Women’s Soccer Coach Dorrance Retires
Anson Dorrance ’74, women’s soccer head coach and one of the most successful coaches in collegiate history, announced Sunday his retirement after 47 years.
Dorrance, 73, is UNC’s first and only women’s soccer head coach. He compiled a 934–88–53 record in 45 seasons. His combined coaching record, including his tenure as the men’s soccer coach from 1977 to 1988, stands at 1,106–152–74.
“I am a proud son of the University of North Carolina,” Dorrance said in a press conference this week. “I have loved every day that I have been here, and I’ve appreciated everyone that’s made a contribution to allowing me to be a part of this extraordinary community.”
Associate head coach Damon Nahas will lead the team this season as interim head coach while the athletics department directs a national search. The team will open the season Aug. 15 at Denver.
Under Dorrance’s leadership, UNC women’s soccer won 22 national championships (including one title in 1981 before the NCAA oversaw women’s soccer) and consistently dominated the ACC with 22 out of 32 ACC tournament championships. Dorrance is the career Division I leader for NCAA championships. “I believed in beating everyone to death by the maximum score possible,” Dorrance said.
UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham, in a statement to GoHeels.com, praised Dorrance as “an all-time soccer, coaching and Tar Heel legend,” whose achievements will be challenging to replicate. “Anson’s impact on the growth of women’s sports, not just in the NCAA but globally, has been profound,” he said. “Under his leadership, numerous Tar Heels have hoisted World Cup and Olympic trophies.”
The women’s soccer program has advanced to 31 of the 42 College Cups — 17 more than any other program — and have finished first or tied for first in the ACC 25 times. The Tar Heels have been ranked for 513 consecutive weeks, a streak they carry into the 2024 season.
“It is no exaggeration to say that Coach Dorrance is one of the greatest collegiate coaches in the history of any sport,” Chancellor Lee Roberts said in Monday’s press conference. “He has trained many of the best players in the history of U.S. women’s soccer and has led our program through decades of unparalleled success.”
Dorrance is a seven-time national coach of the year and a member of multiple halls of fame, including the National Soccer Hall of Fame (2008), the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame (2018), the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame (2005) and the N.C. Soccer Hall of Fame (2002). His numerous awards include the Walt Chyzowych Award for lifetime achievement in soccer, the Werner Fricker Award from U.S. Soccer and a C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Award from UNC.
As head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team from 1986 to 1994, he led the team to victory in the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991. Throughout his career, 59 of his players have represented the USWNT and 14 have won Olympic gold medals, including Crystal Dunn ’14 and Emily Fox ’21, who recently secured gold in Paris at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
UNC has produced 29 first-round draft picks in women’s professional soccer. “I never knew what was gonna happen with this women’s team,” Dorrance said. “I just caught a bolt of lightning at the right time.”
Dorrance’s 47-year tenure as UNC head coach is the second longest in program history, behind Ron Miller ’76 (PhD), who was the fencing coach for 52 years.
In 2019, Carolina renamed the former Fetzer Field, home of the soccer and lacrosse programs, as Dorrance field.
On why he chose to retire just a week before the beginning of the soccer season, Dorrance said in a statement to GoHeels.com, “As many of you know I modeled our program after Dean Smith’s basketball program, and retiring at this time is a credit to his thinking as well. He would re-evaluate his tenure, not after the season, but after he had time to recharge his batteries prior to the next season. When he didn’t, he retired. After last season I initially was excited about the chance to bolster our roster, which we most certainly have done, but as preseason training camp went on, I realized I didn’t have the same energy it takes to give 100% to this year’s team. The players and staff, the University, Carolina athletics and our great fans deserve more, and the respect I have for the amazing legacy the current and former players have built led me to make this decision at this time.”
UNC ended the 2023 season with a 13–2–8 record and missed the College Cup after giving up a 3–0 lead to Brigham Young University in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals. Twenty-one players on the 2023 roster left the program at the end of the season.
Dorrance left the press conference quoting the 1987 film Broadcast News. “What do you do when life exceeds your dreams,” he said. “I guess now, I’m gonna find out.”
— Cameron Hayes Fardy ’23
