COLLEGE WOMEN: McGuire leaves Mississippi State for Texas; Proost hired at Tennessee Tech

• by Soccer America , Jul 31, 2004

Neil McGuire has resigned as Mississippi State's women's soccer head coach to take the open assistant coach position at Texas, and Bulldogs assistant Neil MacDonald has taken charge of the program.

Former James Madison assistant coach Carrie Proost, a longtime W-League star who played in the WUSA last year as a replacement player, has been hired as head coach at Tennessee Tech.

MacDonald, who joined Mississippi State as volunteer assistant before the 2003 spring season, was promoted Friday to succeed McGuire, who begins his new job on Monday.

McGuire, a Scotsman, joins Chris Petrucelli's staff at Texas following four seasons in Starkville in which the Bulldogs were 36-40-5. He previously spent a year as head men's and women's coach at Iowa Central Community College and another as assistant coach at Iowa State. His teams at ICCC were 24-7-2.

McGuire, 32, told DawgsBite.com, a Mississippi State fan site, that he made the move because it will enable him to pursue a PhD at Texas, which will aid in his goal to become a college athletic director.

''Coaching is certainly a passion of mine and not something that I have lost,'' he told DawgsBite.com. ''I enjoy it tremendously and will not stop coaching. I just want to have all of my ducks in a row by the time I'm 45 or 50 to put me into the position to be an administrator.''

MacDonald also succeeded McGuire as men's and women's coach at ICCC, where his teams went 149-34-5

Proost, 31, spent seven seasons as assistant coach at JMU, her alma mater, following two seasons as assistant at Virginia Commonwealth. She takes over for former Penn State and New York Power coach Patrick Farmer, who departed to take charge of Syracuse's program.

Proost, who also coaches at Virginia Rush Soccer Club, is the all-time assists leader at JMU, with 36, and she has played 10 seasons for the W-League's Hampton Roads Piranhas, helping the Virginia Beach-based club to the league title last year. She played in three games for the Power during the 2003 season.

NCAA DIVISION I COACHING CHANGES/HIRES
(Since close of 2004 season)

Open positions

Alabama State (SWAC)
*Sacramento State (Big Sky)
Troy State (Atlantic Sun)

* -- announced interim head coach in place

Hires/Changes

Alabama State (SWAC) -- Open; first-year program
Arkansas (SEC) -- Gordon Henderson (Idaho State head coach) for Alan Kirkup (contract not renewed)
Arkansas State (Sun Belt) -- Jason Wharton (Cisco JC, Texas, head coach) for Kent Hefner (fired)

Cal State Northridge (Big West) -- Tony Davila (CS Northridge men's head coach; will coach both teams) for Mac Thompson (interim coach)/Allison Lee (resigned)
Central Michigan (MAC) -- Tony DiTucci (Central Michigan assistant coach) for Mark Salisbury (hired at Idaho State)
Cleveland State (Horizon) -- Derrek Fallor (DePaul assistant); first-year program
Colorado College (Independent) -- Geoffrey Bennett (Hartwick men's assistant) for Erik Oman (interim)/Greg Ryan (hired in early 2003 as U.S. Soccer Region II women's staff coach)

Davidson (Southern) -- Greg Ashton (Trinity, Texas, head coach) for Kevin Hundley (resigned)

Elon (Southern) -- Matt Clark (Southern Mississippi head coach) for Paul Webster (hired at Elmhurst, Ill., College)

Fresno State (WAC) -- Steve Springthorpe (Florida assistant) for Stacy Welp (resigned)

George Mason (CAA) -- Diane Drake (Georgetown head coach) for Jac Cicala (resigned)
Georgetown (Big East) -- Dave Nolan (Georgetown assistant) for Diane Drake (hired at George Mason)
Georgia Southern (Southern) -- Ashley Hart (UAB assistant) for Tom Norton (resigned)

Hartford (America East) -- John Natale (former Boston Breakers assistant) for Eva Bergsten (hired at Wesleyan, Conn., College)
Holy Cross (Patriot) -- Deborah Flaherty (West Chester head coach) for Mary Curtis (resigned)

Idaho State (Big Sky) -- Mark Salisbury (Central Michigan head coach) for Gordon Henderson (hired at Arkansas)

Jacksonville (Atlantic Sun) -- Chris Kouns (Penn assistant) for Mike Johnson (hired as Jacksonville men's coach)

Long Beach State (Big West) -- Mauricio Ingrassia (Long Beach, Calif., City College head coach) for Peter Reynaud (retired)
Louisiana Tech (WAC) -- Jennifer Soileau (Baton Rouge, La., Bishop Sullivan HS head coach); first-year program

Mercer (Atlantic Sun) -- Grant Serafy (Macon, Ga., Stratford Academy boys and girls coach) for Jodie Smith (resigned)
Minnesota (Big Ten) -- Mikki Denney Wright (Missouri assistant) for Barbara Wickstrand (contract not renewed; hired as Georgia assistant coach)
Mississippi State (Southeastern) -- Neil MacDonald (Mississippi State assistant) for Neil McGuire (hired as Texas assistant)
Montana (Big Sky) -- Neil Sedgwick (USC associate head coach) for Becky Duerksen (resigned)
Morehead State (Ohio Valley) -- Greg Sheen (Dayton Soccer Academy coaching director) for Leslie Faber (resigned)

Nevada (WAC) -- Teri Patraw (former Arizona State head coach) for Dang Pibulvech (contract not renewed; hired as Tulsa assistant coach)
Nicholls State (Southland) -- Cindy Piper (Barton County, Kan., Community College head coach) for Jim Zakel (resigned)

Sacramento State (Big Sky) -- Katie Poynter (interim) for Karen Hanks (resigned)
St. Francis, Pa. (Northeast) -- Open; Michael Coll (hired as Penn State assistant coach)
San Diego State (Mountain West) -- Michael Giuliano (Westmont head coach) for Chuck Clegg (retired)
San Jose State (WAC) -- Dave Siracusa (San Diego State men's assistant) for Cris Gilmore (resigned)
Southern Mississippi (Conference USA) -- Gail Macklin (Southern Miss assistant coach) for Matt Clark (hired at Elon)
Syracuse (Big East) -- Patrick Farmer (Tennessee Tech head coach) for April Kater (resigned)

Temple (Atlantic-10) -- David Jones (Temple men's assistant, served as interim 2003) for Seamus McWilliams (resigned)
Tennessee Tech (Ohio Valley) -- Carrie Proost (James Madison assistant) for Patrick Farmer (hired as Syracuse coach)
Troy State (Atlantic Sun) -- Open; John Garvilla (hired as Belhaven College athletic director)
Tulsa (WAC) -- Rena Richardson (Alabama assistant) for Damon Gore (resigned)

Vermont (America East) -- Kerry Dziczkaniec (Maryland assistant) for Jodi Kenyon (resigned)

Youngstown State (Horizon) -- Anthony James (West Virginia Wesleyan head coach) for Elizabeth Bartley (contract not renewed)