Berry College

Mount Berry, GA 30149

Georgia Southeast

Private Small Developing team

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Coaches

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Kathy Brown

Kathy Brown (95C) was named the fifth head coach in Berry women's soccer history in July of 2020. In her three seasons at the helm of the Vikings, Brown has compiled a record of 27-15-2.

In 2022, the Vikings finished in second place in the Southern Athletic Association regular season standings. The Vikings became the first team to defeat Centre in SAA regular season play in over nine seasons with a 2-1 victory Sept. 30. Thirteen Vikings earned All-SAA status, with Karsen Brantley taking home First Team All-Region status from United Soccer Coaches and Sophia Coon earning Third Team All-Region recognition. Also during the season, Brown earned her 300th career victory with a 1-0 win over Millsaps Sept. 16.

In the fall of 2021, the Vikings went 11-6 overall and 5-2 in SAA play. Berry earched the semifinal round of the SAA Championship, with 10 Vikings earning All-SAA status. Maggie Jones was named First Team All-SAA.

The Vikings played what would have been the 2020 season in the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Berry's first season under Brown, the Vikings went 6-4 overall, posting a 4-2 mark in SAA play. Ten Vikings were named All-SAA, with Christina Marijanich earning SAA Newcomer of the Year recognition.

She most recently served as the women's soccer head coach at NCAA Division II Lock Haven University for three years where she led the Bald Eagles, a program that had won only three games in the previous three seasons, to newfound success.

LHU finished her final season at the helm 11-5-1 after advancing to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament for the first time in 12 years and the team's 11 wins marked the most for the Bald Eagles since 2004. Standout Marah Foltz earned All-America honors after claiming Player of the Year accolades in the region and conference. In all, LHU crowned four All-Conference players that year, the most since 2007.

During her time at LHU, the Bald Eagles also earned four U.S. Soccer All-America Scholar Athlete honors, the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award and boasted the highest women's team GPA at LHU in 2016 and 2018.

Prior to Lock Haven, she began the women's soccer program at Young Harris College, serving as the head coach for 18 years. In 2006, her team claimed the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I National Championship and she went on to earn eight total Region Coach of the Year honors and the 2006 NSCAA National Coach of the Year award.

She was inducted into the Young Harris Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013 and the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2019. In all, Brown's teams at Young Harris advanced to six national tournaments, won eight regional championships and claimed six district championships. She led 11 players to All-America honors.

In addition to her coaching experience, Brown held numerous support positions at Young Harris including Senior Women's Administrator, Community Engagement Coordinator, academic advisor, Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) advisor and various other committee positions.

Immediately after graduating from Berry with a degree in psychology, she accepted an assistant position at NCAA Division I Jacksonville State University where she served for two years. She also received her master's degree in community agency counseling from JSU in 1997.

She attended Berry from 1991-1995, serving as a starting defender on the 1993 NAIA National Championship team that finished the year 18-4-1. From her defensive position, she helped Berry to nine shutout victories that year.

Kathy and her husband, Young Harris cross country coach Barry Brown, are the proud parents of four children.

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Stephen Lee

Stephen Lee is entering his first year as the assistant women’s soccer coach.

Lee, a resident of Toccoa, Georgia, played collegiate soccer for four years at Toccoa Falls College. Lee also played for the Chicago Eagles Academy team, the summer of 2013. There he went on tour to Brazil for two weeks, training and playing semi-professional matches while running soccer camps for the local community.

After graduating college, Stephen went on to start his coaching career as the men’s assistant soccer coach for Emmanuel College, Royston GA, NCAA DII program in the Conference Of Carolinas. Lee’s responsibilities while at Emmanuel College included training the varsity team on an everyday basis, team-building development, leadership training, recruiting, and goalkeeper training.

In the summer of 2020, Lee joined the Truett McConnell University (NAIA) men’s soccer team, as its assistant coach. Lee holds a National and Advanced National Coaching license through United Soccer Coaches. He also has Goalkeeper Level 1 and level 2 diplomas through United Soccer Coaches. He has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Sports Management from Toccoa Falls College.

