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Shaun Docking
28th season overall | 26th season at Coastal Carolina
326-167-52 (.646) overall | 306-148-50 (.657) at Coastal Carolina
The 2023 season will mark Shaun Docking’s 26th season as the head coach of the Coastal Carolina University men’s soccer program. In his tenure, he has guided the Chanticleers to a 306-148-50 (.657) record. His overall 27-year record stands at 326-167-52 (.646) entering the 2023 slate.
Over the last 10 years, Docking has posted a 112-57-24 record which ranks him 17th in the NCAA for most wins and 17th in won-loss percentage (.642).
In 2022 Docking led the team to a 5-5-6 overall record while going 2-1-5 in conference play. The Chants entered to 2022 Sun Belt Championship Tournament as fifth seeds but were eliminated in the quarterfinals by West Virginia, 1-0.
Docking notched his 300th CCU win against Northern Kentucky on Oct. 30, 2021; a 4-1 victory for the Chants.
In 2019 he became the 19th D-I coach to reach 300 career wins when the Chanticleers defeated Radford 3-2.
The Chants have been a top program in the Sun Belt since joining in 2016. The Chanticleers have won the three regular-season championships in 2016, 2017, and 2020. CCU also won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020, earning the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA National Championship those four years.
Before CCU moved to the Sun Belt Conference, Docking led Coastal Carolina to nine Big South regular-season championships, seven Big South Tournament Championships and 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament. Overall he earned seven Big South Coach of the Year awards.
In addition to his seven Big South Coach of the Year and two Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors at Coastal Carolina, Docking has coached six NSCAA Division I All-Americans, 34 NCAA All-Region performers, a NSCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year selection, eight NSCAA Scholar All-Americans, 101 All-Conference selections, 78 All-Tournament selections, 10 Big South Players of the Year, three Big South Freshmen of the Year, seven Big South Tournament MVP’s, three BSC Scholar-Athletes of the Year, five MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, two Senior Class Award finalists and two Howard Bagwell Award winner.
He has also seen four of his players named to the Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team, four Sun Belt All-Tournament Most Outstanding Players and 14 Sun Belt All-Tournament team members. Along with two Sun Belt Newcomers of the Year award winners and two Sun Belt Freshman of the Year recipients.
Twenty-five of Docking’s former players have entered the pro ranks. Goalie standout Tor Saunders became the latest to be drafted when the Nashville SC picked Saunders in the third round of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft. DZ Harmon also signed to play with the Charleston Battery following the 2020-21 season.
Former Chanticleer standout Justin Portillo reached the pros when he signed with Real Salt Lake in 2019 and Frantzdy Pierrot was drafted by the Colorado Rapids SC in the second round (27th overall) of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.
Also signing professionally in 2016 was Tobenna Uzo by Orlando City SC and former defender Uchenna Uzo, who missed the 2015 season with injury. A year prior (2015), defender Shawn McLaws was drafted and signed by the New York Red Bulls.
Also inking professionally following the 2014 campaign were Ricky Garbanzo (Charleston Battery) and Devin Cook-Perales (Austin Aztecs). Signing professionally after the 2013 season were midfielders Pedro Ribeiro (drafted 15th overall by the Philadelphia Union in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft) and Justin Portillo (Charleston Battery).
Following the 2012 season Ashton Bennett was selected by Toronto FC with the first pick of the second round of the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft. Also turning professional in his native Norway after the 2012 season was defender Henrik Robstad and Kjartan Sigurdsson signed professionally in his native Iceland.
At the conclusion of the 2011 season Cyprian Hedrick was selected in the second round with the 30th overall by Sporting Kansas City, while goalkeeper Scott Angevine signed a free agent deal with Sporting KC. After the 2004 season, Boyzzz Khumalo and Mubarike Chisoni were both drafted in the 2005 MLS draft. Khumalo was drafted by the Chicago Fire in the third round with the 36th overall pick. Chisoni was taken by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the fourth round as the 48th overall selection.
In the spring of 2004, Ngwenya was drafted third in the MLS draft by the L.A. Galaxy and Peter Louis was selected by FC Dallas. In the spring of 2002, Tyler Hughes and Thomas Rutter, signed pro contracts to play for the Toronto Lynx (A-League) and Wilmington Hammerheads (USLSD), respectively.
In 2006 Jordie Hughes signed to play for the Charleston Battery (A-League), while Joseph Kabwe inked with the Charlotte Eagles (USLSD). Luke Ibbetson signed with the Wilmington Hammerheads in 2007. Mkhokheli Dube, the 2007 Big South Player of the Year, was selected eighth overall by the New England Revolution in the MLS Supplemental Draft.
