|
Jim McGirr enters his fifth season as head coach of the Providence College women's soccer team. As the program's eighth coach in its 25 year history, McGirr is looking to improve upon last year's 6-8-3 record. After the team was decimated by injuries in `08, McGirr has high hopes for his squad this season. McGirr, who now has three recruiting classes with the Friars, also is looking to lead Providence to its first winning season since 1993. "Jim McGirr is the ideal coach to rebuild our program in the highly competitive BIG EAST," Providence College Athletic Director Bob Driscoll said upon McGirr's hiring. "He has coached at many different levels and he has experience recruiting in the BIG EAST. We are excited about the passion and commitment that he will bring to our women's soccer program." In his five years at Providence, McGirr has begun rebuilding the program with a new recruiting style and intensity along the sidelines. This season, the Friars return 15 letter winners and welcome seven newcomers. Prior to coaching at Providence, McGirr spent two seasons as an assistant at Villanova University. He helped the Wildcats advance to the NCAA Tournament in 2003 and 2004 and achieve national rankings during those seasons. The 2003 Villanova squad won the BIG EAST title and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. He was in charge of many aspects of Villanova's program, including scouting, video editing, recruiting, training and off-season development. McGirr is known for his championship level experience and continues to use it along the Friar sidelines. Prior to coaching at Villanova, McGirr spent one season as an assistant coach at Loyola College where his team advanced to the 2002 NCAA Tournament. He also served as a volunteer coach for Rutgers in 2001, helping guide the Scarlet Knights to the Sweet 16. In 2000, he served as an assistant coach at Lafayette College with the men's program that captured the Patriot League regular season title. McGirr has extensive experience coaching at the club level as well. From 1997-2002, he was a head coach for the New Jersey Olympic Development Program. Additionally, he was the coach for Wyckoff Torpedos Under-19 Girls Club Team (1998-2001), head coach at the Player Development Academy for the Under-17 boys team (2000-02) and technical director/assistant coach at the Baltimore Bays Under-14 Girls Club Team (2002-03). Most recently, he served as the director for coaching for the FC Delco Girls Soccer Club, a position he held through 2003. He started his coaching career as the head coach of the boys team at Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, N.J. He coached Bergen Catholic from 1995-99 and led the team to the 1999 New Jersey Parochial "A" State title. A 1992 graduate of Rider, McGirr played three varsity season for the Broncs. |
|
|||||||||||||||
