UNCW Women’s Soccer Head Coach Paul Cairney The UNCW women’s soccer program continues its rise to national prominence under the leadership of former collegiate standout and veteran coach Paul Cairney. Now in his 17th season as head coach, Cairney has been with the women’s program since its inception in 1994. He served as associate head coach with the team for two years before taking over the reins of the program in 1996. A four-year letterman with the UNCW men’s team, Cairney has amassed 153 career victories and posted a winning record in seven of the last 10 seasons as he has developed the Seahawks into one of the CAA’s top clubs, His teams have qualified for four of the last six CAA Women’s Soccer Championships, one of only three programs in the league to accomplish the feat. A record six Seahawks - Linsday Henry, Amanda Holmes, Caitlin Hunter, Megan Novak, Meagan Simeone and Stephanie Rose - earned All-CAA honors in 2010 as the Seahawks recorded nine or more victories for the 12th time in Cariney’s 16 seasons at the helm and posted a winning record in league play for the fifth straight season. The 2009 campaign saw Cairney guide UNCW to its first CAA Tournament championship and first NCAA Tournament appearance as the Seahawks edged Hofstra with a 2-1 overtime victory in the semifinals before knocking off James Madison, 1-0, in the tournament championship. UNCW finished that season with a 13-8-1 overall record as it equaled the program’s single-season mark for victories for the second time in four campaigns. Cairney’s squad was well recognized for its success as Megan Novak and Stephanie Rose were Second-Team All-CAA selections and Ashley Myers was a Third-Team All-CAA pick. Rose and fellow newcomer Lindsay Henry were also named to the CAA All-Rookie Team while Novak garnered additional accolades as she was made an All-Region selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Cairney’s team posted its first winning season in 1997 with an 11-9-1 mark, and then pulled off an upset of No. 1 Old Dominion in the 1998 CAA Tournament en route to a 10-10-1 record. The Seahawks reached the CAA semifinals again in 1999 before bowing to eventual champion William & Mary.
In 2004, UNCW opened the season with nine straight wins, outscoring opponents, 33-9. Senior midfielder Caroline Renkin was named SecondTeam All-CAA and Cauble was selected to the All-Rookie squad. The Seahawks also achieved a milestone for the program when they were ranked in the Top 10 of the Southeast Region by Soccer Buzz. Cauble then became the program’s first First-Team All-CAA selection in 2005. The 2006-07 squad enjoyed one of the best seasons in program history as the Seahawks finished with a 13-6-0 ledger and posted a second-place finish in the conference at 8-3-0. Cairney shared CAA Coach-of-the-Year honors after helping the Seahawks close out the year ranked 47th among NCAA Division I schools in RPI. Cairney wasn’t the only Seahawk to be rewarded that season. Junior midfielder Jenny Cauble and sophomore striker Kelly Renkin each made FirstTeam All-CAA while junior forward Ashley Church garnered Second-Team honors and freshman goalkeeper Jamie Balzarini collected All-Rookie Team laurels. The 2008 squad matched the program record for CAA victories in a season with an 8-3 ledger and the Seahawks matched their highest finish in the regular-season standings with a tie for second. The team also established a new mark for shutouts in a season with nine. For his efforts, Cairney was named CAA Coach-of-the-Year for the second time in three seasons, becoming one of just five managers in league history to earn the distinction on more than one occasion. Four Seahawks were also acknowledged for their outstanding play as senior Kelly Renkin became the first player in program history to earn First-Team All-CAA honors three times in her career and the second to be named All-CAA in each of her four seasons. Freshman Erin Pardini was a Second-Team All-CAA selection and senior Brittany Croce earned Third-Team All-CAA distinction. Pardini and fellow freshman Kelly Dodd were named to the CAA All-Rookie Team while Pardini became the first Freshman All-American in program history when she earned the honor from Soccer Buzz Online Magazine. Cairney was a two-time All-Conference performer in the backfield during his playing career. He served as team captain for three seasons from 1991-93 and led the team in scoring as a junior. A USSF “A” Licensed coach, Cairney has developed his coaching talents by working at numerous soccer camps and workshops over the last few years. Cairney, who is also a Scottish Football Association licensed coach, was a guest clinician at