University of North Georgia

University of North Georgia Athletics
82 College Circle Dahlonega, GA 30597

Division 2 Georgia Southeast

Public Large Competitive team

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Coaches

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Chris Adams

Chris Adams is just the third head coach in the program's history. Including his two seasons as the head coach of the men's team, Adams holds a 202-112-30 career record. Adams is the only head coach in the history of UNG men's program to own a career winning record.

Adams has built a consistent winner in the UNG women’s soccer program, reaching double digits in wins each of the past 10 seasons and making postseason play a regular occurrence with five trips to the NCAA Tournament in the past eight years, making it to the second round in each appearance and to the Sweet 16 in 2016.

The Nighthawks have been dominant in their past five seasons with a combined record of 70-20-9 (.753), with back-to-back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament from 2014-16. Most recently, the Nighthawks claimed the top spot in the Peach Belt Conference tournament in 2017 after being named co-champions of the regular season. The program achieved the highest ranking in program history climbing to No. 2 in the NSCAA Division II Top 25 national ranking in October of 2015.

In 2014, UNG was ranked as high as sixth-nationally during the regular season and finished the year as the highest scoring team in NCAA Division II with a 358 goals per game average, while also leading the nation in total point, total goals and points per game. The Nighthawks made their deepest run to date that season falling to Lenoir-Rhyne in penalty kicks in the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Adams joined the UNG coaching staff as the head men's and women's soccer coach in 2003. In two seasons at the helm of the men's program, Adams led North Georgia to a 19-17-2 mark and was named the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Coach of the Year in 2004. He led North Georgia to a third place finish in the conference and their first NAIA Regional Tournament appearance in the program's history.

In addition to his collegiate coaching pedigree, Adams also has successful head coaching experience on the professional level as he led the 2011 version of the Atlanta Silverbacks women’s team to the United Soccer League’s W-League Championship with a 6-1 victory over the Ottawa Fury.

Adams began his coaching career in 1995 while an undergraduate at the University of Georgia, where he helped build the first women's soccer team. In the first year of competition, the Lady Bulldogs went 10-5-3 overall and posted a 3-3-2 mark in Southeastern Conference action. In his three seasons with Georgia, the Lady Bulldogs compiled a 39-19-4 overall record and a 14-8-2 record in SEC play.

Following graduation, Adams accepted a job at Jacksonville State University as the lead assistant coach. He returned to the Peach State in 1999 to manage the soccer program at the YWCO in Athens. After directing the program for two years, Adams began teaching at Clarke Central High School in Athens, where he coached the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, and taught health and physical education.

The Athens, Georgia native is a 1998 graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Health with a coaching emphasis. He also recently earned his Master of Science in Physical Education and Health at North Georgia.

Adams holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) National "A" License, a USSF National Youth License, and a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Advanced National License.

Adams and his wife Melissa reside in Dahlonega and have two daughters, Gracen and Anna.

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Kayley Ralton

Kayley Ralton enters her third season as the assistant coach for the University of North Georgia women’s soccer program.

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.

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 selection including two PBC Players of the Year: Kristina Pascutti in 2011 and Morgan Mitchell in 2012.

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 stage and secondstage European Championships.

Ralton currently holds an USSF National B License as well as her NSCAA Goalkeeping Diploma and USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coaching Certification.

She also serves on the staff for the North Georgia Soccer Academy.

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Daniel Saucedo

Daniel Saucedo is in his second season as a Graduate Assistant coach for the women's soccer program. He comes to UNG after a collegiate career at Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia.

Prior to beginning his graduate assistantship, he was the men's soccer assistant at Georgia Southwestern where he helped the Hurricanes break the all-time school record for wins in a single season. He also has experience coaching high school, serving as an assistant coach for Clarke Central High School and helping the Gladiators reach the state quarterfinals.

Saucedo has also coached various select and academy teams at Athens United Soccer Association. He is on track to graduate from North Georgia with a Master's degree in Exercise Science.