Shorter fills soccer, lacrosse coaching vacancies

The task of finding new head coaches for a handful of Shorter University sports teams got a boost on Thursday as the school announced the hiring of two new additions to the athletic department staff.

Former Lee University men’s soccer coach Paul Furey will join the Hawks as their head coach beginning this season, while Julianne Pham will become head coach of the women’s lacrosse team.

Furey comes to Shorter after a long career that has established him as one of the top veteran college soccer coaches in the country. Furey served as head men’s soccer coach at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio for 20 years and at Lee University for five years.

Furey has a 318-261-50 career record and earned his 300th career collegiate victory in 2013. He has led teams to six Paul Furey national tournament appearances in the NCCAA and coached 18 All-Americans and five Player of the Year recipients.

“I’m honored to be at Shorter and doing what I love to do in transforming lives of young men in Christian higher education,” Furey said in a release. “I look forward to further competing in the NCAA Division II and in the Gulf South Conference.”

The recipient of numerous coaching honors, Furey was named National Coach of the Year for NSCAA/NCCAA in 2008 and 2014, and Regional Coach of the Year for the NAIA Great Lakes Region in 2008 among many other honors.

“We are happy to have Paul become part of Shorter University Athletics,” said Shorter University interim Athletic Director Aaron Kelton in a release. “His ties to the region and his knowledge of the Gulf South Conference will help continue to enhance our men’s soccer program.”

Pham has served as head coach for the Munich lacrosse program in Germany and the defensive coach for the German national team over the last year. She previously served as an assistant lacrosse coach for the varsity program at River Ridge High School in Woodstock and played collegiately at Division I Kennesaw State University.

“I had been searching for the perfect fit and am thankful to have found a program that I feel will be a terrific environment to call home,” Pham said in a release. “I am excited to see how both the team and I will grow over time, and I can’t wait to keep adding to the solid foundation this program has already established.”

“Julianne brings a lot of excitement to our women’s lacrosse program,” Kelton said. “She has both national and international experience. She will build on the successes of our women’s lacrosse program and continue to lead our young women on and off the field. Her ties throughout Georgia and the region are very important for our recruiting.” Julianne Pham