ANDERSON, S.C. - Abby Crumpton, a former star player at the University of Michigan and professional player with the Atlanta Beat, has been named the new head women's soccer coach at Anderson University, athletic director Bobby Beville announced Tuesday. Crumpton comes to Anderson from Clemson University where she served one year as a volunteer assistant for the women's soccer program. "I am very excited to be the new head women's soccer coach at Anderson University," Crumpton said. "I am definitely looking forward to the 2006 season." Prior to volunteering at Clemson, Crumpton was the head women's soccer coach at Division III Pittsburgh-Bradford for one season. At Pittsburgh-Bradford, she managed all aspects of the women's soccer program and helped with athletic department fund raising and the student work-study program. Crumpton started her coaching career at the University of Michigan as a student assistant coach in '03. As a player for the Wolverines, Crumpton was a four-year starter and played in 83 of 90 matches. She finished her career as the school's all-time leading point scorer with 116 points - 43 goals and 30 assists - and helped lead Michigan to the 1999 Big Ten tournament championship. She was a three-time All-Big Ten first-team selection - '99, '01, and '02. In '02, she was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, an NSCAA All-American, and was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy. Crumpton graduated from Michigan in '03 with a B.S. degree in sports management and communications. After her career at Michigan, Crumpton played the '03 season with the Atlanta Beat of the now defunct Women's United Soccer Association. She played in 18 of 21 matches for the Beat, including the WUSA Championship match. In addition to working with the Clemson women's team, Crumpton also has worked with several club teams and camps in the Anderson-Greenville area. "I wanted to stay in this area," Crumpton said. "I was interested in Anderson because it is a Christian school and that's important to me. I think being the head coach at Anderson will help me grow as a Christian." Crumpton inherits a team that has struggled since Anderson moved to NCAA Division II in '99. "The first thing I need to do is recruiting because the signing period is quickly approaching," she said. "I also need to sit down with the existing team members and let them know what my expectations are. I have a lot of expectations for the program. For the spring season, I want us to play some games because I haven't seen the team play and I don't know anything about the players. "It's important to start establishing a high work ethic and work on the fitness level of the team in the spring, so we can get ourselves in position to be very well prepared when preseason practice begins in August."