The 2020 season saw several conferences decide not to play in the fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sun Belt was not one of those conference’s and with the Chants winning the conference title in the fall, the season was expanded into the 2021 spring as the NCAA Championship was not to be played until May.
CCU played eight matches in the fall and followed that up with eight more matches in the spring to finish the dual season 9-5-2 overall.
While Docking picked up his second Sun Belt Coach of the Year honor, he saw Marcello Jones, Mael Couteau, and Tor Saunders named to the All-Sun Belt Team, while Saunders was named the Newcomer of the Year and Jason Kemble was named the Freshman of the Year.
Following the conference tournament title, Saunders was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Marcelo Lage, Estaban Leiva, and Marcello Jones.
Under Docking’s tutelage, Saunders became the fifth player to be named a MAC Hermann Award Finalist, while also picking up a Senior CLASS Award Men’s Soccer First-Team All-America honor.
The 2019 season saw CCU reach double-digits wins again for the 21st time under Docking. It was also the 22nd season in his career in which Docking-led programs had reached double digits in wins, and in the process, the Chants won their third Sun Belt Tournament Championship to earn another automatic berth into the NCAA Championship.
Once again the Chants were well represented on post season teams following the conclusion of the exciting 2019 season. Tsiki Ntsabeleng and Jeranimo Power were named first team All-Sun Belt and teammates Tyrone Mondi, DZ Harmon, Morten Timm and Alberto Ciroi were named second team. Freshman Sam Snaith was named the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year.
In winning their third Sun Belt Conference Tournament, Alberto Ciroi was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He was joined on the all-tournament team by Kasper Skraep, Sam Snaith and Jeranimo Power.
In the classroom Tyrone Mondi, Jeranimo Power and Tsiki Ntsabeleng were named NSCAA Scholar All-American. Mondi picked up CoSIDA Academic All-District honors and concluded his outstanding season by bein named CoSIDA Fist Team Academic All-America.
Following the 2018 season Docking saw six of his players receive All-Sun Belt honors. Leading the way was Yazeed Matthews who was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Year and Tsiki Ntsabeleng was named the conference’s Newcomer of the Year.
Joining Matthews and Ntsabeleng on the first team were Henrik Mueller, Kervin Fadel and Jeranimo Power. Tyrone Mondi was named to the second team.
Henrik Mueller led a Chant trio to receive national academic honors as Carlos Becerra and Tyrone Mondi joined Mueller on the Google Cloud Academic All-District Team. Mueller went on to receive Google Cloud Academic First Team Honors and Mondi was named to the third team.
In 2017 CCU won its second Sun Belt regular season and tournament championship and moved on to the NCAA Championship.
The Chants made a solid run winning its first two NCAA Championship matches, including a road-upset win at #8 Clemson 3-1.
The veteran coach led CCU to its fifth Round of 16 game in program history, before falling at eventual national champion Stanford. CCU finished the season ranked as high as ninth in one poll.
For his efforts, Docking was named the 2017 Sun Belt Coach of the Year, his first Sun Belt honor and his eighth overall.
Following the season, seven CCU players received All-Sun Belt honors including Frantzdy Pierrot who was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year.
Joining Pierrot on the First Team were Braulio Linares-Ortiz, Kervin Fadel, Louis Dargent and Miguel Gutierrez.
Romario Piggott and Martin Melchor received Second Team honors.
Pierrot and Dargent would go on to receive All-Southeast Regional honors and Henrik Mueller would pick up CoSIDA Regional and Second Team All-America Academic honors.
The 2015 Chanticleers became the highest ranked team in program history, earning the No. 4 national ranking by both the NSCAA and College Soccer News for two weeks in late September and early October. The Chants, which went 6-1-2 in Big South play, finished the season 13-3-4 overall and ranked 20th in the final NSCAA/Continental Tire Poll. The campaign also marked the fifth straight season the Chants hosted and won an NCAA Tournament First Round game. Docking led the Chanticleers to a 3-2-2 record against nationally-ranked opponents, including a dominating win over No. 18 Charlotte and a tightly contested draw at No. 6 Clemson in back-to-back contests.
The 2015 Chants proved to be one of the most balanced team in the nation, ranking 35th in the NCAA in total goals (33) and 10th in goals against average (0.66). A total of 11 Chants scored during the season and 13 recorded an assist. In addition, five players scored at least three goals and seven players notched two or more assists.
