University of North Georgia

University of North Georgia Athletics
 82 College Circle Dahlonega, GA 30597
Division 2 Georgia Southeast
Public Large Competitive team
I'm interested in this program!

Coaches

Email coach

Kayley Ralton

After an extensive national search, University of North Georgia Director of Athletics Mary Rob Plunkett announced the promotion of Kayley Ralton to head women’s soccer coach on April 19, 2021.


In her five seasons as head coach of the Nighthawks, Ralton has led the program to 54 wins, the team’s first outright Peach Belt Conference Regular Season Championship in program history and has made four appearances in the NCAA Tournament.


Most recently in 2024, Ralton led the Nighthawks to a 13-4-3 record which included a second place finish in the league. In the NCAA Tournament, UNG took down Wingate and Lander to advance to the Sweet 16 for just the second time in program history and the first time since 2016. As has become common under Ralton’s direction, a number of Nighthawks were awarded individual accolades during the season as the team had three players selected to the PBC All-Conference Team and five were named to the United Soccer Coaches Southeast All-Region Team.


The 2023 season was the best of Ralton’s UNG career and the program’s best since 2019. The Nighthawks went 14-4-4 en route to the first outright PBC regular season title in program history. The team’s 14 wins marked the fourth-most all-time in program history and its run in the PBC Tournament as the Runner-Up served as the first time since 2016 the Nighthawks had made it to the conference championship match. Their Second Round appearance in the NCAA Tournament served as the first for the program since 2019. Ralton made history by becoming the first female women’s soccer head coach in PBC history to lead their team to a PBC title. She was also the first female coach since 2006 to be named the PBC Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year. That honor marked the first time in 14 years a UNG coach had won the award.


In the historic 2023 season, Ralton mentored a pair of United Soccer Coaches All-Americans in goalkeeper Sierra Fowler and midfielder Maysoon El-Shami. She also managed the 2023 PBC Defender of the Year in Bailey Vessel and guided a total of 10 Nighthawks to postseason all-conference honors. An additional five players were named to the USC All-Region Team under Ralton in 2023, while 11 players were named to the PBC Team of Academic Distinction as well.


In her first season at the helm, Ralton led the program to a 10-6-1 record, after a run to the semifinals of the Peach Belt Conference tournament the Nighthawks earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Ralton served as the Interim Head Women’s Soccer Coach for the Spring 2021 season, going 7-3 and making the Peach Belt Tournament as the No. 2 seed after reaching as high as a No. 10 national ranking during the season.


Her second season brought more success as Ralton guided the team to their third straight appearance at the NCAA DII Tournament, becoming the first coach in program history to earn a bid to the National Tournament in their first two seasons.


Ralton served for more than three years as the assistant coach at UNG prior to taking on the interim role for the 2020 season. In that time, she helped lead the women’s soccer program to a PBC regular season title, a NCAA Second Round appearance and a 38-12-5 record. UNG never finished worse than fourth in the conference standings during her tenure as assistant coach.


A former four-year standout at Armstrong State from 2006-09, Ralton earned her bachelor's degree in history from ASU in 2010 while serving as a student assistant for the Pirates that season. She served as a graduate assistant in 2011 & 2012 while earning her master's in sports medicine in 2013. She then served as a full-time assistant from 2013-16.


In her time on the Armstrong State staff, she helped mentor the Pirates to three consecutive Peach Belt Conference regular season titles (2010, 2011 and 2012) and two PBC tournament championships (2011 & 2012).


The Pirates were crowned Southeast region champions in 2011 and 2012 and reached the NCAA Division II Final Four in 2011.


Individually, she helped develop 12 All-Americans and 30 All-Conference selections including two PBC Players of the Year: Kristina Pascutti in 2011 and Morgan Mitchell in 2012.


A native of Scotland, Ralton was a member of the Scotland U19 and U17 national teams and captained the U17 in tournament victories against Wales, USA, Holland and Republic of Ireland. As a member of the Scotland U19 team, she represented Scotland in the first and second stage European Championships.


Ralton currently holds a USSF National B License as well as her NSCAA Goalkeeping Diploma.

show more
Email coach

Jean-Pierre Merlet

Jean-Pierre Merlet enters his fifth season at UNG in 2025. He was promoted to Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach after spending the 2021 and 2022 seasons as a graduate assistant.


In his three seasons as an assistant, the Nighthawks have totaled 37 wins, recording double-digit victories in both years. UNG holds a 37-13-10 record with a 19-4-5 conference mark since Merlet joined the coaching ranks.


Merlet was on the sidelines in 2024 when he helped guide the Nighthawks to their deepest run in the NCAA Tournament in program history as UNG made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016.


In 2023, Merlet helped the Nighthawks to one of the best seasons in program history. They went 14-4-4 and won the Peach Belt Conference Regular Season Championship for the second time in school history. UNG then made an appearance in the PBC Tournament Championship for the first time since 2016 which preceded its third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. In the tournament, the Nighthawks made it to the Second Round for the first time since 2019.


As an assistant for UNG, Merlet helps in all facets of the program including assisting with match strategy, lineup coordination, opponent scouting and in-game management and in 2024 he will take on the role of Recruiting Coordinator for the program.


"JP is a very passionate, enthusiastic and dedicated coach," said head coach Kayley Ralton when Merlet was hired as an assistant in 2021. "I do not throw those words out loosely, as he has shown these exact attributes in abundance while here at UNG. His energy is infectious and radiates to anyone that knows him. We are extremely happy that he is going to continue working with our program."


Prior to arriving in Dahlonega, Merlet played collegiately at Georgia Southwestern as a defender. A native of Weston, Fla., Merlet attended Cypress Bay High School before joining the Hurricanes collegiately. In his four-year career at GSW, Merlet won 15 matches and netted two assists over 29 contests for the Hurricanes.


Merlet graduated in 2020 from GSW with a degree in exercise science and wellness and a minor in psychology, he graduated with a master’s degree in kinesiology from UNG in 2023.

show more
© 2025 SincSports    |    Privacy Policy    |    Cookie Policy