Anson Dorrance announces her retirement from UNC women’s soccer after 45 seasons –
After 45 seasons At the helm of the program is UNC women’s soccer head coach Anson Dorrance announced his resignation on Sunday afternoon.
The seven-time national coach of the year was the first and only Women’s soccer head coach at North Carolina and led UNC to a 934-88-53 Record during his term — the most wins in the history of sports. Dorrances 21 NCAA championship titles are the the most by a head coach in any Division I sport.
Deputy Head Coach Demon Nahas will act as interim coach while Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham directs a nationwide search for Dorrance’s replacement. The Tar Heels open the season on Thursday in Denver.
“After last season, I was initially excited about the opportunity to strengthen our squad, which we definitely accomplished, but as preseason camp progressed, I realized I didn’t have the energy needed to give 100% to the team this year,” Dorrance said. 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.”
Last season, the Tar Heels finished with a 13-2-8 record and narrowly missed the College Cup after losing a 3-0 lead to BYU in the Quarterfinals of the NCAA tournamentAfter the loss 21 players from the 2023 roster left the program, nine moved to other schools and eleven turned pro.
According to the press release, Dorrance informed Cunningham of his decision on Friday and notified the team on SundayCunningham, Dorrance and Chancellor Lee Roberts will host a press conference on Monday at 2 p.m. in the Bowles Room at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Under his leadership, North Carolina 22 of the 32 ACC tournament title and reached 31 of the 42 College Cups ever played — 17 more than any other program. The Tar Heels are the only team that everyone NCAA Tournament and first or tied for first in the ACC regular season 25 times.
Dorrance is a Member the National Soccer Hall of Fame, the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame.
“Anson is an all-time football, coaching and Tar Heel legend,” Cunningham said in a statement. “The numbers and accomplishments are staggering and will be difficult for any coach or program to replicate or surpass. His impact on the development and growth of women’s sports across the country and around the world has been profound.”
