Search

Presbyterian College

Presbyterian College Athletics
503 South Broad Street Clinton, SC 29325
Division 1 South Carolina Southeast
Private Very Small National competitor

Coaches

Email coach

Matt Smith

Presbyterian College Director of Athletics Dee Nichols formally introduced the second-ever head coach of the Blue Hose women’s soccer program on December 27, 2023, announcing the hire of South Carolina native Matt Smith.


A former assistant under previous coach Brian Purcell – who retired in October after over three decades as the program’s lone coach – Smith brings a lofty resume with him in his return to Clinton, including a seven-year stint as the head coach at Limestone and stops as an assistant at Big 12 institutions Baylor and Kansas State over the past seven seasons.


“We are supremely excited about Coach Smith returning to Presbyterian College”, Nichols said. “Matt’s profound knowledge of the game – from his assistantship appointment at PC through his experience at other high-level programs – will continue the legacy of Blue Hose women’s soccer that Brian Purcell carved 35 years ago.”


“We expect to see an indelible imprint on the program with Matt leading the way, forming PC into a perennial contender in the Big South Conference.”


Smith still holds the distinction as Limestone’s all-time winningest coach (80-38-10), part of 175 overall victories since starting his coaching career in 2005.


His teams have achieved 14 postseason appearances, three conference tournament championships and a pair of regular season crowns, and while at Baylor, back-to-back trips to the National Quarterfinal round of the NCAA tourney.


Smith was named the 2016 Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year while at Limestone, continuing to gain recognition during his time in Waco as part of the 2018 United Soccer Coaches’ Association Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year.


“It is truly an honor to come back home and be the second head coach of such a proud program”, said Smith. “I’m beyond thankful for Dee and her staff believing in me to lead this program. It is going to take a lot of hard work from my staff and our ladies, but I am confident with the continued support of our administration, support staff, alumni, and loyal fans that we will get there together!”


THE SMITH FILE


Career Head Coaching Record: 80-38-10 (.664, seven seasons)

Career Coaching Record (Head & Assistant): 175-138-37 (.553, 19 seasons)

Assistant Coach/GK Coach, Kansas State: 9-22-6 (.324, two seasons)

Assistant Coach/GK Coach, Baylor: 56-30-15 (.629, five seasons)

Head Coach, Limestone: 80-38-10 (.664, seven seasons)

Assistant Coach, Presbyterian: 30-48-6 (.393, five seasons)


SMITH’S TROPHY CASE


2018 United Soccer Coaches’ Association Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year – Baylor

Two-time NCAA Tournament Elite Eight (2017 & 2018) – Baylor

Big 12 Regular Season Championship (2018) – Baylor

Big 12 Tournament Championship (2017) – Baylor

2016 Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year – Limestone

Two-time NCAA Division II Tournament (2015 & 2016) – Limestone

Two-time Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship (2015 & 2016) – Limestone

Conference Carolinas Regular Season Championship (2016) – Limestone


KANSAS STATE (2022-23)

Smith will take the PC mantle after spending the past two campaigns at Kansas State, where he aided the Wildcats to their first-ever Big 12 Tournament berth as a program that was formed in 2016. In Manhattan, he was responsible for working with K-State’s goalkeepers while preparing the team’s defensive game plan.


He directed back-to-back goalies (Alaina Werremeyer and Murphy Sheaff) to the third and fourth-lowest goals-allowed average in program history respectively. During his first go-around with the Wildcats in 2022, the squad conceded just 24 scores while putting together five shutouts (both second-place in the school record book).


Smith’s debut team at KSU accomplished a Wildcat-high 22 scoreless halves, giving up the lowest shot-per-game total in the team’s history (12.5).


BAYLOR (2017-21)

His earlier gig as a goalkeeping assistant for Baylor provided instant success in a tenure that lasted from 2017-21. The Bears wrangled in 35 victories over his first two seasons alone, embarking on consecutive Elite Eight voyages thanks to six combined W’s in the big dance.


Smith mentored Jennifer Wandt to All-Big 12 and All-Region selections as she climbed the Baylor record book, setting a new program-best for wins by a keeper while also establishing a new benchmark for the most single-season and career shutouts of any player to come through the program. Wandt gathered the third-most saves of any Bear all-time, one of 13 all-conference honorees to grace the squad across Smith’s occupation in Waco.


Working under head coach Paul Jobson, a Baylor athlete was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week 10 times while Smith was overseeing that area of the field.


His inaugural year with the Bears (2017) ended with a magical postseason chapter, finishing fifth in the league before going on to dethrone three straight higher seeds on their way to the conference tournament trophy and an automatic entrance to the national field of 64.


