Email coach
James Armstrong
James Armstrong was hired as the sixth head coach of the Bulldog soccer program on Jan. 18, 2019 after serving as an assistant and associate head coach at Auburn University for six seasons.
The 2022 soccer season was the most successful in Mississippi State University history. Coach James Armstrong was not only able to lead the Bulldogs to their first SEC toournament win, but their first NCAA tournament win, as well.
Multiple members of the team set season records in school history. Maddy Anderson recorded a school-record 9 shutouts and 0.64 GAA (Goals Against Average). Gwen Mummert set a program record with most field minutes recorded in a season (1,996).
The Bulldogs finished 12-6-4.
In 2021, the Bulldogs were able to tough out a few wins in Coach Armstrong's third season. The last game of the season, a win over #16 Ole Miss, brought the Dawgs their first win over a ranked opponent since 2018.
In Armstrong's third season, the team was able to share the goal distribution like never before. Five players were tied for the team high with most goals on the season (Onyi Echegini, Hailey Farrington-Bentil, Alyssa D'Aloise, Monigo Karnley, and Andrea Tyrell).
The Bulldogs finished 6th in the SEC West in 2021.
The 2020 fall season brought success for the Bulldogs amidst its challenges because of COVID-19. The Bulldogs finished its eight-game, conference-only regular season at 2-3-3 and reached the SEC Tournament for the second year in a row, the first time that has happened in school history. Armstrong and company captured the first Magnolia Cup against Ole Miss since 2012 and first win in Oxford since 2001, defeating the Rebels, 1-0. His squad found success with his first-years, including five of them in his starting lineups in five-straight contests and six matches overall. It was the first time since 2015 that at least five freshmen were starters in a match. Through seven matches, the Bulldogs tied the highest point total in school history with nine total points, and started the season undefeated through four games after a pair of draws and a pair of wins. The Dawgs had never started the Conference slate undefeated through four games prior to the season. Along with the trend of firsts, State had its first home win against LSU with a 2-1 finish, and it was the first win on campus by any Bulldog team since March 8 of 2020, a total 217 days. Goalkeeper Maddy Anderson named to the SEC All-Freshman Team as well as her earning a Defensive Player of the Week accolade in September. Monigo Karnley tied the MSU career record for game-winning goals in SEC matches with four.
In the spring portion of the season, the Bulldogs updated their record to 6-4-3, posting four-straight wins and three-straight shutouts, allowing just one goal overall. Onyi Echegini had a two-goal game against Louisiana, Karnley had a four-point game against Columbus State with a goal and two assists, and two Bulldogs in Marcella Cash and Hannah Telleysh scored their first career goals. Karnley also earned an SEC Player of the Week selection for the match with CSU. All players who suited up for the four spring matches saw playing time. Armstrong's team also had a record-number of players named to the SEC's Fall Academic Honor Roll with 23.
In his first year leading the Bulldogs, MSU ended a 15-year SEC Tournament drought, as Armstrong became just the second active SEC head coach to reach the conference tournament in his first year leading any program. State qualified with the third-highest SEC winning percentage in program history and its most points in the standings (12) since 2004 (16). The Bulldogs picked up points in 60 percent of their league matches, an all-time high. State finished the season at 8-8-3 overall.
MSU won more road games in conference play that season than they had in the previous three years combined, going 3-4-3 in the Southeastern Conference. It was the first time since 2015 that MSU won multiple SEC games outside of Starkville. State closed the regular-season on a three-match unbeaten streak in conference play, which is tied for the longest in school history.
Known for his teams’ offensive success, Armstrong posted school records for goals, assists and points in SEC play in his first season. Sixteen players recorded a point, the most since 2008 when 20 players did so.
The Bulldogs reeled in their fourth first team All-SEC selection in school history when MaKayla Waldner earned the honor as a midfielder. Waldner was also named the SEC Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year and earned a spot on the league’s Community Service Team.
A renowned recruiter, Armstrong secured an impressive 2020 class following his first full season. Two state players of the year and two high school All-Americans will join the Bulldogs for his second season, and four of his eight fall signees were ranked according to TopDrawerSoccer.com.
While at Auburn, Armstrong oversaw some of the most productive offensive seasons in program history while working with the Tigers’ forwards and midfielders and serving as recruiting coordinator. In six years, Auburn totaled 215 goals. The Tigers’ 121 goals in Armstrong’s final three years were the most in a three-year stretch since 2000-02. Before his arrival, Auburn finished 181st in scoring in Division I, but climbed as high as 20th in 2016 and 31st in 2018.
Armstrong helped produce four of the top eight single-season assist totals and two of the top seven single-season goal and point totals in program history. He coached six attacking players to eight All-SEC honor and four SEC All-Freshman selections. Additionally, three Auburn players earned All-American honors while he was with the program.
In his six seasons on The Plains, Auburn made the NCAA Tournament in five straight years, advanced to the second round four times, made two trips to the Sweet 16 and finished in the Elite Eight in 2016. The Tigers made the SEC Tournament every season.
Armstrong has also worked with the U.S. Olympic Development Program since 2011. He served as an assistant coach for Region III for four years, making trips to Germany, Italy and Costa Rica for international competition, before taking over as the head coach for the Region III team in 2015. He has since stamped Argentina and England into his passport.
His first coaching job came with Lonestar SC in Austin, Texas, where he helped establish the club in 2004. Armstrong advanced through its coaching ranks before becoming Lonestar’s ECNL Head Coach and Premier League Girls Director of Coaching. Under his leadership, the club placed more than 200 players in collegiate programs and was named one of the top 20 women’s clubs in the country.
Before he began coaching, Armstrong worked as an equipment manager for the U.S. Soccer Federation. He joined the U-19 Women’s National Team as they won the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women’s World Cup in 2002. The next season he worked with the senior national team that placed third in the Women’s World Cup hosted on home soil.
A native of Yorkshire, England, Armstrong earned his bachelor’s degree in history and politics from the University of Edinburgh in 2000 and a master’s in the same fields in 2001. He attended North Carolina for one year as part of the school’s study abroad program. He holds a USSF A License and a National Youth License.
Armstrong is joined in Starkville by his wife, Casey, and their daughter, Olivia.
show more