Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Contact: Stan Cole

Patrick Ferguson Accepts Women's Soccer Coaching Job at Wright State

BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Patrick Ferguson, head coach at Campbell University for the past five seasons, has accepted the head coaching position of the women's soccer program at Wright State University, WSU Athletics Director Mike Cusack announced Tuesday.

Ferguson, a native of Strongsville, Ohio, led the Camels to a five-year record of 48-35-11, including 12-2-7 last season. In 2004, his team won the Atlantic Sun regular season and tournament title, and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. A two-time conference coach of the year (2001, 2004), eight of Ferguson's players were named to the A-Sun All-Conference teams in the past two years.

His overall coaching record is 76-62-11 (8 years), including previous stints at Mount Union and Malone.

"I am extremely excited about this opportunity and the possibilities that are ahead," Ferguson said. "I am looking forward to working with everyone at Wright State and continuing the tradition of fine soccer that the Raiders have started. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity that I was given to coach at Campbell University and the Division I level. I feel the program is in a very good position to continue the success that we enjoyed over the last several years. I have many fond memories of my time here, both on the field and off. I wish the players, the department and the university continued success.

In 2004, Campbell was one of five Division I programs in the nation to post one loss, or less, during the regular season and was ranked in the top 10 of the NSCAA Southeast Region poll. Also, eight players over the last two years have earned all-conference honors.

"Pat has done a tremendous job building the women's soccer program at Campbell," said Campbell Director of Athletics Stan Williamson. "We will deeply miss Pat both professionally and personally. We wish Pat and his wonderful family the very best. We will now immediately move forward in selecting the next head coach for Campbell's women's soccer program in order to continue the success built during Pat's tenure."

Ferguson started the women's program at his alma mater at Malone College in Canton, Ohio in 1997. His first squad was ranked as high as seventh in the NAIA Great Lakes Region and finished with an 11-7 record.

After guiding Malone to a 9-11 mark in 1998, Ferguson accepted the head job at NCAA Division III member Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio and led his team to an 8-9-0 mark. That squad doubled Mount Union's win total from its 1998 team that finished 4-12 before Ferguson's arrival.

"Patrick brings the experience of building winning programs," Dr. Cusack said. "His track record as a Division I head coach makes him the perfect coach to build upon our women's soccer tradition."

Outside the collegiate realm, Ferguson has experience as a staff coach with the Ohio North Olympic Development Program (ODP). He has experience working with male and female players from eight years of age up to national pool ODP players. He holds the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Advanced National and Premier diplomas and the United States Soccer Federation "B" license.

Ferguson began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant with the men's program at Malone in 1995. A 1992 Malone graduate with a B.A. in religious studies, Ferguson began his collegiate career as a walk-on, but started all 88 matches during his playing days and set school records for games played and started. As Malone's sweeper, Ferguson served as team captain and was an all-district and all-region selection.

Ferguson is married to the former Julie Kay Rollins. The Fergusons have five children.