University of NC - Greensboro

UNCG Athletic Department
PO Box 26168 or 1408 Walker Avenue Greensboro, NC 27412

Division 1 North Carolina Southeast

Public Large National competitor

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Coaches

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Michael Coll

Michael Coll was named the head coach on March 11, 2014. Coll has guided UNCG to a 86-78-29 overall record, including a 49-30-11 in Southern Conference action, while winning the 2018 and 2017 SoCon Tournament Championships.

The Spartans concluded the fall 2021 season 4-8-6 overall and 3-4-2 in Conference play, including seven shutouts. Sophomore Caroline Woods led the Spartans with four goals and one assist, earning All-Conference second team honors, while freshman Chloe Lausell was tabbed on the All-Freshman Team. Senior Ashley Avelino was recognized on the SoCon All-Tournament Team, following the Spartans' appearance in the SoCon Quarterfinals, falling to No. 3 Western Carolina 1-0 in overtime. UNCG was ranked in the top 50 in three categories: 17th in save percentage (.848), 28th in shot accuracy (0.535), and 33rd in saves per game (6.22). Fifth-year goalkeeper Aiyanah Tyler-Cooper climbed the UNCG and SoCon record books in multiple categories. Among UNCG history, Tyler-Cooper now leads the way in career saves with 360, tied for second in shutouts with 25, fourth in minutes with 6,444:56, and fifth in goals against average with 0.98. She is tied for sixth in SoCon career history in shutouts and tied for 15th in goals against average. Tyler-Cooper was also the fourth women's soccer player in the past five years to sign a contract after the completion of her career in the Blue & Gold. The goalkeeper signed with FC Málaga City Femenino in Spain.

UNCG fell short of the SoCon Tournament in the Spring 2021 season with a 4-5-2 overall record and 4-4-1 Conference mark, tallying five shutouts. Defender and redshirt sophomore Ashley Avelino earned All-Conference second team honors. Avelino, Maddy Gilhool, and Caroline Woods each contributed two goals apiece to lead the team.

The Spartans entered the SoCon Championship Tournament as a No. 3 seed in 2019, finishing with a 7-2-0 record in conference play. UNCG had three players earn All-Conference designations including an All-Freshman selection in Gabi Santora. UNCG went as far as the SoCon semifinals before the team's season ended against No. 2 Furman. The Spartans recorded five clean sheets as a team on the year, including four in conference play alone, tied for the most in the SoCon.

In 2018 Coll led the Spartans to their ninth SoCon Tournament Championship in program history as the second-seeded Spartans defeated fifth-seed Furman 2-1 in the championship game. Midfielder Heida Ragney Vidarsdottir was named the SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and defender Emily Jensen and forwards Grace Regal and Cienna Rideout joined Vidarsdottir on the All-SoCon Tournament Team.

UNCG outscored conference opponents 34-8 and possessed the league’s top offense, averaging a SoCon-high 2.38 goals per game and 2.29 assists per game while having a goals against average of 0.99 with eight shutouts on the year.

Rideout was named Southern Conference Player of the Year while forward Nicole Souply was selected Freshman of the Year. Joining Rideout on the first-team were Jensen, Ragney Vidarsdottir and defender Marissa Ferrantino. Goalkeeper Aiyanah Tyler-Cooper and midfielder Grace Kennedy garnered second-team all-conference honors. Defenders Kayla Campbell and Gracie Timbario were also chosen to the all-freshman team, marking the 10th-straight season UNCG has placed a member on the team and the third-straight year the Spartans had multiple recipients.

In 2017 Coll guided UNCG to its first SoCon Tournament Championship since 2010 as the third-seeded Spartans defeated fourth-seeded Western Carolina 1-0 in the championship game. UNCG won six-straight games and outscored opponents 11-1 before falling to No. 1 seed Duke 1-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Defender Regan Lehman was named the SoCon Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after leading the Spartans’ defense to two shutouts and just one goal against in 281:12 minutes of play in tournament action. Jensen, Rideout and Ragney Vidarsdottir joined Lehman on the all-tournament team.