Docking led 11 Chanticleers to all-conference recognition. Senior midfielder Colin Marz along with senior forward Tobenna Uzo were honored as first team selections. Junior midfielder Sergio Camargo and sophomores Louis Dargent (midfielder), Einar Einarsson (defender) and Elis Bjornsson (defender) were second team selections, while senior forward Bryce Follensbee and junior goalkeeper Fernando Pina were honorable mention selection. Freshmen Jair Espinoza (midfielder), Ryan Willoughby (midfielder) and Sindri Kristinsson (defender) picked up all-freshman team plaudits. Marz was also named to the All-Academic Team for his work in the classroom.
In addition to league honors, Marz also earned NSCAA All-South Region third team recognition.
In 2014 Docking led the Chanticleers to the program’s 12th Big South Tournament Championship and fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Chants, which went 7-1-1 in Big South play, finished the season 16-6-1 overall and ranked 22nd in the final NSCAA/Continental Tire Poll. The campaign also marked the fourth straight season the Chants hosted and won an NCAA Tournament First Round game. Docking led the Chanticleers to wins over two nationally ranked opponents in the first three game of the season and a seven-match win streak through the heart of the schedule.
The 2014 Chanticleers finished the season with 48 goals to rank second in the nation, while their 44 assists ranked fifth. The team racked up 140 total points to rank third in the country and averaged 2.09 goals per game. On the defensive end, the Chants held a 0.85 goals against average, ranking 39th in the nation.
For the fourth consecutive season Docking led the Chants to a sweep of the Big South postseason player of the year awards with Shawn McLaws being named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and Ricky Garbanzo picking up the Attacking Player of the Year honor. Also earning all-conference recognition were Uchenna Uzo (first team), Ollivier Gueguen (second team), Tommy Gudmundsson (second team and freshman), Devin Cook-Perales (honorable mention) and Sergio Camargo (honorable mention), Louis Dargent (freshman) and Ridge Robinson (academic).
In addition to league honors, Uzo, Garbanzo and McLaws were also named to NSCAA All-South Region honorees. Garbanzo and McLaws earned first team honors from the organization, while Uzo was tabbed to the second team. McLaws also named a third team All-American by College Soccer News, becoming the Chanticleer defender since Guy Norcott in 1992 to be named an All-American.
The 2013 campaign was another banner season for the Chanticleers as Docking led the squad to a 19-5-0 overall record and captured both the Big South regular season and tournament championships and made a second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament Round of 16. In addition, Coastal’s 19 wins led the nation and the squad finished ranked 15th in the NSCAA/Continental Tire poll after climbing to as high as fifth during the regular season. The Chants defeated three nationally ranked opponents during the regular season and upset 13th-seeded Charlotte in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Coastal’s offensive and defensive units were equally impressive in 2013 as the Chanticleers ranked 11th in the NCAA in both scoring offense (1.96 goal per game) and shutout percentage (0.50). The Coastal attack tallied 47 goals on the year, ranking second in the nation, while the defense conceded only 20 goal to rank 34th with a 0.83 goals against average. In addition, Coastal ranked third in the country in assists (44) and total points (138).
2013 marked the third consecutive season Docking led a Chanticleer sweep of the Big South postseason player of the year honors as Pedro Ribeiro was named Attacking Player of the Year and Shawn McLaws garnered the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year honor. In addition to Coastal’s conference honors, Ribeiro was named a NSCAA First Team All-American and a MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist. Ribeiro along with McLaws, Uchenna Uzo and Justin Portillo also earned NSCAA All-South Atlantic Region plaudits. Moreover, both Portillo and Uzo were selected as NSCAA Scholar All-Americans.
In total, the 2013 Chanticleers were bestowed a conference-high 11 postseason awards. Joining Ribeiro and McLaws on the first team were Justin Portillo, Devin Cook and Ricky Garbanzo. Uzo received second team recognition, while Sergio Camargo and Kai Morton picked up all-freshman honors. Portillo was also named to the Big South All-Academic Team.
Docking picked up his seventh Big South Coach of the Year honors as a Chanticleer in 2012 after leading the Chants to a 20-2-3 overall record, including a record-setting 10-0-0 mark in Big South play. Coastal closed the season ranked a program-high 11th by the NSCAA and 12th by College Soccer News, won a second straight Big South regular season title and tied the program’s best postseason run with a NCAA Round of 16 appearance. The Chants also hosted its second straight NCAA First Round game, downing Elon 3-0, and defeated No. 14 Wake Forest 2-1 in overtime in the tournament’s round of 32.
