Morehead State University

Morehead State University Athletics
195 Academic-Athletic Center Morehead, KY 40351

Division 1 Kentucky Midwest

Public Large National competitor

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Coaches

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Chris Fox

With a pedigree of tactical knowledge, high level recruitment success, conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, Chris Fox has completed his first season leading the Morehead State soccer program. Fox led a resurgence of the program that reaped tremendous benefits in his first season.

Fox's guidance led to immense success in 2022 as the Eagles finished wth seven wins and four OVC wins, the best season since 2015 for Morehead State. The program achieved a plethora of accolades and accomplishments. Some of the highlights include: the highest OVC finish since 2013 (third), most wins since 2015 (7), third longest unbeaten streak (6) in program history, least losses since 2014, fewest goals allowed in program history (21), averaging 64% possession in conference to rank first in the OVC (compared to 45% in 2021) and averaging 60% possession overall.

In addition, Fox's style of play led to ample opportunities for student-athletes to achieve a high number of individual honors, including the first OVC Offensive Player Of The Week awards since 2018 (Hadley Cytron and Colleen Swift), the first Defensive Player Of The Week since 2019 (Madelyn Mozeleski), first Goalkeeper Of The Week since 2019 (Erin Gibbs), first clean sweep of all three weekly awards since 2007, the first First-Team All-Conference award since 2018 (Colleen Swift), the first Second-Team All-Conference honor since 2019 (Nicole Fiantaco), first OVC All-Newcomer Team awards since 2018 (Hadley Cytron/ErinGibbs) and the first OVC All-Tournament Team players since 2015 (Anna Lohrer/Avery Redmon).

Fox has been able to attract high level recruits and transfers to the program immediately, including goalkeeper Erin Gibbs. As a freshman, Gibbs set the program record for best goals against average (0.84), was named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team and was Goalkeeper of the Week. Transfer Hadley Cytron earned OVC All-Newcomer.

Fox came to the Eagle program after spending four highly successful seasons with High Point University, first as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator before being promoted to associate head coach in 2020.

During his four seasons at HPU, the program enjoyed the most successful period in program history, which culminated in a Big South Conference title and NCAA Tournament berth in Fall of 2021.

Starting with nearly a complete rebuild in 2018 due to graduation from the year before, it only took Fox and the staff one year to be on top. In 2019, High Point set Big South records by going undefeated and winning the regular season title. In the spring of 2021 (fall season moved due to COVID), the program bettered that record by winning the regular season title with a 100 percent win rate while only conceding three goals. Fox’s expertise helped head coach Brandi Fontaine win Big South Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons.

With Fox on staff, HPU rose as high as No. 6 in the RPI, No. 8 in the United Soccer Coaches Southeast Region and received top-25 votes from United Soccer Coaches, Top Drawer Soccer and College Soccer News across multiple weeks in spring 2021. All of these rankings were a program best. High Point also ranked top-10 in the nation in several stat categories: scoring offense, goals against average, save percentage, win/loss/tie percentage, points per game and penalty kicks.

Fox was directly responsible for the recruitment and development of four High Point United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region Players, one Big South Attacking Player of the Year (2020-21), two Big South Freshmen of the Year (2019, 2020-21), seven First-Team All-Conference players and five Second-Team All-Conference players. Two of these players have since signed professional contracts with S.S. Lazio and AS St-Étienne in Italy and France respectively, another program first.

Before joining the staff at High Point, Fox spent 10 years in Pennsylvania working on the club circuit for HMMS Eagle FC. Fox guided a number of teams to great success, including his 1999 girls' team, which featured more than 20 future collegiate players, wins in the Region 1 Premier League, Jefferson Cup and Disney Showcase, as well as a No. 2 national ranking.

Fox currently holds a National "B" License with the United States Soccer Foundation and his ‘Premier License’ with United Soccer Coaches.

A native of Stone, Staffordshire England, Fox is married to Emily Fox - a former Messiah College Field Hockey standout. They have two young children, Cassidy and Addison.

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Mark Sappington

Mark Sappington has completed his first year on the soccer coaching staff at Morehead State, helping lead an immediate resurgence of the program.

The Eagles had immense success in 2022 as they finished with seven wins including four OVC wins, the best season since 2015 for Morehead State. The program achieved a plethora of accolades and accomplishments. Some of the highlights include: the highest OVC finish since 2013 (third), most wins since 2015 (7), third longest unbeaten streak (6) in program history, least losses since 2014, fewest goals allowed in program history (21), averaging 64% possession in conference to rank first in the OVC (compared to 45% in 2021) and averaging 60% possession overall.

In addition, the Eagles' style of play led to ample opportunities for student-athletes to achieve a high number of individual honors, including the first OVC Offensive Player Of The Week awards since 2018 (Hadley Cytron and Colleen Swift), the first Defensive Player Of The Week since 2019 (Madelyn Mozeleski), first Goalkeeper Of The Week since 2019 (Erin Gibbs), first clean sweep of all three weekly awards since 2007, the first First-Team All-Conference award since 2018 (Colleen Swift), the first Second-Team All-Conference honor since 2019 (Nicole Fiantaco), first OVC All-Newcomer Team awards since 2018 (Hadley Cytron/ErinGibbs) and the first OVC All-Tournament Team players since 2015 (Anna Lohrer/Avery Redmon).

As recruiting coordinator, Sappington has been able to attract high level recruits and transfers to the program immediately, including freshman goalkeeper Erin Gibbs and OVC All-Newcomer award winner transfer Hadley Cytron.

Sappington’s Primary coaching responsibility is to work with goalkeepers coach at Morehead state, Sappington helped the freshman Gibbs set the program record for best goals against average (0.84), while being named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team and OVC Goalkeeper of the Week, and being ranked nationally in several goalkeeper statistical categories.

Sappington joined the Eagle program after spending the 2 seasons at Campbell University in NC, where he helped lead the Camels to a number 22 national ranking according to Top Drawer Soccer and their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1993. Sappington used his expertise in goalkeeper coaching to guide the Camels to six shutouts, allowing only 11 goals all of last season.

Prior to his time at Campbell, Sappington spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Slippery Rock University, where his keepers accumulated a 63-29-6 record and held opponents to under a goal per game, while breaking multiple school records. Notably, in 2019, Sappington helped Slippery Rock win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, earned a berth to the Division II NCAA Tournament, making it to the 2nd round, and finishing with and 18-4 record .

Sappington has also had stops at the University of Scranton, where he served as assistant coach, and Shippensburg University, where he was a volunteer assistant for both the men’s and women’s soccer programs. Sappington also has four years of collegiate experience on the pitch as a goalkeeper for Wheeling Jesuit University.

Sappington holds his Master’s Degree from Lock Haven University in Sports Psychology, and has 3 published scientific peered reviewed academic articles.

Sappington resides in Morehead with his wife Janna.