O’Brien Rounds Out Coaching Staff With Foster, Webb
January 09, 2026 | Soccer
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State head soccer coach Kevin O'Brien has announced two additions to complete the Bulldogs' on-field coaching staff for his first season. Mark Foster and Emma Webb will join the program as associate head coaches, while assistant coach Kat Stratton remains on staff to continue coaching goalkeepers.
Foster was most recently the head coach at UTRGV where he spent the prior four seasons leading the Vaqueros. He spent the 2018-22 seasons coaching Little Rock and began his head coaching career at Division II Trevecca Nazarene, his alma mater, from 2013-16, becoming the program's second-winningest head coach with a 40-27-8 record.
Webb joins the Bulldogs from Lipscomb, where she previously served alongside O'Brien for three years, winning conference titles while breaking or tying the program record for wins each season.
"I'm thrilled to welcome Mark and Emma to our staff," O'Brien said. "Having worked alongside Emma before, I know firsthand the energy and expertise she brings to a program. Mark's track record speaks for itself. His ability to build winning cultures and develop players is exceptional. Beyond their resumes, they're both incredible people who care deeply about student-athletes. I'm excited to see the impact they'll have on our team and the family we're building here at Mississippi State."
In 2024, Foster led UTRGV to just the sixth year with a .500 or better record in program history, going 7-7-5 and 3-3-2 in the program's first year as a member of the Southland Conference. The following season, he coached the Vaqueros first three matches before taking a medical leave of absence for the remainder of the year.
During his tenure at Little Rock, Foster guided the program to its first Sun Belt Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2018 on the back of a program-record 13 wins. His teams went on to reach the Sun Belt Conference Tournament again in 2020 and 2021.
Foster has made defense one of his primary focuses as his Little Rock teams posted 32 shutouts in four years while continually ranking in the top half of the Sun Belt in goals against average. He also guided seven players to All-Sun Belt honors and five to All-Sun Belt Tournament Team selections.
"It's hard to put it into words. It's a wonderful blessing, a wonderful opportunity," Foster said. "When a coach like Kevin O'Brien calls and asks you to come on board and work with him at a school like Mississippi State, professionally that's a dream. I'm from Ireland, but all the time I've lived in America has been in the South, so everything's been about the SEC. My wife's originally from Memphis, so I've heard lots of great things about Starkville and Mississippi State. When we sat down as a family we were like. 'Professionally, this is a dream. Privately, this is fantastic for our family.' We couldn't wait to get here. All in all, I'm really excited and can't wait to get working with everybody here in Starkville."
Webb began her tenure with the Bisons as an assistant before being promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2024 season. She was part of Lipscomb's back-to-back ASUN Tournament Championships and NCAA Tournament berths in her final two seasons in Nashville.
In her first season with the Bisons, Webb helped coach the squad to the 2023 ASUN Regular Season Championship after going 10-0-1 in conference play. All 10 conference victories were shutouts. The team finished with a 14-5-1 overall record, setting a then-school record for wins. In 2024, Lipscomb matched the school record with 14 wins and an ASUN Tournament title before breaking it with 15 wins, including the second NCAA Tournament victory in school history, in 2025.
Prior to her arrival in Nashville, Webb spent four seasons (2019-22) as the head coach at Alliance University, improving the Warriors' program from a 10th-place conference finish to a third-place finish within a year. She was named the 2021 CACC Coach of the Year following a season in which her squad finished 4-3-1 with a trio of shutouts.
"I am so excited to join the soccer staff here at Mississippi State," Webb said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to continue coaching with Coach OB and to see his vision come to life at MSU. It's clear that Starkville has become a place where championships can be won, and I can't wait to help continue in that tradition. From the community to the staff to the caliber of players we will work with, this was an easy decision to jump into. I can't wait to get started."
Both coaches had accomplished playing careers. Foster was a four-time All-TranSouth Athletic Conference selection at Trevecca Nazarene, earning First Team honors in 2005 and 2008 and Second Team honors in 2006 and 2007. He was the league's Player of the Year in 2008 and Freshman of the Year in 2005. The Newcastle, Ireland, native finished his career as the program leader in goals (41) and points (95) while tied for the program's assists record (13), and he was inducted into the Trevecca Nazarene Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017 as the only player in program history to have his number retired.