Baylor’s newsworthy run featured overtime wins against Texas and TCU, not to mention a 3-0 drubbing over top seed Oklahoma State in the Semi’s. They’d keep the magic intact by gaining NCAA Tournament triumphs over Rice and Southern Cal – the latter coming via PK’s – and authoring an overtime W against Notre Dame in the Sweet Sixteen.


Smith’s Bears channeled that momentum towards a 20-win trek in the 2018 season, defiantly claiming the Big 12 regular season medal and picking up an at-large ticket to the big dance. There, they’d take down Abilene Christian, Vanderbilt, and Virginia to repeat as Elite Eight advancers.


LIMESTONE (2010-16)

Smith received his first head coaching opportunity in Gaffney after getting his feet wet with the Blue Hose, guiding Limestone to unprecedented highs and seven postseason trips in as many years with the program.


Limestone had only mustered four winning seasons in the 20 years prior to Smith’s arrival, where he’d immediately right the ship and bring the Saints 10 victories or better in five different semesters.


Holding a .664 win percentage during his spell as the HC (2010-16), Smith helped Limestone acquire a new program-record for most W’s in a sole year on three separate occasions. This included 34 victories in his final two seasons alone, where he brought the Saints to consecutive Conference Carolinas tournament titles and a regular season championship to boot.


After finishing in second-place four times, Smith’s 2016 club reached never-before-seen highs by composing a 17-match win streak that ended in an 18-2 final mark (statistically the greatest year in LU history).


Running away with the Conference Carolinas regular season and tournament trophies, Smith was tabbed as the league’s Coach of the Year after administering his second-straight automatic bid to the NCAA Division II bracket.


The first of those tickets came in 2015 when the Saints recorded an eight-match string of W’s right out of the gates on their way to a 16-win trek. They’d publish three shutouts in a row in the postseason to reach the school’s first-ever CC tourney prize, punctuated by a championship round triumph over number one seed Belmont Abbey.


Altogether, Smith coached four All-Americans, 38 All-Conference recipients, and 19 All-Southeast Region performers throughout his lucrative tenure in Gaffney.


Limestone won the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year award four times while Smith roamed the sideline, including two Defensive Player of the Year honors.


His squads enjoyed tremendous success in the classroom as well, winning three NSCAA team academic awards. Smith oversaw the first player in school history to be named NSCAA Scholar All-America in his penultimate campaign in the Palmetto State.


PRESBYTERIAN (2005-09)

Matt was an instrumental figure in maneuvering Presbyterian to the Division I stage after spending his first two assistant-coaching seasons affiliated with the South Atlantic Conference. PC wrapped up their final year as a D-II school by taking down second-seeded Tusculum in the Quarterfinal matchup of the SAC Tournament in 2006 (a 1-0 shutout where the Blue Hose racked up 11 saves).


Smith and Purcell closed the program’s first Big South campaign in ’07 with a season-ending three-match winning streak, getting the better of VMI, High Point, and Radford by an added margin of 6-1.


PLAYING CAREER

Before opening the book on what’s already been a tremendous coaching course, Smith played at Nashville-based Trevecca Nazarene University where he was chosen for TransSouth All-Freshman status. He’d spend his final two seasons of eligibility at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee.


PERSONAL

Smith is a native of Columbia, S.C., earning a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of South Carolina in 2009.


He is a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), displaying a United Soccer Coaches Advanced National Diploma and Goalkeeping Diploma.


Additionally, Matt has coached with the South Carolina Olympic Development Program and Columbia United Football Club. He holds an NSCAA National and State goalkeeping license.


Smith’s connections to Presbyterian run even deeper than the early days of his own coaching career. He is married to Heather Smith ’94, a PC alumna who played under and later coached alongside Purcell in the mid-90’s.


Heather’s sister, Robyn, was also a former Blue Hose women’s soccer student-athlete who suited up from 1998-2002, part of 36 combined wins over her final three seasons.

show more

Email coach

Kursten von Klahr

Kursten von Klahr - a native of Kannapolis, North Carolina - was announced as Presbyterian College's new Assistant Women's Soccer Coach on January 24, 2024. von Klahr arrives at PC after playing for and later coaching alongside current head coach of the Blue Hose, Matt Smith, at his pervious stop of Kansas State.


“I am beyond excited to have Kursten join our staff”, remarked Smith, who became the second-ever head coach of the Blue Hose on December 30. “Her high-level playing experience and knowledge of the game will benefit our program immediately.”


