COACHING STAFF | 2016 HAIL STATE SOCCER
ASHLEY GORDON Assistant Coach 4th Season at MSU | Southern Methodist ‘97 Ashley Gordon, who has enjoyed tremendous success as both a coach and a player, joined the Mississippi State soccer program in November of 2012. The Dallas native joins MSU working alongside her husband, head coach Aaron Gordon. Gordon, who enters her fourth season with the Bulldogs, aided in MSU’s most successful season in over a decade after MSU defeated three teams, while tying two more, in conference play during the 2015 campaign. MSU earned the program’s first win in Fayetteville, after the Bulldogs downed Arkansas, 2-1. State also picked up its first ranked win since 2011, following the 3-0 win against No. 20 Kentucky. While at Texas Tech, Gordon helped build the Red Raiders into a Big 12 contender during her six seasons with the program. In 2012, the Red Raiders won a school-record 16 games and ended the season with a No. 25 national ranking by the NSCAA, the program’s first national ranking. Tech’s historic season included a trip to the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament and a second-round appearance in the program’s first NCAA Tournament. The 16-win season was a third-straight campaign with double-digit wins for the program, a first for the Red Raiders. As a member of Tom Stone’s staff, she helped the Red Raiders to the conference tournament each season, and more overall (60) and conference (23) victories than the previous nine years combined. In addition to recruiting and operations duties, Gordon primarily worked with TTU’s forward and midfielders, leading the squad to 130 points behind 46 goals and 38 assists last season.
NJCAA Coach of the Tournament, she was also named the NSCAA Coach of the Year. In addition to coaching Richland, she also served four years as a staff coach for FC Dallas (2003-07), where Aaron was the Director of Coaching. It was the first of two stints with FC Dallas, as she also worked alongside Aaron with the program from 1998-2001. As a staff coach with FC Dallas, she helped guide her squads to a number of state and regional championships. Between stops with FC Dallas, Gordon worked with the Cobb Futbol Club in Atlanta as the girls’ technical director from 2001-03. In her role with the club, she served as director of the Girls Academy Development Program. A USSF “A” licensed coach, Gordon’s success in the coaching ranks can be attributed to a successful playing career. An all-state performer who won the 1990 state title at Duncanville High School, Gordon went on to a stellar career at Southern Methodist University. As a fouryear starter for the Mustangs, she helped her team to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Round of 16. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and a minor in history in 1994, she went on to play semi-pro soccer for the W-League’s Dallas Lightning (1995-98) and the Texas Heat (1999). During her playing career, she was also tabbed to the 1990 U.S. National Pool Team, 1993 Olympic Festival team and the Olympic regional team (1988-96). Aaron and Ashley Gordon have two daughters, Addison (16) and Avery (12).
During her time at Texas Tech, Gordon helped tutor six NSCAA All-Central Region selections and the program’s first NSCAA All-American in freshman Janine Beckie. Beckie, who scored the program’s most goals since 1996, earned TTU’s second Big 12 Rookie of the Year in three seasons while also garnering Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Team of the Year accolades. Gordon helped mentor five All-Big 12 First Team selections and seven Big 12 All-Freshman honorees. While at Tech, Gordon continued an outstanding coaching career in the Olympic Development Program ranks. Since 2001, she has served as a Region III staff coach, and from 2008-2011 she was an NTSSA West Texas ODP coach. Gordon was named the Region III ’94 Team assistant coach in 2011 after serving as assistant coach for the ’89 squad in 2004. This summer she was tabbed the assistant coach of the ODP Region III ‘96 team, and she will coach the squad over the Thanksgiving holiday at the ODP inter-regional tournament in Boca Raton, Fla. Gordon joined her husband in Lubbock a year after she guided Richland College to the NJCAA Division III national championship. In addition to being named
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2016 Mississippi State Soccer Media Guide
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