Coastal’s defensive unit was one of the best in the country in 2012, holding opponents to only 22 goals in 25 games while posting 12 shutouts. Moreover, the Chants surrendered only two goals in conference play. The Chants finished the season ranked 10th in the NCAA with a 0.48 shutout percentage and 27th with a 0.85 team goals against average.
For the second straight year Docking led Coastal to a sweep of the Big South’s postseason player of the year honors as Ashton Bennett earned his second Attacking Player of the Year award and Kjartan Sigurdsson was tabbed the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. In addition to league honors, Bennett was named a NSCAA First Team All-American, a Senior CLASS Award finalist and MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist. Bennett along with Sigurdsson, Uchenna Uzo, Justin Portillo and Pedro Ribeiro also earned NSCAA All-South Atlantic Region plaudits.
In all, the 2012 Chanticleers collected a league-high 11 All-Big South honors. Joining Bennett and Sigurdsson on the first team were Ricky Garbanzo, Pedro Ribeiro and Justin Portillo. Defenders Henrik Robstad and Uchenna Uzo along with netminder Federico Bertele earned season team all-conference honors, while Jhamie Hyde and Tevin Skyers earned all-freshman plaudits. Robstad was also named to the Big South All-Academic Team.
Docking earned his record sixth Big South Coach of the Year honors in 2011 as he led the Chanticleers to one of the most successful campaigns in program history. The team finished 16th in the national poll, had an 18-4-0 record, won the Big South regular season championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In addition, Coastal defeated No. 16 VCU and No. 21 Ohio State at home on back-to-back Sunday’s as part of a 16-1-0 run to close out the regular season after falling to eventual national runner-up UNC Charlotte in the season opener. The Chants also celebrated the program’s second-ever NCAA postseason home game with a 4-3 victory over Southern Conference champion Elon to improve to 83-26-8 (.743) all-time at home under Docking.
The 2011 team proved to have the most lethal attack in the country as the Chants ranked tops in the NCAA in both scoring offense (3.0 goals per game) and total goals (66). Individually, junior striker Ashton Bennett led the nation in total goals with 23, ranked first in total points with 53 (23g/7a) and second in goals per game with 1.05. On the defensive side of the ball, Docking produced his fourth MLS College/SuperDraft selection as defender Cyprian Hedrick, a NSCAA Scholar All-American, was selected 30th overall by Sporting Kansas City and goalkeeper Scott Angevine finished his career with a Coastal Carolina record-tying 16 career shutouts.
Docking led the Chanticleers to a clean sweep of the Big South postseason awards as Bennett was named the Attacking Player of the Year, Hedrick earned Defensive Player of the Year and Kjartan Sigurdsson garnered Freshman of the Year. Luis Faz, Pedro Ribeiro, Scott Angevine and Justin Portillo joined Bennett, Hedrick and Sigurdsson on the first team; while Ricky Garbanzo, Henrik Robstad and Sigurdsson earned All-Freshman team honors. Docking also helped Bennett, who was named one of 12 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy semifinalists, and Ribeiro to NSCAA All-American honors.
The 2011 season was made possible after laying the groundwork the previous year. Under Docking in 2010 and reached the NCAA College Cup for the eighth time in school history and finished with a 12-8-2 overall record, the most wins in a season since 2004 en route to a second place finish inside the Big South with a 5-2-1 mark. The Chants also turned in a 5-2-0 record at the Coastal Carolina Soccer Field.
The Chanticleers won three straight games in the Big South Tournament, which included a 3-1 upset win over tournament host and top-seeded High Point, in the championship game to earn the sixth berth in the NCAA College Cup under Docking. Coastal nearly reached the second round of the tournament, but a late comeback by No. 24 Duke lifted the Blue Devils to a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Coastal. The Chants led 1-0 after 75 minutes of play, but Duke netted a pair of goals over a seven minute span on its way to the win.
Docking helped land five Chanticleers on the All-Big South Postseason Teams and watched as senior defender Ross Kelly was tabbed as the Big South Tournament MVP after helping anchor a Coastal backline that allowed just one goal over the course of the tournament.
Docking led the 2009 Chanticleers to an unbeaten season in the Big South Conference for the second time in his career, guiding Coastal to its fourth Big South Regular Season Championship with a 5-0-3 record, while earning a 9-2-7 mark overall. Highlighting the season was a 13-game, two-month unbeaten streak from Sept. 13-Nov. 12.
In addition, Docking coached senior Djamel Bekka, who was his fifth Big South Player of the Year. Coastal earned the first seed in the tournament, but fell short in the semifinals after falling in penalty kicks to fourth-seeded Winthrop.
