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Woody Sherwood Added To Cardinal Women's Soccer Staff
March 14, 2006 | Women's Soccer
March 14, 2006
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville women's soccer team has hired former Butler Head Coach Woody Sherwood as an assistant coach. Sherwood will join Head Coach Karen Ferguson and Assistant Coach Paul Rogers to complete what Ferguson believes is one of the top staffs in the nation.
"The growth of our program from the day that I arrived in 2000 to where we are now is a testament to the vision that Tom Jurich and Julie Hermann have, but as successful as we have been in turning things around, we have only scratched the surface of what we have set out to do."
"The addition of Woody is just another example of Louisville's ability to attract first class coaches," Ferguson added.
"Having been a head coach, Woody brings a wealth of experience that will undoubtedly help our program take the next step to the national level. He is a tremendous coach and an even better person and we're excited to have him join our staff."
Sherwood joins the Cardinals after a successful seven-year stint as the head coach of the Bulldogs in Indianapolis, during which he posted a 63-64-10 overall record. He was Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2002 and has guided the squad to one co-championship and three times has been league runner-up.
Five of his players have earned first-team all-league honors and he has twice established school records for wins in a single season with 13 in 2001 and 15 victories in 2002.
Prior to Butler, Sherwood was head coach at Towson State for two seasons where he set a school record for wins with 14 his first year, earning the school their first ever regional ranking. He has posted an 85-81-12(.511) record in nine seasons as a D-I head coach.
He also spent three season as an assistant coach at Xavier from 1994-97.
Sherwood was a four-year letterwinner as a midfielder and defender for Xavier, where he earned his Bachelors in Psychology and later his Masters in Education, with a concentration in sports administration.
He has served as a Regional Staff Coach for United States Youth Soccer Associations Region II. He worked as the Head Coach, Region II 87 Regional Team from 2004-05, was an assistant coach on the Region II 86 Regional Team in 2003 and again assisted with the Region II 83/84 Regional Team.
Sherwood was a member of the 1999 Region 1 U.S.Y.S.A. staff. He also spent two years with the Carmel United Soccer Club where he took two different teams to the state cup finals.
He possesses his "A" License from the United States Soccer Federation, National Coaching School. He has served as an NSCAA Great Lakes Regional Ranking Committee Chairperson since 2003 and as a committee member of the NCAA Tournament Regional Selection Committee since 2004.
Originally from Maryland, Sherwood was a standout athlete at Woodward High School in Rockville, where he played both tennis and soccer.
Q & A with University of Louisville Assistant Women's Soccer Coach Woody Sherwood
Q: What compelled you to leave a head coaching position for an assistant job?
A: What I see in the U of L is an unparalleled commitment to the student athletes. From academic support to some of the finest facilities in the country, U of L has invested in success. The opportunity to work for such a fine athletic department, coach under Karen Ferguson, and play in the Big East was too good to pass up.
Q: Where do you see the Louisville women's soccer program in the future?
A: With the move to the Big East and the direction of the program over the past few years, I see U of L making a move on the national soccer scene. Louisville has everything a top player would want, from a great education to top notch facilities to one of the best conferences in the country. The city of Louisville is also a wonderful draw.
Q: What type of impact can you have on recruiting at U of L?
A: Having recruited in the region for 10 of my 12 years as a college coach, I am very familiar with the talent pool, club directors, and regional tournaments. The transition to recruiting at U of L will be very smooth and I feel I will be able to help contribute to an already solid recruiting process.
Q: What is your opinion of the BIG EAST?
A: I would not be leaving a quality head coaching job for anything but a top level conference. The Big East has proven to be an elite conference with elite players and coaches.
Q: How important is the relationship between the athletic department and university administration?
A: One of the biggest factors in my decision to come to U of L was the vision that Julie Hermann shared with me. The direction that Dr. Ramsey, Tom Jurich and the rest of the administration are taking the university, is phenomenal.