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Richard Vardy

Richard Vardy was named the head coach of Berry's men's soccer program in 2002. In his 21 seasons at the helm, he has compiled a record of 249-110-34 to become one of the most decorated coaches in program history.

In Berry's NCAA Division III era, Vardy has coached 63 All-SAA selections, a CoSIDA Academic All-American and earned Southern Athletic Association championships in 2020, 2014, and 2012.

The 2022 Berry squad reached the championship match of the SAA Championship, falling in penalty kicks. The Vikings reached that match after knocking off top-seeded Rhodes on its home field, 2-0. Seven Vikings earned All-SAA selections, with Henry Asbill also being named First Team All-Region VI by United Soccer Coaches. Tracy Moon and Nathan Carlson each received Third Team All-Region VI selections. The 2022 squad finished with a 9-2-6 overall record, setting the school record for most ties in a season.

Playing in the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Vikings earned the SAA Championship with a 2-1 victory over Centre in the championship match. Nine Vikings were named All-SAA, with Josh Pruett earning SAA Defensive Player of the Year recognition and Moon taking home SAA Newcomer of the Year.

The 2014 squad advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship. Vardy was also named the league's Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons (also in 2012).

In Berry's NAIA era, Vardy led the Vikings to one of the best records in school history in 2010, guiding Berry to a 15-1-1 overall mark. He also led the 2007 team to a sweep of both the SSAC regular season and tournament titles, finishing the year ranked No. 9 in the NAIA National Poll.

Vardy's teams also posted back-to-back semifinal appearances in the NAIA National Tournament and team record victory totals in 2003 and 2004.

In just his third season as a head coach, Vardy led Berry to a 23-4-0 overall record in 2004. The Vikings won the Southern States Athletic Conference regular season crown, as well as the NAIA Region XIII Tournament championship. Vardy was honored as the Coach of the Year in Region XIII and the National Soccer Coaches Association Southeast Regional Coach of the Year.

That came on the heels of a 2003 season in which Vardy guided Berry to a 21-2-1 record, TranSouth Athletic Conference and NAIA Region XI titles and the team’s first appearance in the semifinals of the National Tournament. Vardy’s squad was ranked second in the final NAIA national poll, and its win total was the most in school history until the 2004 team surpassed the mark.

Prior to becoming the Vikings’ head coach, Vardy spent four years as an assistant at Berry under former head coach Kurt Swanbeck.

Vardy played four years of soccer at Lenoir-Rhyne College in North Carolina from 1991 to 1995, and he was named an NCAA Division II All-American in 1993. He served as an assistant coach at Lenoir-Rhyne for one season before coming to Berry.

Vardy, a native of York, England, earned his bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Lenoir-Rhyne. He holds a master's degree in sports management from the United States Sports Academy, and also a USSF "A" coaching license.

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Konrad Jacobs

Konrad Jacobs was named to the full-time coaching staff at Berry prior to the 2003 season, after spending a year as a volunteer assistant. A four-year starter on defense, he graduated from Berry in 2000 with a Bachelor’s degree in biology.

Jacobs later earned his masters in education, also from Berry, in 2007. He also holds a USSF "B" license and an NSCAA National diploma.

As an assistant coach, Jacobs was a key contributor in the Vikings’ run to consecutive top-10 national rankings in the final poll, and back-to-back appearances in the NAIA national semifinals in 2003 and 2004.

Not only is Jacobs the team’s lone assistant coach, but also the goalkeeper trainer. Under tenure, Berry net-minder Byron Schueneman earned three consecutive honorable mention All-America honors from 2002-04, and Mike Wentzler earned All-American accolades. More recently, Logan Hill earned SAA Honorable Mention honors in 2012, and junior goalkeeper Carson Oakes earned All-SAA Honorable Mention honors following the 2017 campaign as well.

As a student-athlete, Jacobs earned the honor of co-captain in his senior year. In addition, Jacobs was named an All-American Scholar-Athlete as both a junior and a senior.

A native of Mexico, Jacobs, his wife and his daughter reside in Rome.