Jensen was named to the All-SoCon First Team while Lehman and Vidarsdottir were named to the second team. Forward/midfielder Kaley Tucker and midfielder Quiqui Hita were chosen for the all-freshman team.

UNCG garnered five All-SoCon selections in 2016, including a fourth-straight all-conference nod for defender Georgia Brown, who was named to the second team. Joining Brown on the second team were Lehman and goalkeeper Chloe Buehler. For the second year in a row the Spartans placed two players on the freshman team in Marissa Ferrantino and Rideout.

2015 saw UNCG earn seven all-conference awards including Caylin Prillaman being named SoCon Freshman of the Year. Chesney White and Brown earned first team honors while Zoe Fishman, Ashley Eddleman and Lehman were picked for the All-SoCon Second Team. In addition to being named SoCon Freshman of the Year, Prillaman was selected for the All-Freshman team with Gabbi Charles.

In 2015, UNCG faced three nationally ranked teams in Kentucky (23), Virginia Tech (10) and defending national champions Florida State (2). The Spartans topped NC State on the road, 2-0, for their first win over an ACC team since defeating Wake Forest in 2012. The Blue and Gold finished the season 9-9-3, garnering a 6-2-1 conference mark to earn the No. 3 seed in the SoCon Tournament.

In Coll's first season, four Spartans made All-Conference honors in White (first team), Brown (second team), Rebecca Burrows (second team) and Buehler (freshman team) during the 2014 season. Academically, six UNCG players were named to the SoCon All-Academic team in Coll's first season.

Coll has over 20 years of Division I soccer coaching experience including previous experience at University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), Penn State University and Saint Francis University of Pennsylvania.

Coll came to Greensboro from Las Vegas where he spent the previous two years as the head coach at UNLV posting a 22-12-7 overall record. In his first season at the helm of the team, Coll simply guided the Rebels to a school-record 12-4-4 season, as the .700 winning percentage is the highest in UNLV soccer history. The 12 wins accomplished by the squad is also tied for the second-highest in school history, and the four losses were the fewest in a season ever at UNLV. After a slow 1-2-1 start to begin the 2012 season, Coll's coaching began to take effect on the squad, leading to a school-record seven-game win streak, which started with one of the highlight victories of the year, a double-overtime victory over Oklahoma. The streak also led into a nine-game unbeaten streak, also a UNLV record, which was only snapped in a one-goal loss to nationally 7th ranked San Diego State. The Rebels would reach the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament for the third straight year before falling to San Diego State on its home field. At the end of the 2012 season a school-record three Rebels were named all west region, while four players earned first team All-Mountain West conference honors, also a program best.

During his second season at UNLV (2013) Coll helped lead UNLV to its second-straight 10-win season, despite starting between 5 and 7 freshmen in most games.

Prior to Las Vegas, Coll spent the previous eight years at Penn State, where he was an assistant coach for the women's soccer program. During his tenure on the Nittany Lions' staff, he helped guide the squad to five appearances in the NCAA Sweet 16, as well as a trip to the national semifinals in 2005. Penn State claimed eight straight Big Ten championship titles during Coll's tenure in Happy Valley.

While at Penn State, Coll was the recruiting coordinator for the Nittany Lions, as well as handling other aspects of the team, including individual and team training, scouting and game preparation, video analysis, alumni relations, and running the camp and clinic programs for PSU. Coll served under head coach Erica Walsh for the past five years at Penn State, and took on added responsibilities during the past few years when Walsh was named as assistant coach for the U.S. National Team in 2008.

Prior to joining the PSU staff, Coll was the head coach for the women's soccer program at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pa., during the 2001-03 seasons. Coll began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the men's program at Penn State, where he was on the staff from 1997-2000.

