Better Than He Found It, Efrem Egede

"Personally, when I first came to work for the program under Aaron Gordon, I told myself I wanted to leave this team better than I found it."

If anyone at State has seen the development of the soccer program, it is Efrem Egede. He is a graduate manager for the Mississippi State soccer team and has worked with the team since 2015. Egede has played a significant role in the team's development and success throughout the years.

He works alongside the staff to ensure that practice and the overall experience for the student-athletes runs as smoothly as possible. From the beginning, he has committed himself to achieving that goal of leaving a positive impact on the team. Despite the early mornings and hectic schedules, Egede tries his best to help the players in their development and skills while still being their biggest motivator.

"If anyone is having a tough day then all they have to do is see Efrem's contagious smile and he makes it all good again," head soccer coach James Armstrong said.

Soccer has been a part of Egede's life for as long as he can remember. He fell in love with the sport the moment his mother enrolled him and his brother.

"If you want to know something about me, it's that I love soccer," said Egede.

He played club soccer in Georgia, but unfortunately had a knee injury in October of 2010 which ended his chances of playing at the collegiate level. That did not stop his love for the sport though; he continued to keep soccer a constant in his life. This is reflected in his work for the team here at State.

Egede has seen the highs and lows of the program, but recently it has only gone up for the team. When it comes to choosing his favorite moment, there's too many to choose from. From Rhylee DeCrane's comeback as a starting goalkeeper to Zakirah "Zee" McGillivary's last-minute screamer against South Carolina, he's seen it all.

He shows his love and high praise for the players, highlighting their professionalism. He's seen several of the girls grow throughout the years and go on into the professional level, like Gabby English and Catalina Perez. As for the current players, there's an entire list that Egede believes can follow their steps into the professional ranks. He mentions the potential of players like Niah Johnson and Andrea Tyrrell, describing Niah as a "champagne footballer" and Andrea as "bread and butter". From the attacking to defense, Egede enjoys it all. Not only does the team have quick forwards that score "screamers" but also defenders who put their bodies on the line.

"You have everything here to get to the next level if that's what you want," said Egede.

To him, the chemistry between the staff and players is what makes Mississippi State soccer different from other schools in the SEC. Everyone on the team has the same goal and are all willing to work hard in order to reach it.

Egede himself is a student-athlete, just in a unique way. He attends practices, games, and is an important factor in the team while also taking classes. Apart from soccer he also loves science and is currently pursuing his second engineering degree at Mississippi State.

Being an engineer ties into his work with soccer, giving him the tools to be a better critical thinker and problem solver, especially when it came to creating training sessions for camps based on different scenarios.

"He has a genuine passion for the game and is always asking questions to gain a greater understanding of why we do what we do," said Armstrong.

Egede has the utmost respect and love for the staff and players. He's seen this team go from winning their first SEC game under Aaron Gordon to reaching their third SEC Tournament. Even after he leaves next May, Egede is certain that the ladies will continue to rise and achieve the goals they seek. Ultimately, Egede's goal has been and continues to be accomplished.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Better Than He Found It, Efrem Egede

Players Mentioned

Rhylee DeCrane

Gabby English

Niah Johnson

Andrea Tyrrell

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