William Smith College Soccer Head Coach
Aliceann Wilber was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas NCAA Division III Women’s National Coach of the Year at the NSCAA Awards Banquet in St. Louis, Mo., on Jan. 16. It’s the fourth time she has earned national coach of the year honors.
In 2008, Wilber, along with assistant coaches
Chas Allen,
Courtney Peters ’08, and
Keith Perrigo, guided a young Heron squad to a 16-2-5 overall record, the Liberty League Championship, and a berth in the national semifinals. Her roster featured 14 first-years, including six in the starting lineup, and seven sophomores. Wilber’s charges produced a 19-match unbeaten streak (14-0-5), captured its second straight conference crown with a thrilling 5-4 penalty kick shootout victory, and advanced to the NCAA semifinals for the sixth time in program history with a heart-stopping 1-0 double overtime win. William Smith was ranked fourth in the nation in the final coaches’ poll.
“This award is an outstanding tribute to Aliceann and our soccer coaching staff on their outstanding leadership, mentoring, and teaching of our young team,” William Smith Athletic Director
Deb Steward said.
The only head coach the William Smith soccer program has ever known, Wilber boasts a career record of 389-115-45 (.750). No other woman in collegiate soccer has more career victories and only three men (North Carolina’s Anson Dorrance 673, Connecticut’s Len Tsantiris 463, and Rochester’s Terry Gurnett 397) have more victories as women’s head coaches.
Wilber’s teams have produced 25 consecutive winning seasons, earned 22 consecutive postseason bids (19 NCAA Tournaments, 3 ECAC Tournaments), and one national championship (1988). She has served as a mentor to 17 first team All-Americans—more than any other Division III women’s soccer program—including 2002 National Player of the Year Leah Cornwell ’03.
Wilber earned her previous national coach of the year awards in 1988, 1989, and 1991. She has been named the NSCAA’s Regional Coach of the Year seven times (1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2008). Wilber is also the only woman to receive the NSCAA’s Bill Jeffrey Award (in 2003) for long-term service to intercollegiate soccer.