A four-year starter for Penn State, Coll was a two-time all-Big Ten conference selection and an All-American for the Nittany Lions. A native of Derry, Ireland, he represented his country at the World University Games in 1993 (USA), 1995 (Japan) and in 1997 (Italy).

Coll received a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise and Sport science from Penn State and a master's degree in Education/Leadership from Saint Francis University. He holds a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) premier diploma, advanced national and national diplomas from the NSCAA, and an Irish Football Associate "C" License.

Coll and his wife, Katie, were married in 2010 and currently reside in Greensboro.

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Stefani Workman

Stefani Workman joined the Spartan staff in August 2017 and was promoted to Associate Head Coach in July 2022.

Workman was an integral part of helping the Spartans win back-to-back SoCon Tournament Championships in 2017 and 2018. Workman has a variety of different roles on and off the field including office administration, recruiting, gameday management, and training the Spartan goalkeepers.

The Spartans concluded the fall 2021 season 4-8-6 overall and 3-4-2 in Conference play, including seven shutouts. Sophomore Caroline Woods led the Spartans with four goals and one assist, earning All-Conference second team honors, while freshman Chloe Lausell was tabbed on the All-Freshman Team. Senior Ashley Avelino was recognized on the SoCon All-Tournament Team, following the Spartans' appearance in the SoCon Quarterfinals, falling to No. 3 Western Carolina 1-0 in overtime. UNCG was ranked in the top 50 in three categories: 17th in save percentage (.848), 28th in shot accuracy (0.535), and 33rd in saves per game (6.22). Fifth-year goalkeeper Aiyanah Tyler-Cooper climbed the UNCG and SoCon record books in multiple categories. Among UNCG history, Tyler-Cooper now leads the way in career saves with 360, tied for second in shutouts with 25, fourth in minutes with 6,444:56, and fifth in goals against average with 0.98. She is tied for sixth in SoCon career history in shutouts and tied for 15th in goals against average. Tyler-Cooper was also the fourth women's soccer player in the past five years to sign a contract after the completion of her career in the Blue & Gold. The goalkeeper signed with FC Málaga City Femenino in Spain.

UNCG fell short of the SoCon Tournament in the Spring 2021 season with a 4-5-2 overall record and 4-4-1 Conference mark, tallying five shutouts. Defender and redshirt sophomore Ashley Avelino earned All-Conference second team honors. Avelino, Maddy Gilhool, and Caroline Woods each contributed two goals apiece to lead the team.

Under the tutelage of Coach Workman, freshman goalkeeper Abby Buchholz delivered five shutouts over her 16 starts in 2019, with four coming in conference play. Her 0.89 goals against average when playing conference opponents ranked fourth in the SoCon, while her four clean sheets against ETSU, Mercer, Wofford and VMI placed her in a tie for the top mark in the conference. After going 0-3-0 in her first four career appearances, Buchholz’ play continued to improve over her debut campaign with the Spartans, closing out the season on a 9-3-1 streak, and making a team-high 53 saves on the year.

In her first two seasons working with the Spartan goalkeepers, Workman guided Aiyanah Tyler-Cooper to among the best in the Southern Conference in every statistical category. Cooper led the SoCon in save percentage (.848) in 2018, while finishing second in saves (106) and shutouts (8) and third in goals against average (0.94). She allowed just one goal in the conference tournament with a .032 goals against average, 0.952 save percentage and 20 saves that pushed the Spartans to win their eighth SoCon Tournament, and first since 2010. In 2018 Tyler-Cooper was selected to the All-SoCon Second Team with a 15-5-1 record on the year. She ranked second in the conference in shutouts (6), third in saves (87), fourth in save percentage (.813) and fifth in goals against average (0.97).

In addition to her experience at the collegiate level, Workman currently serves as a US Soccer Youth National Team Scout where she identifies top talent for regional Identification Centers and Youth National Team Camps. She also serves as the Director of Goalkeeping for NC Fusion Triad.

