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Jerry Smith, Head Coach, SCU Women's Soccer | Founder and Director, Jerry Smith Coaching for Life Academy

Jerry Smith

Jerry Smith is the Santa Clara University's women's soccer head coach. He is also the founder and executive director for the Jerry Smith Coaching for Life Academy.

Head coach Jerry Smith is one of the most respected and accomplished soccer coaches in the country. Smith completed his 27th season at the helm of the Santa Clara women's soccer program in 2013 with his 26th winning season.

Smith has created and fine-tuned a proven, repeatable system for getting the most out of his players and program. Having compiled a record of 410-126-52 (.741)—ranked top-5 in NCAA Division I history—Smith is the winningest women's soccer coach in Santa Clara history and has established a standard of excellence few can match.

Since taking over the head coaching duties at Santa Clara in the spring of 1987, Smith has built the Bronco soccer program into a national power. From 1989 to 2007, the Broncos had a 19-year streak of NCAA tournament appearances and top-10 rankings. In addition, his Bronco teams have won 10 West Coast Conference titles, most recently in 2013. Smith has led SCU to 10 College Cup appearances, the second most of any collegiate program in the 26-year history of the tournament. Smith's most successful season came in 2001, as he was named the National Coach of the Year after bringing home the University's first outright NCAA championship.

Jerry Smith with Brandi Chastain '91

Jerry Smith with Brandi Chastain '91

Santa Clara has seen many players go on to professional careers, including two drafted in the National Women's Soccer League College Draft on Jan. 17, 2014. Julie Johnston went No. 3 overall to the Chicago Red Stars, while Morgan Marlborough was selected in the second round by FC Kansas City. Smith saw seven of his former student-athletes, including Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, and Aly Wagner, named to rosters in the inaugural season of Women's Professional Soccer in 2008. An additional five—Jordan Angeli, Katherine Reynolds, Amanda Poach, Meagan Snell, and Kiki Bosio—were drafted in 2009 and Bianca Henninger was selected in 2012. Going undrafted in the 2013 NWSL Draft, Meleana Shim is now a star midfielder with the Portland Thorns.

 

Smith has also earned recognition on national and international levels. In March 2000, he was named the U.S. Under-21 National Team coach, a position he resigned in August 2002, after capturing the 2001 Nordic Cup and successfully defending the championship a year later. He has also served on the FIFA Technical Report Team and was the Site Coordinator for Brazil during World Cup 1994. Smith was also the West Region head coach for the Olympic Development Program. Seventeen of his players have gone on to play for the U.S National Team.

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Coaching Skills That Breed Champions

By Jerry Smith
In every generation and in every sport, there have been exceptional coaches. For example, John Wooden (UCLA’s basketball coach in the 1960–70s) and...
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How Do I Get Myself Out of This Slump?

By Jerry Smith
Ever been in a slump? What is a slump? Dictionary.com defines a slump as: “a period during which a person performs slowly, inefficiently, or...
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Youth Sports: Training Our Kids for Life

By Jerry Smith
Kids today are far more sedentary than ever, which can lead to a number of negative issues related to mental and physical well-being. Youth sports...
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6 Lessons We Can Learn from Steph Curry

By Jerry Smith
For Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry, success has been no accident. This NBA twice-selected MVP demonstrates time and again...
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Great Communication is More Than Great Words

By Jerry Smith
Great communication is far more complex than simply choosing the right words. While articulating ideas accurately and concisely is ...
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From Good to Great takes Grit

By Jerry Smith
There are plenty of great qualities individuals must possess in order to be highly successful, but if I were to narrow it down to three...
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Smaller Goals, Bigger Payoff

By Jerry Smith
Goal setting is one of the most important aspects of our women’s soccer program. We set goals as a team, in small groups, and on an individual...
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The Secrets to Successful Team Building Activities

By Jerry Smith
Are team-building activities worth the investment? Done well, my answer is YES! However, the return on team building is not always easily...
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There Is an "I" in Team

By Jerry Smith
While I understand the motivation behind the saying "There's no "I"in "team"; perhaps there should be an "I"in "team" and plenty of them...
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How to Embrace and Grow from Conflict

By Jerry Smith
The phrase "no pain, no gain" is commonly associated with the discipline needed in sports to push oneself past mental and physical barriers...
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How One Leader Can Change Everything

By Jerry Smith
Leadership is one of the most important factors in team success. In addition to the leadership provided by coaches and managers, it's equally...
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The Strongest Muscle: Your Mind

By Jerry Smith
In addition to helping a team, and driving desired outcomes, mental skills learned through athletics can apply to life off the courts and fields. Learning...
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