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Jay Entlich
Now in his 21st season in 2024, Jay Entlich has established Columbus State University into one of the premier women's soccer programs in the nation.
Given the keys to begin the CSU women’s soccer program in 2004, Entlich quickly turned the Lady Cougars into a national powerhouse. The winningest coach in Peach Belt Conference history, Entlich has an overall record of 316-70-29 at CSU, leading the Lady Cougars to 13 PBC regular season championships and eight PBC Tournament titles, all PBC records.
On the national level, Columbus State has appeared in 14 NCAA Tournaments with seven trips to the national quarterfinals. In 2015, CSU advanced to the program's first national championship match and followed it up a year later with a semifinal appearance. Recently in 2022, the Cougars advanced to the Final Four in Seattle.
During his tenure at CSU, Entlich has coached 98 All-PBC, 81 All-Region, and 23 All-American student-athletes. In addition, Entlich has groomed four PBC Players of the Year (2010, 2011, 2015, 2018), six PBC Freshmen of the Year (2005, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018) and one PBC Defender of the Year, Carley Canzoneri in 2022. Entlich, himself, has raked in the awards being named the PBC Coach of the Year eight times, including winning the award in five straight seasons (2014-2018). In 2018, the CSU staff was selected as the United Soccer Coaches Association's Southeast Region Staff of the Year. Entlich was also named the region's Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2008.
Through the 2019 season, his overall collegiate coaching record stands at 294-79-24, making him the eighth winningest coach all-time at the Division II level.
Columbus State continued its PBC dominance in 2018 sweeping the championships for the eighth time in program history. The Lady Cougars finished the year 18-1-2, including a perfect 10-0-0 mark in conference play. Once again, CSU had one of the best offenses in the nation averaging 3.62 goals a match, the third-best mark in Division II. CSU advanced to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals after capturing the Southeast Region championship for the fourth time in five years.
From 2014-2016, Columbus State posted a combined record of 64-7-2, winning 20-plus matches in all three seasons. The 2014 version of the Lady Cougars started the dominance by becoming the first team to finish the regular season with an unblemished mark en route to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. In 2015 the Lady Cougars broke through, reaching the national championship match for the first time in school history. The 2015 team still holds the record for most wins in a season as it finished the year with a 22-3-1 mark. A year later, the Lady Cougars led all of Division II in goals per game (4.0) netting a program-record 96 goals on its way to the NCAA Tournament Semifinals.
Despite not having one senior on the roster and playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation, Columbus State captured the PBC regular season title in 2013. Early in that season, Entlich guided CSU to its first-ever win over a top-five opponent.
Columbus State reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament twice from 2009-2012. In 2009, CSU posted a 16-3-3 mark falling to Carson-Newman in heartbreaking fashion in the regional final. With a top-10 ranked defense in the nation in 2012, the Lady Cougars advanced to the third round behind an 18-3-2 record. In the four years, CSU won three PBC championships and averaged over 17 wins per season.
The 2007 and 2008 teams put Columbus State on the map nationally. In 2007, CSU posted a few firsts as the Lady Cougars won its first NCAA Tournament match in program history en route quarterfinal round appearance. It was also the first time in school history that CSU won 20 or more matches in a single season. In 2008, CSU swept both PBC championships for the third consecutive season and advanced back to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.
In just the second year of the program in 2005, Entlich guided the Lady Cougars to a 15-6-1 record and a share of the PBC title. A year later, CSU went 9-0-0 in conference play and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
From 2005 until 2008, Columbus State won 26 consecutive Peach Belt Conference games, a record that still stands entering the 2020 season.
Off the pitch, the Lady Cougars are just as successful in the classroom. In 17 years, Entlich has coached 13 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and 19 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Americans. As a team, the program has earned 15 straight Team Academic Awards.
Before coming to Columbus State University, Entlich served as the head coach of the Carolina Courage of the Women’s United Soccer Association. Among the players he coached were 2004 FIFA World Soccer Player of the Year Birgit Prinz and World Cup players Kristen Luckenbill, Tiffany Roberts, Carla Overbeck, and Danielle Fotopoulos. Before the Courage, Entlich was a U.S. Women’s National Team staff coach where he coordinated player development, identified and recruited players for the U.S Youth National Teams, and instructed B and C license courses for coaches.
Entlich got his first taste of collegiate coaching at the University of Tampa. From March 2000 to January 2002, Entlich directed the Spartans to a record of 23-15 and was named the 2001 Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year.
In addition, he served as Director of Coaching for the Countryside Lightning Youth Soccer Program with 22 competitive and 100 recreational teams under his guidance. Previous to Tampa, he served as an assistant coach at the University of Mississippi and was a men's assistant at his alma mater, Virginia Tech.
Entlich was a four-year member of the Hokie soccer program that saw him earn All-Conference, All-State and team MVP honors in 1993, as well as serving as the team captain. The ’93 season was one of the best single-season performances for a Virginia Tech player as he tallied the second-most points (37), tied for fourth-most goals (14), and tied for fifth-most assists (nine). His career marks of 30 goals (sixth), 16 assists (10th), and 76 points (sixth) place him in the top-10 in all three categories as well.
Entlich holds a United States Soccer Federation “A” license. He graduated with a B. A. in Liberal Arts in 1994 from Virginia Tech. Jay and his wife Megan have four children - Grace, Katie, Jacob, and Lexi.
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