Webb competed collegiately for Houghton University where she spent four seasons with the Highlanders. Over her career, she helped the Highlanders to a 53-28-4 record, four post-season runs and a NCCAA National Championship in 2015.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."
Foster was most recently the head coach at UTRGV where he spent the prior four seasons leading the Vaqueros. He spent the 2018-22 seasons coaching Little Rock and began his head coaching career at Division II Trevecca Nazarene, his alma mater, from 2013-16, becoming the program's second-winningest head coach with a 40-27-8 record.
Webb joins the Bulldogs from Lipscomb, where she previously served alongside O'Brien for three years, winning conference titles while breaking or tying the program record for wins each season.
"I'm thrilled to welcome Mark and Emma to our staff," O'Brien said. "Having worked alongside Emma before, I know firsthand the energy and expertise she brings to a program. Mark's track record speaks for itself. His ability to build winning cultures and develop players is exceptional. Beyond their resumes, they're both incredible people who care deeply about student-athletes. I'm excited to see the impact they'll have on our team and the family we're building here at Mississippi State."
In 2024, Foster led UTRGV to just the sixth year with a .500 or better record in program history, going 7-7-5 and 3-3-2 in the program's first year as a member of the Southland Conference. The following season, he coached the Vaqueros first three matches before taking a medical leave of absence for the remainder of the year.
During his tenure at Little Rock, Foster guided the program to its first Sun Belt Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2018 on the back of a program-record 13 wins. His teams went on to reach the Sun Belt Conference Tournament again in 2020 and 2021.
Foster has made defense one of his primary focuses as his Little Rock teams posted 32 shutouts in four years while continually ranking in the top half of the Sun Belt in goals against average. He also guided seven players to All-Sun Belt honors and five to All-Sun Belt Tournament Team selections.
"It's hard to put it into words. It's a wonderful blessing, a wonderful opportunity," Foster said. "When a coach like Kevin O'Brien calls and asks you to come on board and work with him at a school like Mississippi State, professionally that's a dream. I'm from Ireland, but all the time I've lived in America has been in the South, so everything's been about the SEC. My wife's originally from Memphis, so I've heard lots of great things about Starkville and Mississippi State. When we sat down as a family we were like. 'Professionally, this is a dream. Privately, this is fantastic for our family.' We couldn't wait to get here. All in all, I'm really excited and can't wait to get working with everybody here in Starkville."
Webb began her tenure with the Bisons as an assistant before being promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2024 season. She was part of Lipscomb's back-to-back ASUN Tournament Championships and NCAA Tournament berths in her final two seasons in Nashville.
In her first season with the Bisons, Webb helped coach the squad to the 2023 ASUN Regular Season Championship after going 10-0-1 in conference play. All 10 conference victories were shutouts. The team finished with a 14-5-1 overall record, setting a then-school record for wins. In 2024, Lipscomb matched the school record with 14 wins and an ASUN Tournament title before breaking it with 15 wins, including the second NCAA Tournament victory in school history, in 2025.
Prior to her arrival in Nashville, Webb spent four seasons (2019-22) as the head coach at Alliance University, improving the Warriors' program from a 10th-place conference finish to a third-place finish within a year. She was named the 2021 CACC Coach of the Year following a season in which her squad finished 4-3-1 with a trio of shutouts.
"I am so excited to join the soccer staff here at Mississippi State," Webb said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to continue coaching with Coach OB and to see his vision come to life at MSU. It's clear that Starkville has become a place where championships can be won, and I can't wait to help continue in that tradition. From the community to the staff to the caliber of players we will work with, this was an easy decision to jump into. I can't wait to get started."
Both coaches had accomplished playing careers. Foster was a four-time All-TranSouth Athletic Conference selection at Trevecca Nazarene, earning First Team honors in 2005 and 2008 and Second Team honors in 2006 and 2007. He was the league's Player of the Year in 2008 and Freshman of the Year in 2005. The Newcastle, Ireland, native finished his career as the program leader in goals (41) and points (95) while tied for the program's assists record (13), and he was inducted into the Trevecca Nazarene Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017 as the only player in program history to have his number retired.
Webb competed collegiately for Houghton University where she spent four seasons with the Highlanders. Over her career, she helped the Highlanders to a 53-28-4 record, four post-season runs and a NCCAA National Championship in 2015.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."
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