Bailey Named NSCAA/adidas New England Region Coach of the Year
Ninth-year mentor earns third region award after leading Ravens to 20-1-1 mark
RINDGE, N.H. (December 14, 2004) - Franklin Pierce women's soccer head coach, Jeff Bailey, has been voted the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas New England Region Coach of the Year by his peers. Bailey is now eligible for NSCAA/adidas Division II Coach of the Year accolades to be announced at the Association's winter convention in January.
Bailey, the winningest active coach in Division II, has led Franklin Pierce to a 180-12-5 (.926) record over his nine seasons at the helm, guiding the Ravens to the NCAA Division II Final Four eight times and claiming National Championships in 1996, '97, and '99. The region award is the third of his career after claiming honors in 1998 and 2002. Bailey has never earned Coach of the Year honors in either the Northeast-10 or New England Collegiate Conferences.
Bailey led the Ravens to their ninth-straight NCAA New England Regional title this season. Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 5 in the final NSCAA/adidas Division II poll, posted a 20-1-1 record, including a 13-1 mark in Northeast-10 Conference play, recording its fourth-straight NE-10 regular season and tournament double. The Ravens reached the quarterfinal round in their record 13th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance before being edged by national runners-up Adelphi University in a penalty shootout, ending its record streak of 12-straight Final Four berths.
Bailey's squad led the Northeast-10 in scoring (3.32 goals per match) and defense (0.64 goals allowed per match). Junior forward Laura Hislop (Belfast, Northern Ireland), the reigning National Player of the Year in Division II, led the Conference in scoring (77 pts), goals (31) and assists (15) for the second-straight year to earn NE-10 Player of the Year accolades - the fourth-straight year one of his players has earned the honor. Six Ravens received All-Conference honors and five earned All-New England accolades, while four earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District and NE-10 All-Academic honors and two received ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America selections.
Bailey's career winning percentage (.926) ranks behind only University of North Carolina legend Anson Dorrance (.945) among all collegiate soccer coaches regardless of division or gender. In 2001, he claimed his 100th career victory in just his 108th match coached, just two shy of the record for all of college athletics. Bailey has led the Ravens to a 63-3-4 (.929) record in five seasons in the Northeast-10 Conference, claiming the last four regular season titles and all five tournament championships since joining the Conference prior to the 2000 season. Overall, Franklin Pierce has posted a 93-3-4 (.950) clip in Conference play under Bailey, which includes four years in the New England Collegiate Conference.
Under Bailey's tutelage, the program has crowned 17 All-Americans, 38 All-New England and 48 All-Conference selections. His athletes have also been exemplary in the classroom, producing 16 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District and four ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honorees.
Franklin Pierce recognized Bailey for his efforts as a student-athlete (a four-year letterwinner and All-American from 1989-92) and coach when he was inducted into the College's Athletics Hall of Fame in October, 2000.