McGuire Named Region III ODP U-19 Head Coach
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State soccer head coach Neil McGuire was selected from a list of some of the top coaches in the Southeast to become the head coach of the Region III Olympic Development Program U-19 squad, the organization announced Monday.
McGuire will now instruct the best of a very strong talent pool this region has to offer. These players will come from the 11 southeastern states. The ODP Program, which is separated into four regions across the United States, is designed to mold and develop the best talent the country has to offer in an effort to keep the women's National team being the best team in the world in women's soccer.
"There are a lot of great coaches in the Region III area," said Duke University head coach Robbie Church, who also serves as head coach of the entire Region III ODP program. "I feel that Neil is at the top of that list. He is enthusiastic, as well as passionate, about the game and he relates very well with his players. He will bring a lot to our organization. "Across the country, soccer has become very popular with youth, with great numbers especially on the female side. We need to develop those players to get more quality and then shape that talent and take them to the next level."
Players from Region III, which include talent pools in the states of Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana and Arkansas, will assemble in Montevallo, Ala., during the summer. From those players, McGuire, along with his assistant coach, will be charged with identifying and selecting the best of the best for the Region III team.
The team will then train and compete at the U.S. National Team Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., against teams from the other three regions with standouts from these competitions invited to compete in the U-19 U.S. National Team training.
"Being named as the Regional team head coach is a tremendous honor for me," McGuire said. "It reflects very well on our players here at Mississippi State, as without their hard work and dedication to this program, I would not have had the chance. I am thankful to them for that.
"This opportunity will give me a chance to better myself as a coach, as well as learn more about the nation's best players and what it takes to further develop elite level soccer players. The United States has the very best women's soccer in the world, and our goal as coaches in the Olympic Development Program is to ensure it always remains so."