Soccer practice on hold without head coach

By George Stepanoff | February 4, 2009

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Former head coach Steve Springthorpe left Fresno State for North Carolina State, and no replacement will be hired until March

There are several sports at Fresno State dealing with coaches 
leaving, and the women’s soccer team is one program that falls under 
that category. However, one thing other sports programs can’t relate 
to is what the soccer team is going through.


“Our team was supposed to start practice a couple of weeks 
ago, but it’s kind of hard when you don’t have a head coach,” 
sophomore defender Elora Martinez said. “All the players were a bit 
confused, but we have had a couple of meetings since then and now know 
we won’t have one until sometime in March.”


On Jan. 6, Steve Springthorpe, head coach of Bulldog soccer 
for the past five years, accepted a head coaching position in the 
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) at North Carolina State. 


“We definitely didn’t see it coming, but I do respect Steve’s 
decision,” Martinez said. “We didn’t hear about the news too much 
earlier than the public got to find out, but Steve did call each of us 
individually.”


Springthorpe leaves behind a young, talented team. The Bulldogs 
are coming off a season where they won the WAC Tournament earlier this 
fall, and made only the second NCAA Tournament appearance in Fresno 
State women’s soccer history. 


Springthorpe, in an earlier interview, discussed why he 
accepted the coaching position at NC State. He stated that his decision was based on what was 
best for his family, and that returning home to the East Coast with 
the opportunity to coach in the ACC was too attractive to pass up.


“I am happy for Steve,” Martinez said. “And I have faith in our 
university to find a qualified coach to fill the opening.”


Assistant coaches step up, may be replaced

Last week, in a team meeting with the athletic department, the 
Bulldogs received word that assistant coaches Chris Shaw and Christine 
Johnson will assume the coaching duties until a new head coach is 
found. 


Sophomore defender Allison Ventura says the team is close to 
its assistants.


“Steve is missed, but we’re okay as a team,” Ventura 
said. “All of us love our assistants, and respect both Chris and 
Christine.”


Shaw has been an assistant coach for the last two years, while 
Johnson has been with the Bulldogs for three. However, both assistant 
coaches’ jobs may be in jeopardy. 


Often, when a new head coach is hired, they 
bring in a staff of their own. Springthorpe did just that when he left the 
University of Florida and brought Johnson down with him to Fresno 
State.


“I don’t know what will happen come March,” Ventura said. “
There has just been a lot of uncertainty that has taken place over the 
last month.”


Fresno State is currently conducting its national search in 
pursuit of a coach. In the meantime, the ’Dogs are 
conditioning with trainers, and practice will start soon. 


“We’ll be fine”

Martinez says the team’s morale is fine.


“There’s nothing we can do now, but go out and continue to 
work hard,” Martinez said. “Who knows, maybe change could be good in 
some ways.”

If the position is occupied sometime in March, the coach will have 
approximately four months to have the team buy into his or her system. 


“The first couple practices may have a different feeling to 
them with the new coach in the beginning,” Martinez said. “But we will 
respect whoever the coach is; in time, we’ll be fine.” 


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