ANDERSON, S.C. - Anderson University Director of Athletics Bill D'Andrea on Friday announced that former Clemson Volunteer Assistant Coach Julie Davis Carlson has been named the new women's soccer coach for the Black and Gold.
"We are extremely excited to have Julie Davis Carlson as our next head coach," said D'Andrea. "She has a track record of success and has demonstrated all the qualities you look for when hiring a coach to lead your women's soccer program. Julie is a great fit for our university and our department. She has enjoyed success as a head coach and I am confident that she will do an outstanding job here at Anderson."
Davis Carlson is familiar with the Upstate, the state of South Carolina and the region after serving the past two seasons with the Clemson women's soccer program. In addition to other responsibilities, she assisted with the Tigers' day-to-day training and development, scouted opponents and analyzed game film, while serving as camp administrator for the Tiger Girls Soccer Camps.
She arrives in the Electric City after playing an integral part
in the Tiger's success the past two seasons, helping guide Clemson
to 27 wins and back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The
Tigers advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament this
past November, while posting an overall 14-4-2 record - marking the
Orange and Purple's most successful season since 2002. CU also
claimed second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
regular-season standings and earned a 3-0 win over Furman for its
first NCAA Tournament win since 2007.
Prior to coming to Clemson, Davis Carlson was the head coach at
Jacksonville State for eight seasons (2005-13) after tackling the
challenge of building the Virginia Military Institute women's
soccer program from scratch in 2002 and serving as the Keydet's
head coach from 2002-05.
Davis Carlson served as an assistant coach at Arkansas-Fayetteville from 1999-2002 and Miami of Ohio from 1997-1999.
She is also head coach of the U17 Girls CASA Challenge. The team
posted a perfect 16-0 record in the fall of 2014, while claiming
the 2014 SCYSA State Cup Championship after finishing as runners-up
a year earlier. Davis Carlson has also worked as a staff coach with
the US Soccer Region III Olympic Development Program, a program she
was involved with since 2001. In addition, she also served as a
USYSA state staff coach with the South Carolina Olympic Development
Program, and previously served in that role with the Alabama ODP
from 2006-10.
She also formerly served as Director of Coaching for the Clemson Anderson Soccer Alliance (CASA), where she oversaw the day-to-day organization management of the entire club, all coaching education and development and player training development, and coached two age-group teams - U14 Boys and U16 Girls
Davis Carlson graduated from Wright State with a B.A. in Psychology and earned a M.S. in Sports Leadership, Parks & Recreation from Virginia Commonwealth. She holds an A License in coaching from the United States Soccer Federation as well as an NSCAA Premier Diploma.
"First, I would like say how excited I am and honored about the opportunity to join the Anderson University family and community," said Davis Carlson. "I would like to thank Mr. D'Andrea and his staff for allowing me this wonderful opportunity and for their help during this process to present the knowledge needed to guide me with my decision. I am honored that their faith and belief in my abilities to lead this program has led to a wonderful opportunity to continue my coaching career."
Davis Carlson inherits a Trojan team that will return 22 letterwinners, including eight starters from last season's squad that posted an appearance in the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament and notched a 14-4-1 overall record.
"When considering the position, it was clear that the vision of the athletic department and the team that is established have a competitive driven vision for a road to success," she added. "The program is in a great position to continue its mission to build strong team core values, player development, success in the classroom and South Atlantic Conference Championships. I am looking forward to getting started with the team, taking them to another level and continuing their road to success both in life and on the field."
What they say about Julie Davis Carlson
…
"It is a wonderful hire for the Anderson women's soccer program. Julie's knowledge of the game, her ability to relate to players and her experience as a coach make her a great person to lead Anderson's women's soccer program. Julie was an integral part of our coaching staff and her contributions played a part of our success in rebuilding Clemson into a top-10 program nationally. Although I'm sorry to see her leave, I am happy for Julie and thank her for her efforts. Anderson is lucky to have her as their Head Coach! I wish her and the program nothing but success."
- Clemson University Head Women's Soccer Coach Eddie Radwanski
"Julie was a terrific assistant coach with me at Arkansas. She has
great knowledge of the game, is a tireless worker and has a good
eye for talent. In my opinion she'll be a great fit for Anderson
University and I'll be looking forward to watching her team's
progress in the years to come."
- University of Florida Assistant Women's Soccer Coach Alan Kirkup
