Posted by Michael Koh | Aug 11, 2024 | ACC, Instagram, Soccer, Sports, UNC Sports
Anson Dorrance, who led the UNC women’s soccer program for 47 seasons and won an unprecedented 22 national championships, has announced his retirement. According to the program, Dorrance informed UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham on Friday and the team on Sunday.
Anson Dorrance, one of the most accomplished coaches in college athletics history who led UNC Women’s Soccer to decades of unparalleled success, announces his retirement.
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📰 » https://t.co/QYVhtHHHrO pic.twitter.com/3mpu2WxcMr
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) August 11, 2024
“After last season I initially was excited about the chance to bolster our roster, which we most certainly have done, but as preseason training camp went on, I realized I didn’t have the same energy it takes to give 100 percent to this year’s team,” Dorrance said in a statement. “The players and staff, the university, Carolina athletics and our great fans deserve more, and the respect I have for the amazing legacy the current and former players have built led me to make this decision at this time.”
“Anyone who knows Anson recognizes how deeply competitive he is,” Cunningham said, “so to step aside now underscores his belief it is the right decision for the success of this year’s team. I have great respect for him and his decision,”
Carolina had played two preseason exhibition matches under Dorrance’s watch this fall, including one on Saturday. The Tar Heels won both. The regular season begins for UNC on Thursday, August 15 at Denver. Dorrance is 73 years old and graduated from Carolina in 1974.
“Anson is an all-time soccer, coaching and Tar Heel legend,” said Cunningham. “The numbers and accomplishments are staggering and will be hard for any coach or program to replicate or exceed. His impact on the development and growth of women’s sports across the country and around the world has been profound. Not only did he elevate women’s sports in the NCAA, but he also led the early dominance of the United States Women’s National Team.”
Under Dorrance, UNC accumulated a 22-6 record in national championship games and won 22 of 32 ACC Tournaments played in his tenure. In that same time span, Carolina appeared in every NCAA Tournament and reached 31 College Cups (there have only been 42), 17 more than any other program. Its 22 national championships include four straight between 1981 and 1984 and nine straight between 1986 and 1994. The program with the next-most championships, Florida State, has four.
47 years as a UNC head coach.
22 national championships.
22 ACC championships.
19 national players of the year.1 legendary coach. pic.twitter.com/sxh5Xdh8To
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) August 11, 2024
Dorrance coached some of the greatest women’s soccer players of all time, both at the college and national level. Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Heather O’Reilly and Crystal Dunn are just a few of the women who started their careers as Tar Heels before achieving success on the international level. In total, 102 All-Americans and 19 National Players of the Year played for Dorrance at Carolina.
The only head coach in program history, Dorrance will leave Chapel Hill with a 934-88-53 record as the women’s coach and a 1,106-152-74 when counting his record with the UNC men’s program, which he coached for more than a decade. Included in that record are five perfect seasons, a 92-match winning streak and two unbeaten streaks (no losses or ties) of more than 100 matches. His 934 total wins and 147 NCAA Tournament wins are both the most in NCAA history. Entering the 2024 season, Carolina has been ranked in 513 consecutive weeks.
Dorrance also coached the United States Women’s National Team for eight years, leading Team USA to a FIFA Women’s World Cup title in 1991. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2008 and in 2019, Carolina named its renovated soccer and lacrosse stadium Dorrance Field in his honor.
“It is no exaggeration to say Anson Dorrance is one of the greatest collegiate coaches of all time, in any sport,” said UNC chancellor Lee Roberts. “He has trained many of the best players in the history of U.S. women’s soccer and has led our program through decades of unparalleled success. Coach Dorrance has shaped the sport for generations to come and leaves an unequaled legacy at Carolina.”
In Dorrance’s stead, assistant coach Damon Nahas will coach this season’s team. Cunningham will lead a national search to determine Dorrance’s permanent replacement.
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