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Western Carolina University

Western Carolina University Athletics
 1 University Way Cullowhee, NC 28723
Division 1 North Carolina Southeast
Public Large National competitor
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Chad Miller

Chad Miller enters his 11th season as Head Coach of the Catamount women's soccer team in the 2020 season.


Under Miller's tutelage, Western Carolina women's soccer has had nine players earn Southern Conference accolades as well as four who earned SoCon All-Tournament honors. With the guidance of Miller, Western Carolina women's soccer player Emily Zipay became the first Catamount women's soccer player in program history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team honors.


In the 2019 season, the Catamounts amassed 11 wins on the season - the most under Miller and the most by a Catamount team since 2008 when that club had 18.


In the 2018 season, Miller navigated the team through crucial player injuries to help lead the Catamounts to a No. 4 seed in the Southern Conference Championships for the second-straight season. WCU dropped a tough match to No. 5 Furman 1-0 in the quarterfinals.


In the 2017 season, Miller steered the Catamounts to its best finish since returning to Western Carolina as the head coach. Western Carolina ended 2017 with a record of 9-10-2 in a magical run. As the No. 4 seed in the SoCon Championships, Western Carolina notched shutouts over VMI and No. 1 seed Furman to reach the championship game against UNCG. The Catamounts dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker to the Spartans ending up as the runner-up in the championships.


In 2016, WCU was the No. 7 seed and defeated No. 10 seed Wofford to make it to the SoCon quarterfinals before falling to ETSU 2-1.


In 2015, Western Carolina was the only conference team to score a goal on SoCon regular-season champion Samford.


In 2014, Miller led the team to a sixth seed in the Southern Conference Championships before falling to No. 3 seed Mercer 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Also during the season, under Miller's direction, senior defender Christina White was named to the SoCon second team while Chandler Arrowood was placed on the SoCon All-Freshman team.


In 2013, led the team to its first double-digit win season, 10 wins, since 2008 when the Catamounts amassed 13 victories. Guided the team to a spot in the 2013 Southern Conference Tournament.


In 2012, Miller had the first player in Catamount women's soccer history to earn both Southern Conference First Team honors as well as earn a spot on the All-Freshmen Team in Markie-Lynn Studnicky.In 2011, Miller had an All-Conference performer in Kayla Beauduy and also led the team to its first Southern Conference Tournament appearance since 2008 with a record of 9-10-1 and eighth place finish in the league.


In 2010, Miller returned to Cullowhee and had one player placed on the All-Freshman Team; Brittany Gendron. The team posted a 5-10-4 record and finished 10th in the SoCon.


Miller replaces former head coach Tammy DeCesare, for whom he spent three seasons on the sidelines within Cullowhee before taking the head job at Catawba. During his first stop at WCU, Miller was the recruiting coordinator and was very involved in the academic oversight of the student-athletes and the fund-raising efforts for the Catamounts. He additionally oversaw three graduate assistant coaches and trained the WCU goalkeepers for a program that posted a 32-23-8 overall mark and won the 2008 Southern Conference Tournament title, advancing to the NCAA Tournament. He is also just the third head coach in the Catamount program's following DeCesare (2005-09), and Debbie Hensley, who led the program from its inception in 1999 through the 2004 season.


In 2009 Miller lead the Catawba women's soccer team to a finish ranked sixth in the Southeast Region, just missing out on grabbing an at-large berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Indians finished the season with a 13-5-2 record and were knocked out in the semifinal round of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament. Five Catawba players - including three freshmen - were named to the SAC All-conference team including a pair of first-team selections.


A 1994 graduate of Pfeiffer University, Miller guided his alma mater's women's soccer program for seven years starting in 1999. He led the Falcons to an overall record of 80-50-9 and 54-18-6 in conference play during his tenure. Miller directed the Lady Falcons to three consecutive Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) tournament finals appearances and two regular-season titles where he was also named the CVAC "Coach of the Year," in 2000 and 2005. During his tenure at Pfeiffer, the Falcons were honored five-straight seasons, from 2001-05, with the NSCAA & Adidas College Team Academic Award. Miller also coached 36 All-CVAC players and 17 all-tournament acknowledgments, including three CVAC Players of the Year and one freshman of the year. Seven of his players were named National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Southeast All-Region, equaling that number with three NSCAA Academic All-Americans.


Prior to moving to the collegiate coaching ranks, Miller also got his first taste of coaching in Stanly County in central North Carolina, first as an assistant at North Stanly High (1991-97) and then as head coach at West Stanly High in 1998.


Miller graduated from Pfeiffer in with a bachelor's degree in Sports Medicine and Exercise Science. He was a four-year varsity letter winner and team captain for the Pfeiffer men's soccer program along with assistant coach Todd Herman.


He possesses 21 years of total coaching experience ranging from the high school and club levels to the collegiate ranks. Miller was the Co-Founder and Coaching Director of SC United Soccer Club (1993-2000), and has also been involved with NC ODP over the past 14 years and holds coaching licenses from the NSCAA and USSF.


Miller was married to the former Stacey Radford in January of 2010 and they have two sons Thomas and Carson. They reside in Sylva, NC, and Stacey is Assistant Athletic Director for Academics & Compliance/Senior Woman Administrator for Western Carolina University.

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Todd Herman

Todd Herman was promoted to Associate Head Coach in August 2014. He joined the staff, under Head Coach Chad Miller, on April 10, 2010, and is currently entering his 11th season with the team.


Herman works closely with the goalkeepers for the Catamounts. In the 2019 season, he shepherded rookie goalkeeper Melody Mezzina in her first year in goal for the Catamounts. Mezzina had seven wins for the Catamounts and 5.1 shutouts and became the first Catamount freshman goalkeeper to win SoCon Defensive Player of the Week since 2008.


Herman, who came to Cullowhee after a year on the sidelines assisting with the Univ. of Richmond men's soccer program, brings over 20 years of playing and coaching experience at the collegiate, club, Olympic Development Program (ODP) and professional levels. He additionally holds a US Soccer "A" license and the NSCAA Premier Diploma.


A native of Hampton, Va., Herman spent six seasons at Davidson, serving as an assistant coach for the women's team in 1999 and an assistant coach for the men's team from 2000-05. He helped guide the Wildcat men six winning seasons during his six seasons with the program. Prior to making the jump to Richmond he was an assistant coach at Atlantic 10 member, Charlotte, in 2008, helping the 49ers to a 12-6-1 record and a national top 25 ranking.


In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Herman has also served as the Director of Coaching with the North Meck Youth Soccer Association and was the head coach for the South Charlotte Soccer Association/USSF National Academy team in 2007-08. In the fall of `07, Herman became the head coach at Providence High School in Charlotte, earning the 4-A Regional Coach of the Year.


A four-year starting goalkeeper at Pfeiffer University, Herman was a two-year team captain and three-time team MVP. The two-time, first-team All-conference selection set the Pfeiffer school record for saves in a single-season (278) and career (786), graduating from Pfeiffer with a degree in Sports Management in 1991. He went on to play professionally in the United States International Soccer League (USISL) from 1993-95.


Herman began his coaching career as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Pfeiffer, in 1992 and served as an assistant coach on the inaugural women's soccer team at the school in 1993.

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