Furey to take over Shorter soccer
Shorter University is pleased to announce veteran soccer coach Paul Furey will become head coach of the university’s men’s soccer program.
“We are happy to have Paul become part of Shorter University Athletics,” said Shorter University interim Athletic Director Aaron Kelton. “His ties to the region and his knowledge of the Gulf South Conference will help continue to enhance our men’s soccer program. His ability to recruit and retain great student athletes who meet the mission of Shorter University was important to us during the search process. He is a great guy, and we look forward to working with him.”
“Paul Furey is a highly decorated, veteran coach who has spent his career building successful soccer programs in a Christian university setting,” said Shorter University President Dr. Don Dowless.
Furey served as head men’s soccer coach at Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio) for 20 years and at Lee University for five years. He has a 318-261-50 career record and earned his 300th career collegiate victory in 2013. He has led teams to six 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. “I’d like to thank Dr. Dowless, Corey Humphries, Coach Kelton and David Roland for entrusting me with this opportunity to serve as the men’s head soccer coach at Shorter. 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, Regional Coach of the Year for the NAIA Great Lakes Region in 2008, Coach of the Year for the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association (2000), Coach of the Year for Mid-Ohio Conference (1997), and a four-time Coach of the Year for the NCCAA East Regional.
He has coached a top 25-ranked team in NCAA Division II (2015), an NCCAA national championship team (2014), and an NCCAA national runner up team (2013). His teams have won the Team Academic Team Award from the NSCAA (2013, 2015), the Gulf South Conference Fair Play Award (2016), the Layton Shoemaker Sportsmanship Award (2014), the NAIA Nels Dahlquist Team Sportsmanship Award (2008), and the Conference Fair Play Award (2002, 2005, 2006).
Furey graduated from Trinity International University with a Bachelor of Science in Communications and earned the Master of Sports Science degree in Sport Management from the United States Sports Academy. He holds the national coaching diploma, the advanced national coaching diploma, and the international coaching diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).