“Kursten will be a great role model for our student-athletes, on and off the field. She shares the vision I have for this program and will be a huge part of building the amazing things we have coming in the near future”.


Playing the midfield / defender spot for her collegiate career (which also included two seasons at NC State before transferring to Manhattan), von Klahr was named a Team Captain in her 2022 senior season before going on to finish her KSU tenure with 42 starts out of 42 opportunities.


During her final year as a player, von Klahr led the Wildcats to the program’s first ever Big 12 Tournament ticket and was named the team MVP in the process.


While in her farewell season, Kursten assumed a career-high in minutes (1,553) while tallying two assists in meetings against UTRGV and Colorado State. Over her three seasons with KSU – which included the abbreviated Spring ’21 stretch – she logged over 3,100 minutes to go with 25 shots (eight on-goal).


That ’22 club achieved conference victories over the likes of Baylor and Oklahoma, presenting von Klahr to make the transition to the coaching role for the ensuing fall campaign.


In her lone season as a Kansas State instructor alongside Smith, von Klahr helped organize recruiting visits, evaluated players at showcase camps, created scouting reports and broke down film of opponents, crafted practice training plans, and assisted athletes in all aspects of soccer.


She’d spend her underclassman stint with NC State, part of a squad that collected 23 combined victories in 2018 and 2019 while adding back-to-back Sweet Sixteen ventures to boot. As a freshman, von Klahr’s Wolfpack grabbed ranked wins over #10 South Carolina and #20 Princeton.


After grabbing her first college goal in an ACC victory over Syracuse, Kursten turned into the hero of a drama-filled Round of 32 contest versus Santa Clara that came after an opening-round triumph opposite Northwestern. Against the Broncos, von Klahr ripped in the match-clinching penalty kick to help her unit win the PK battle 5-4 and move on to the Regional Quarterfinals.


Her sophomore season in Raleigh entailed two more nationally-ranked W’s over #7 Georgetown and #14 Louisville, repeating a Sweet Sixteen spot by defeating Navy and Arkansas in the big dance.


Kursten was a three-time All-Conference and All-Region selection while playing for her father, Harald, at Northwest Cabarrus High School in NC. She was selected for All-State status as a junior, chosen as the South Piedmont Conference Player of the Year and later aiding the Carolina Rapids U19/20 team to the 2017 USYS National Championship.


von Klahr received a Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Nutrition from Kansas State University in 2022, currently working towards a Master’s diploma in Academic Advising.

show more

Email coach

Joshua Pooler

Pooler has six years of coaching experience and is in his first season as an assistant coach with both Presbyterian’s soccer programs. His primary responsibility is coaching the goalkeepers.


"I would like to thank (PC Men’s Soccer) Coach Nick Finotti, (PC Women’s Soccer) Coach Matt Smith, and the Presbyterian athletic department for giving me this exciting opportunity to work with the men’s and women’s soccer programs here at PC,” Pooler said. “I am grateful for the chance to work under two highly experienced head coaches. I am very much looking forward to helping create something special with each program and being able to contribute and grow as a coach while serving on both coaching staffs."


Pooler comes to Presbyterian after spending the 2023 season as an assistant coach at Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, Miss. He helped guide Southwest Mississippi to its first playoff appearance in six years. As the goalkeeper coach, he coached players that earned National Goalkeeper of the Week honors once and Conference Goalkeeper of the Week accolades four times.


Before Southwest Community College, he spent one year on the coaching staff at Southeastern Community College in Burlington, Iowa. In 2022, he helped coach two players who earned All-American honors while leading Southeastern to the best record in the program’s history. He began as the assistant coach and goalkeeper coach and was the interim head coach for Southeastern’s appearance in the NJCAA DII National Tournament.


Before beginning his college coaching career, he was an assistant coach for two seasons with both the boys’ and girls’ teams at Willow Hill School in Sudbury, Mass. He spent time as the head high school and middle school girls' coach for Challenger Sports in Harvard, Massachusetts. Before that, he was head boys’ coach at Nichols Middle School in Middleboro, Massachusetts for two years.


The Middleboro, Massachusetts native graduated with a Master’s Degree in Education from Eastern Nazarene College in 2022 and a Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Lyndon State College in 2017. At Lyndon State, he played soccer and hockey for two seasons.


Pooler holds a United Soccer Coaches Goalkeeping Level 2 Diploma and a USSF Coaching “D” License.

show more
I have used the Soccer in College site for 8 years, and it has helped me keep my personal and soccer information up to date, and has helped be track college contacts and interest. I think the site helped me prepare for college offers, and helped me determine that I wanted to play for UNC.
- Maggie PierceWhat are others saying?