistant women's soccer coach for Radford.
In his first stint with the women’s soccer program, Barrett inherited the 2010 Big South Defensive Player of the Year in Lisa Lubke. After a preseason foot injury sidelined Lubke, Barrett molded freshman goalkeeper Che’ Brown. Under Barrett’s instruction, Brown became one of the most recognized goalkeepers in program history.
Youth was the headline at the start, as the keeper and three of four backline defenders were all freshmen. Barrett quickly shaped an uncertain defense to the League’s most feared unit. Not only did the defense direct Radford to its second Big South Regular Season Championship in history, but were also ranked among the nation’s elite – eighth nationally in save percentage (.876), 16th in goals-against average (0.63) and was Top-25 in shutout percentage (.500).
Two Highlanders on three separate occasions were named Big South Defensive Player of the Week - Brown (2) and Tyler Drake. Due in large part to the coaching of Barrett, Brown wrapped up the season with the second lowest GAA in team history (0.67) and was named Big South Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, only the second player in League history to garner both awards in the same season. Barrett’s defense also garnered two VaSID All-State Second Team, two First Team All-Big South and two Big South All-Freshman team honorees.
Barrett, who spent the previous five seasons as an assistant on the men's side, has roots with Radford that run deep: not only was he a four-year standout with the Highlanders, his development as a coach began and continues at his alma mater. The 1996 Radford graduate made his return to campus in 2006 and began molding the Highlander defense into one of the Big South’s best. He was promoted to a full-time top assistant in 2007, with an emphasis on coaching goalkeepers, recruiting, scheduling, scouting, and practice and game preparation.
Under Barrett’s guidance in 2008, Zach Roszel posted the league’s top save percentage (.821) and fought through an injury-plagued season to post the Big South’s second-best goals against average (0.92).
As a team, Radford allowed the league’s fewest goals (20 in 19 games) in 2008.
Before making his return to the New River Valley, Barrett’s coaching career has included stops at the college, professional, club and high school levels in locations from Christiansburg to Georgia.
Current: Teacher (& former boys Varsity coach,) at Deep Run High School, Glen Allen, VA
Richmond Strikers Soccer Club: Girls ADP lead coach; u9 Girls Pool coach
*NSCAA Advanced National certification; USSF "B" license
Coach Spotlight with Steve Chapman:
http://www.richmondstrikers.com/Travel/ArticlesFeatures/474877.html
Carolina FC Trainer/Coach
Prior experience:
Dorman High School Varsity. Youth Level 25 plus years with a variety of clubs. Currently working with Carolina FC U-15 girls program in Spartanburg SC.
High School Coach- Ridgewood HS, New Port Richey,Fl. 2 Years, Spartanburg HS, Spartanburg SC 10 Years, Dorman HS , Spartanburg SC 1 year. College- USC Spartanburg Asst 2 years, Spartanburg Methodist College Asst, 5 years
Professional- South Carolina Shamrocks 1 Year, Greenville Lions, 1 Year.
North Carolina and South Carolina ODP Staff coach. Hold USSF and NSCAA certifications
Chris Gnehm is entering his second year as assistant coach of the Coastal Carolina women's soccer team.
In Gnehm's first season, the Chanticleers recorded eight more victories than the previous year, went 5-0 in Big South Conference home games and set a school-record for fewest goals allowed with 20. Gnehm coached three All-Big South Conference selections in forward Kacey Kelley, midfielder Fia Jonsson and defender Cami Skladany.
Gnehm comes to Coastal after spending the 2011 campaign as the top assistant at Pac-12 member Colorado. Prior to his time with the Buffaloes, Gnehm spent nine successful seasons as an assistant women's soccer coach at Florida Atlantic, a member of the Sun Belt Conference. He was the Owls top assistant the last three seasons and served as the goalkeeper coach from 2002-07.
"I am eager to get started with my duties here at Coastal Carolina,' said Gnehm. "I welcome the challenge of helping Paul build the program into a team that will contend for conference championships and NCAA tournament appearances.
"I am blessed to have the opportunity to work for such a close friend and someone I respect so much on and off the field. I feel like my last season with the University of Colorado and experiences in the Pac-12 will be an asset to me and the program. I will bring a tireless work rate and passion for the job and the game and will expect and demand the same of our players. I am excited to be working at a great University with an amazing location, being back at the beach is a good thing."
Gnehm, who has a background in goalkeeping, played a key role in directing an excellent FAU defense. In 2006, the Owls led all NCAA Division I teams in shutout percentage (.762), holding opponents scoreless in 16 of 21 matches. A year later, FAU's second year in the Sun Belt, the team posted nine shutouts and allowed just 15 goals.
His collegiate coaching career started at his alma mater, Averett (Va.) University, where he was an assistant coach from 1996-98. He then became the assistant coach for the men's soccer program at Monmouth (N.J.) University from 1998-99 before heading to Ferrum (Va.) College to be the head men's soccer coach as well as a women's tennis coach from 1999-2001. In addition to his coaching credentials, he led the Soccer Plus Goalkeeping School (Wethersfield, Conn.) during the summer of 1995. He is a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Gnehm earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1997 from Averett, where he was a four-year starter at goalkeeper and team captain from 1993-96. He still holds Averett's school record for most saves in a single season and career.
Gnehm is originally from Bayville, N.J., graduating from Central Regional High School where he earned first team All-State soccer honors as a senior in 1992. During his free time, Gnehm participated in nearly 60 commercials as an actor/model from 1979-1988. He helped promote products such as Cracker Jacks, Nike, Colleco Vision, Cheetos, Life Cereal and Jell-O Pudding. He also appeared in print ads for Wrangler Kid, Gravy Train and FAO Schwartz.
Chris recently became engaged to Tiffany Reeves and the couple plan a January 2014 wedding.
