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Chris Neal
Neal enters his seventh season as the head women's soccer coach at his alma mater, where he has guided the Seahawks to the top of the Coastal Athletic Association ladder in addition to gaining national attention for the program.
Neal, who was named as the Seahawks' skipper in July 2018, has led his alma mater to a 49-35-8 record through six seasons. The success also includes a pair of 10-win seasons in 2019 and 2021 with three CAA Tournament appearances.
In addition, Neal has mentored the first two players in program history to be picked in the National Women's Soccer League Draft. Goalkeeper Sydney Schneider was the first-ever selection in 2021 when she was taken with the No. 29 overall selection by the Washington Spirit. The Spirit came back to the Seahawks' roster in the 2022 event, when Audrey Harding heard her name called with the No. 38 overall pick.
UNCW posted a 7-7-3 record in 2022, including a 3-4-2 mark in the CAA. Sophomore forward Kayla Burroughs (Second-Team) and junior defender Makaya Parham (Third-Team) were recognized by the league's women's soccer coaches in the league's year-end honors. The Seahawks have now had multiple All-CAA recipients in all five of Neal's seasons.
Honored as the 2021 CAA Coach of the Year, Neal's squad won the program's first CAA regular season title after posting a 7-2-0 record in league play. The Seahawks, who finished the year with an 11-4-1 overall mark, were rewarded by the league's coaches with a program-record tying six student-athletes earning All-CAA recognition.
Freshman defender Sophie Trepohl was named as the league's Defensive Player of the Year and joined fifth-year senior Audrey Harding on the league's top unit. Sophomore defender Makaya Parham and senior defender Talia Parrous claimed Second-Team notice, while a pair of freshmen - Halle Johnson and Kayla Burroughs - earned a spot on the All-CAA Third Team in addition to receiving All-Rookie Team commendations with Trepohl.
Neal led the Seahawks to a 7-3-0 record during a challenging 2021 spring season, including a perfect 4-0-0 mark in Colonial Athletic Association play, a South Division title, and a berth in the CAA Championship Game. In addition, a group of four student-athletes were recognized by the CAA's head coaches, including freshman goalkeeper Blair Barefoot, who earned the league's Rookie of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year honors.
Barefoot was one of four Seahawks named to the CAA's top squad, joining Parrous, Harding and redshirt junior midfielder Morgan Nanni.
Neal guided UNCW to a 10-6-1 record in 2019, including a 6-2-1 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Seahawks earned their first appearance in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship under Neal's tutelage after placing third in the league's 10-team standings.
In addition, the 2019 campaign saw five Seahawks receive recognition by the CAA's head coaches. Schneider became the first-ever recipient of the CAA's Goalkeeper of the Year award and joined senior defender Baley Edwards on the All-CAA First Team. A pair of UNCW student-athletes - Harding and Nanni - received Second-Team All-CAA distinction while freshman forward Emily Moxley was a member of the All-Rookie Team.
UNCW, which tied with Delaware for the fewest goals conceded in the CAA, set a program record with five consecutive shutouts against league opponents Northeastern, Charleston, Towson, William & Mary and Drexel.
In Neal's first season as the bench boss, the Seahawks posted a 9-6-1 record to finish in a tie for sixth place in the CAA regular season standings. The squad overcame the adversity of dealing with Hurricane Florence to be in contention for a Colonial Athletic Association Tournament berth until the final day of the regular season. Sophomore Marissa Vincent was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Second Team after headlining a group of three Seahawks to receive All-CAA honors.
Neal, 49, spent five months as an assistant women's soccer coach at Arkansas following a 10-year stint as the head women's soccer coach at fellow CAA member Elon.
"We want to welcome home a native Wilmingtonian, a UNCW graduate and a true Seahawk," said Jimmy Bass, UNCW Director of Athletics. "Chris is a high-caliber head coach with a tremendous commitment to academic excellence. Our student-athletes are going to really enjoy playing for Chris and we're all looking forward to what the future holds."
The experienced Neal is just the third coach in the 26-year history of the UNCW program, following Keith Cammidge and Paul Cairney.
"It is a tremendous honor and privilege to lead this Seahawk team," said Neal. "Based on my experience in the CAA, this is a very talented, passionate, and hard-working group of student-athletes. I am excited to get to know them better and to help them achieve their athletic and academic goals.
"This program has experienced tremendous success, in both the CAA and NCAA, and I am determined to build on that legacy."
Before his brief stopover in Fayetteville, Ark., Neal was the winningest head coach in Elon women's soccer history with a 90-76-31 record. He was named Southern Conference Coach-of-the-Year in 2012 after leading the Phoenix to their first SoCon championship appearance until overseeing Elon's transition to the CAA in 2014.
In Neal's 10-year stint with Elon, the Phoenix posted six winning seasons and 26 student-athletes earned all-conference honors. Elon's women also collected the NSCAA Team Academic Award eight times and 35 players were selected to All-Academic teams by either the Southern Conference or CAA.
Neal became Elon's all-time winningest coach on Aug. 19, 2016, with his 75th victory in a 2-0 home decision over Charleston Southern. He closed with 90 wins at Elon, surpassing the 74 victories by Paul Webster from 1995-2003.
In his final season at Elon in 2017, Neal's club finished with a 9-6-4 record against stiff competition. Four opponents made the NCAA Tournament and five foes reached the finals of their conference championships.
Before arriving at Elon, Neal worked as a volunteer assistant coach and assistant coach at UNCW from 2001-07, helping the Seahawks compile a 70-55-8 record. The Seahawks earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award five straight years during Neal's time with the program.
Neal earlier enjoyed a successful stint as the head men's soccer coach at Pfeiffer in Misenheimer, N.C. In three seasons at Pfeiffer (1998-2000), Neal piloted the Falcons to a 36-22-4 (.613) ledger and their first-ever NCAA Division II ranking (No. 13). In 2000, the squad advanced to the CVAC Tournament Championship match that ended in a 1-1 draw with Longwood advancing in a penalty kick shootout.
Neal also served two campaigns as a graduate assistant men's coach at Augusta State (1996-97) and the Jaguars improved from a 7-8-0 in 1996 to 14-6-0 in 1997.
Neal was as an ODP staff coach and coaching education instructor for the NC Youth Soccer Association during his time at Elon. He also worked with the NSCAA as its state technical director from 2001-08. He was responsible for organizing, advertising and instructing a variety of coaching education courses for thousands of youth, high school and college coaches.
From 2001-2003, Neal was a volunteer assistant for the men's and women's soccer teams at UNCW. During this time, he also served as the first full-time Director of Coaching for the Cape Fear Youth Soccer Association, now known as the Wilmington Hammerheads. In 2003, Neal created and founded the Port City Soccer Club for local youth players and served as the Director from 2003-2005.
Neal earned his B.A. Degree in Political Science from UNCW in 1995 and M.A. in Education from Augusta State in 1998. He holds the NSCAA "Premier" diploma and a United States Soccer Federation "A" license.
A goalkeeper by trade, Neal played locally for the Wilmington United and Cape Fear SA club teams and was an All-Conference performer at New Hanover High School.
Neal and his wife, Amy, have a daughter, Josi, and son, Rex.
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