Workman comes to Greensboro following a two-year stint as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Dayton. In 2016, she helped the Flyers capture an Atlantic 10 Conference Championship and a birth in the NCAA tournament. During her run in the Buckeye State, Workman also served as the Director of Goalkeeping for Thunder United in Cincinnati and the head coach of the U15 Ohio South Olympic Development Program (ODP) Team.

Prior to her time at Dayton, Workman spent one season as an assistant at the University of Georgia where she mentored three All-Southeastern Conference performers, and helped guide the Bulldogs to a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2014.

Before making the move to Athens, Georgia, Workman made her debut as a head coach at NCAA Division II program Concord University in Athens, West Virginia . From 2010-14 the Mountain Lions posted a 34-31-4 record, boasting 14 All-Conference selections in the Mountain East Conference. While serving as head coach, Workman also acted as the Director of Academics for the athletic department where she helped develop and run the Graduation Retention Improvement Program (GRIP) for all student-athletes at Concord University.

Workman spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons on the women’s soccer staff at West Virginia University under the leadership of Nikki Izzo-Brown. While with the Mountaineers, she coached the goalkeepers to 26 shutouts, a Big East Regular Season Title and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. During her time at WVU, Workman also earned a Master’s of Science in Athletic Coaching Education.

She began her coaching career in 2005 as an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati. Her main responsibilities included video analysis, individual development plans, recruitment of student-athletes, and on-field coaching of goalkeepers and the defensive unit.

Workman has served on staff of the U.S. Youth Soccer Region I/II Olympic Development Programs and state ODP programs (KY, NC, OH, WV). She completed her U.S. Soccer Talent Scout License in 2021 and began instructing the class in Spring 2022. Previously, she obtained a National “B” License from the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and an Advanced National Goalkeeping Diploma from the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Association.

In her playing career, Workman started all four seasons as a goalkeeper at Morehead State University. She earned multiple Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Player of the Week awards while helping the Eagles to multiple OVC Tournament appearances. She earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Morehead State in 2005, graduating with summa cum laude honors. Furthermore, Workman was the Vice President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and attended the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Conference as the Champ Life Skills Coordinator for Athlete Activities.

A native of Poca, West Virginia, Workman was named the 2000 West Virginia Soccer Coaches Goalkeeper of the Year. A four-year starter at Poca High, she was named to the All-State team four times, including first-team recognitions in 1998, 1999, and 2000. Workman played club soccer in West Virginia from 1992-2001.

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Mitch Williams

Williams joined the Spartans as an assistant coach in January 2022 after spending the previous two years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with Appalachian State.

"We are delighted to add Mitch to our staff," stated head coach Michael Coll. "His knowledge of the game plus video and scouting strengths excite us. He is a tremendous recruiter and after speaking with the head coaches from his years on the soccer staff at Florida State and App State it was clear that he can add great new ideas to help our players' development."

While at App State, Williams oversaw all video and analytics for the Mountaineers. Over his two-year stint, App State won a Sun Belt Conference Tournament game in each season, which was the first time in program history to win back-to-back tournament games. During the fall 2021 season, sophomore Breckyn Monteith led the Mountaineers with 10 goals, which ranks third all-time in program history, and 20 points, which ranks seventh all-time in App State history.

During his time at Florida State, Williams served as both a graduate assistant and volunteer assistant from 2017 through 2019. The Seminoles showcased consistency in the postseason, highlighted by the 2018 National Championship and ACC Tournament title. His teams appeared in the NCAA Elite Eight in 2019 and NCAA Sweet 16 in 2017.

Williams played soccer at Southern Illinois in Edwardsville for two years. There, he led his team to a Missouri Valley Conference Championship and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2014. After spending two years at SIUE, Williams transferred to the University of Mary Washington, where his team became a Capital Athletic Conference finalist in 2016.

Williams graduated in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in Economics from Mary Washington and earned his master's degree in Public Health in the fall of 2019 from Florida State.