NT Scoccer add Asst Coach Michelle McElhaney

OldTimer · August 12, 2006

Soccer: McElhaney joins UNT staff

11:47 PM CDT on Friday, August 11, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Michelle McElhaney always regretted not getting into coaching college soccer after completing her career at Ball State in 2003.

Thanks to her husband’s decision to move to the Dallas area, it’s a choice McElhaney will no longer have live with. McElhaney scoured the Dallas-Fort Worth area for any openings before moving from Indiana to Texas and recently landed a position as an assistant coach at North Texas.

McElhaney joined the UNT staff earlier this week and replaced Kevin Smith, a former Dallas Sidekicks star who split his time between helping coach the Mean Green and running his highly successful Solar Soccer Club. Smith spent eight years on the UNT coaching staff.

“We had been very fortunate for Kevin to come back every season, but it got really crazy with his schedule,” UNT head coach John Hedlund said. “He was only able to make three or four home games the entire year and no away games. He was really good with the skill work in practice. We will miss that, but we will be fine.”

Hedlund’s confidence is based in large part on McElhaney, who will be with the Mean Green for all of their games and practices in addition to running the team’s weightlifting program.

McElhaney will also give the Mean Green a female coach to go with Hedlund and fellow assistant Jim Zakel.

“Michelle is very good with players and is someone they can go to instead of going to a male about personal issues,” Hedlund said. “If a player is having a hard day at practice, a lot of times they are more comfortable with a female.”

McElhaney was a central defender at Ball State for four years and spent the last few years coaching club teams on a part-time basis while working a fulltime office job.

McElhaney’s connections in college soccer played a key part in her landing a job at UNT.

“I looked into college programs down here and said, ‘Wow, North Texas’ program is great. It would be great to work there,’” McElhaney said. “I had my former coach put in a good word for me with John. I e-mailed him, popped in one day and found out that Kevin wasn’t coming back. It kind of fell into my lap.”

UNT has won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons, and returns 10 starters from last year’s team.

“I am so excited about it,” McElhaney said. “We never made it to the NCAA Tournament at Ball State. Coming into this situation, that goal is there to shoot for again. I have only been here a few days and can already see that we have a great group of girls.”

Briefly …

UNT is ranked No. 14 in the Central Region by Soccer Buzz magazine heading into the 2006 season. The Mean Green will open their season on Aug. 18 with an exhibition match against Oklahoma with a game against the team’s alumni to follow on Aug. 19.

Both games will be played at the new soccer facility at the Mean Green Village.

nortx9 · August 14, 2006

Soccer: McElhaney joins UNT staff
11:47 PM CDT on Friday, August 11, 2006
By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Michelle McElhaney always regretted not getting into coaching college soccer after completing her career at Ball State in 2003.
Thanks to her husband’s decision to move to the Dallas area, it’s a choice McElhaney will no longer have live with. McElhaney scoured the Dallas-Fort Worth area for any openings before moving from Indiana to Texas and recently landed a position as an assistant coach at North Texas.
McElhaney joined the UNT staff earlier this week and replaced Kevin Smith, a former Dallas Sidekicks star who split his time between helping coach the Mean Green and running his highly successful Solar Soccer Club. Smith spent eight years on the UNT coaching staff.
“We had been very fortunate for Kevin to come back every season, but it got really crazy with his schedule,” UNT head coach John Hedlund said. “He was only able to make three or four home games the entire year and no away games. He was really good with the skill work in practice. We will miss that, but we will be fine.”
Hedlund’s confidence is based in large part on McElhaney, who will be with the Mean Green for all of their games and practices in addition to running the team’s weightlifting program.
McElhaney will also give the Mean Green a female coach to go with Hedlund and fellow assistant Jim Zakel.
“Michelle is very good with players and is someone they can go to instead of going to a male about personal issues,” Hedlund said. “If a player is having a hard day at practice, a lot of times they are more comfortable with a female.”
McElhaney was a central defender at Ball State for four years and spent the last few years coaching club teams on a part-time basis while working a fulltime office job.
McElhaney’s connections in college soccer played a key part in her landing a job at UNT.
“I looked into college programs down here and said, ‘Wow, North Texas’ program is great. It would be great to work there,’” McElhaney said. “I had my former coach put in a good word for me with John. I e-mailed him, popped in one day and found out that Kevin wasn’t coming back. It kind of fell into my lap.”
UNT has won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons, and returns 10 starters from last year’s team.
“I am so excited about it,” McElhaney said. “We never made it to the NCAA Tournament at Ball State. Coming into this situation, that goal is there to shoot for again. I have only been here a few days and can already see that we have a great group of girls.”
Briefly …
UNT is ranked No. 14 in the Central Region by Soccer Buzz magazine heading into the 2006 season. The Mean Green will open their season on Aug. 18 with an exhibition match against Oklahoma with a game against the team’s alumni to follow on Aug. 19.
Both games will be played at the new soccer facility at the Mean Green Village.
←