Truett-McConnell College Women's Soccer

McDowell brings an impressive resume to Truett McConnell Universitys soccer program. McDowell attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Psychology. He continued his education at Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina, where he received his Masters degree in Theology.   McDowell brings experience and knowledge to the Bears soccer program. After college, McDowell played for FC Kandern, a semi-professional soccer team in Germany from 1999 to 2000. He currently holds a USSF D coaching license, and a NSCAA National Diploma. McDowell has several years of coaching experience at both the collegiate and high school level. Prior to TMU, he spent one year as assistant soccer coach at White County High School in Cleveland. McDowell coached for Borwall Soccer Academy during the summers from 2004 to 2010 and the youth soccer club in Clarkesville, Georgia, in 2007. McDowell transitioned into the role as TMUs assistant men's and womens soccer coach in 2004. In 2006, McDowell was made head coach over both teams. It was not until 2012 that McDowell solidified his role as the womens head coach. The Lady Bears have been very successful on the field and in the community under McDowells leadership. In 2011, the Lady Bears made it to the NCCAA national tournament, finishing seventh in the nation. The young team flourished in 2012, finishing with a 9-10 record, despite competing in a difficult conference. The Lady Bears finished seventh out of 13 schools in the SSAC playoffs. The girls made great strides within the conference, bringing home wins against Spring Hill, Belhaven, Southern Wesleyan, and Brewton Parker. The team also qualified to compete in the NCCAA regional playoffs. The 2014 season started off on a high note for the Bears as they excelled during the regular season. The Bears defeated Reinhardt University, the eventual conference winners, on the road by a score of 1-0 during the regular season. The team proved to be a strong force within the AAC all season, only losing two regular season conference games (Tennessee Wesleyan and Columbia). Despite not performing as well as they would have liked in the AAC playoffs, it is clear that the Lady Bears have what it takes to compete among the conferences top teams moving forward. Standout athletes for the 2014 season included both Meagan Taylor and Victoria Schillinger, who received first-team AAC honors. In addition, freshman Katey Griggs, received second-team AAC honors. As a team, the Lady Bears received the top team GPA award among all Truett McConnell athletic programs. In addition, the Lady Bears also earned the Community Service Award, performing more community service hours than any other team on campus during the course of the academic calendar year.  McDowell coaches with a Family first, team second, motto. This is the essence to TMUs athletic program, McDowell said. My hope is that my team will understand that while our goal is to be successful on the field, and we strive to win every game, we must do it as a family. This motto overlaps every other area whether community service, accountability, academics if we are willing to sacrifice for each other and grow cohesively as a collective unit in Christ, I believe we will be successful in all areas. McDowells goal for the 2015 season is to improve upon the teams 2014 record of 8-6-5. McDowell has a strong core of returning players in addition to a robust incoming freshman class that will bring much needed depth across the board at all positions for the Lady Bears. The key to this year will be finding the right balance and cohesion within the group, but my hope is that we will be challenging for the AAC conference title, said McDowell. Developing players skill and spirituality is McDowells favorite aspect of coaching. Seeing the team develop and improve as soccer players is rewarding, he said. But watching God work in their hearts as they strive to work on their relationship with Him is the best part of all. McDowell, his wife Traci, and daughter Rachel (5) live in Cleveland.

David McDowell began as the Lady Bears head soccer coach in 2007. Native to Belfast, Northern Ireland, McDowell brings an impressive resume to Truett McConnell University’s soccer program. McDowell attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C. and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. He continued his education at Columbia International University in Columbia, S.C. where he received his Master’s degree in Theology. After college, McDowell played for FC Kandern, a semi-professional soccer team in Germany, in 1999-2000. McDowell brings experience and knowledge to the Bears soccer program. He currently holds a USSF ‘D’ coaching license, and a NSCAA ‘National Diploma.’  McDowell has several years of coaching experience at both the collegiate and high school level. Prior to TMU, he spent one year as an assistant soccer coach at White County High School in Cleveland, Ga.  McDowell transitioned into the role as TMU’s assistant men and women’s soccer coach in 2004. In 2007, McDowell was made head coach over both teams. It wasn’t until 2012 that McDowell solidified his role as the women’s head coach. The Lady Bears have been very successful, on the field and in the community, under McDowell’s leadership. Since joining the AAC in 2013, his team has made it to the 'final 4' in every season including making it to the Championship game in two of these seasons, including the most recent 2017 season, where the team finished with a 12-7-1 record. Standout athletes for the 2017 season include: Katey Griggs, AAC First Team All Conference; Rachel Barnett, Jessica Lanier, Megan McCall and Ashlyn Walloch, all AAC Second Team All Conference. The Lady Bears also garnered recognition within the community as they gave over 1500 hours of community service for the past year. McDowell coaches with a “Family first, team second,” motto. “This is the essence to TMU’s athletic program,” McDowell said. “My hope is that my team will understand that while our goal is to be successful on the field, and we strive to win every game, we must do it as a family. This motto overlaps every other area – whether community service, accountability, academics – if we are willing to sacrifice for each other and grow cohesively as a collective unit in Christ, I believe we will be successful in all areas.” McDowell, his wife Traci and daughter Rachel, 7, live in Cleveland, Ga.

After a four-year stint with Georgia State University women’s soccer, Jonathan Britt returned to Truett McConnell University as an assistant coach in 2017 where he helped lead the Bears to a runners-up finish in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship. During his time in Atlanta, Britt worked with two goalkeepers who now litter the Georgia State record book for both season and career records in saves (1st & 9th), shutouts (1st & 7th), and goals-against average (3rd & 4th). As part of the Panther’s staff, Britt helped improve the Panther’s RPI to 95 in 2015, an increase from 235 in 2013. The 2015 season saw the Panthers finish runners-up in the Sun Belt Conference Championship to No. 22 South Alabama and finish as one of only two Non-SEC programs ranked in the top 10 in the Southern Region. Britt’s first stop in Cleveland saw him serve as both the men's and women’s assistant coach from 2011 to 2013. During this time, he coached a first team All-SSAC (Southern States Athletic Conference) goalkeeper and two SSAC All-Freshman team selections. He helped lead the women’s team to the 2011 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Southern Regional tournament championship. Prior to his time at Truett-McConnell, Britt was the boy’s assistant coach at East Coweta High School for five years. During his time at East Coweta, he helped lead the program to two state semifinals and won four region titles. Britt has served on the ODP state staff since 2015 and on the Region III staff as a goalkeeper coach since 2016. He holds a USSF ‘C’ License and NSCAA Level I and II Goalkeeper Diplomas. Britt played collegiately at Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, N.C. where he was a goalkeeper. He graduated from West Georgia University in 2011 after majoring in Sport Management and Economics. He holds a master's degree in Sports Administration from Georgia State University. Britt resides in Cleveland, GA with his wife, Chalice. The couple have a son, Carson (2), and daughter, Adelaide, who was born in early 2018.