In 2008, Docking guided Coastal Carolina to a 10-10-1 record and a 5-2-1 ledger in Big South action. The Chants earned the second seed in the Big South Tournament, only to fall to Winthrop in the double-overtime heartbreaker, 4-3, in the championship game.
In 2007, Docking led the Chants to a 10-8-1 record and a perfect 6-0 record in the Big South to earn him his fifth Big South Coach of the Year honor and fifth Big South Regular season championship.
Docking led the 2006 Chants to an 11-7-2 overall record and a 5-2 mark in league action. Coastal Carolina earned the No. 2 seed in the Big South Tournament and advanced to the semifinal round. Coastal Carolina posted a 6-1-1 record at the friendly confines of the Coastal Carolina Soccer Field, including a perfect 4-0 slate against league foes.
The Chanticleers claimed the Big South Tournament championship for the fourth time in the last five years to make its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005. In 2004, Docking’s squad won the Big South Tournament to claim their spot in the NCAA Tournament.
In 2003, Docking led the Chants to its best season ever, posting a school-best 20-3-0 record. The squad won both the regular season and Big South Tournament titles. The team also recorded 14 shutouts, which is also a school record. The Chants rode a 13-game winning streak into the third round of the NCAA Tournament, the furthest the team has ever gone. The season also saw the culmination of Joseph Ngwenya’s collegiate career after earning countless conference, regional and national honors and setting eight single-season and career records.
Docking’s 2002 squad finished with a then school-record 19-3-2 mark. The team also earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, this time going as an at-large team. After defeating South Carolina in the opening round in Columbia, the Chants lost in the second round on penalty kicks at Clemson. Docking was named the Big South Coach of the Year and also laid claim to coaching the Big South Player of the Year, Ngwenya.
The program came full-circle in 2001 as the Chanticleers won their sixth Big South crown and made their third trip to a NCAA Tournament. Coastal completed the season with a 10-8-3 overall record and a 3-2-2 mark in league play. In the opening round of the NCAA tournament, Coastal Carolina fell 2-1 to Seton Hall despite outshooting the Pirates and playing much of the game on Seton Hall’s end of the field.
Docking took over a struggling Coastal Carolina program in 1998 and led his first Chants squad to a 7-9-2 record. The resurgence of the soccer program at Coastal Carolina was put into high gear in 1999 as the Docking-led Chanticleers went 12-4-1 and placed second in the league. In 2000, Docking earned his second Coach of the Year honor as his Coastal squad went 11-5-1 and captured the Big South’s regular season championship.
Docking, a native of Southampton, England, came to Coastal Carolina after serving as the head coach at Charleston Southern University for two seasons. Following a 4-14-1 record in 1996, the 1997 Charleston Southern squad posted a 16-5-1 record and earned the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. Docking, who was voted the Big South Coach of the Year, also coached five players to the Big South’s All-Conference team.
Prior to joining the staff at Charleston Southern, Docking served the 1995 season as an assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. From 1988-95, Docking served as the assistant coach at the University of Richmond (Virginia), helping the Spiders to a No. 17 national ranking in 1991 and the 1990 NCAA Tournament. Docking also received his master’s degree in sports management from the University of Richmond in 1990.
Docking is a 1988 graduate from the University of Akron with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. While playing for the Zips, he helped Akron to a No. 3 national ranking in 1987 and a NCAA Division I second-place finish in the 1986 National Championships.
Following his collegiate career, Docking played four seasons with the USISL’s Richmond Kickers from 1992-1995. As an assistant coach, he helped the Kickers win the 1995 USISL National Championship and the 1995 Open Cup National Championship.
In addition to his professional and collegiate coaching experience, Docking has also been active in the Olympic Development Program. He served as South Carolina’s Director of Coaching from 1996-1999 and as a Region I and Region III ODP Staff Coach. Docking has also served as a State Coach in South Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. He holds the USSF A License, a NSCAA Advanced National diploma and is active in teaching the USSF and NSCAA State Licensing courses in South Carolina.
Docking has also served as head coach of the U.S. Youth Soccer Association Olympic Development Program’s Region III boys’ soccer program, where he oversaw the entire regional program, including the hiring of age-group coaches, evaluation of players for national consideration and overall instruction of the teams. In the past he has supervised all camps and training sessions for the Southeast region, one of four ODP Regional programs in the U.S. Docking also served as the Head Coach for the Region III ODP U15 Team. He also worked on two important committees: The Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy Award Committee, which selects collegiate soccer’s National Player of the Year, and the NSCAA National Ranking Committee.
Docking and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed their first child, Ivor, in November 2011 and their second child, Harry, in December 2014.
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